[NO SPOILERS] Evangelion 3.33 on Blu-ray and DVD April 24th

[Ornette]

That's ridiculous, imports cost just as much as the blood of your first born child. I don't see how importing the film from other countries makes it more cheap unless you're getting it from China, but by then you're not even going to get the real movie.

DVDs are cheaper in the U.S. than in most places. "Importing" also includes someone from Japan buying a Region 1 DVD (from the U.S.). That's why these regions are global, and not just "U.S. region"/"Rest of the world region".

[qu4d]

That's ridiculous, imports cost just as much as the blood of your first born child. I don't see how importing the film from other countries makes it more cheap unless you're getting it from China, but by then you're not even going to get the real movie.

I'm from germany and I import DVDs from the UK sometimes, because

a) way cheaper

b) earlier release date, from 3 months to 2 years

Or even from the US, shops like thehut.com are using some tax things via some english island... thing... stuff. They don't even have shipping costs.

And that's not really good for the industry, because the industry wants me to buy my movies in germany.

What if the Japanese Evangelion 3.33 disc would have already at least english subtitles? There would be more people importing the DVD/BD with the result of lower sales for Funimation or whoever is the distributer.

[TheFriskyIan]

DVDs are cheaper in the U.S. than in most places. "Importing" also includes someone from Japan buying a Region 1 DVD (from the U.S.). That's why these regions are global, and not just "U.S. region"/"Rest of the world region".

But aren't there Tariffs for importing? I doubt that the price you see on a foreign website automatically takes those into consideration, especially when they don't even add the cost of a normal tax/shipping and handling until you actually try to purchase the product.

[Mr. Tines]

The whole point of DVD and BD regions is market segmentation -- so that the content providers can charge what the market will bear and not have to worry about arbitrage between regions. However it is in the hardware producers interest to just provide one-size-fits-all kit, so arbitrage happens anyway.

Japanese home video tends to be very pricy -- just going to amazon and checking, the first GaruPan DVD (episodes 1 and 2) has a list price of ￥5,250, though amazon cuts it down to ￥3,885 ($41.23 or £27.23 at present exchange rates) -- and I used to think that £19.99 each for 4 disks for a 13 episode series was a bit of a rip-off. Tariffs are unlikely to be so high that reverse importation from the US is unprofitable -- that's why the delays, which then apply time discounting, to make the local product available here and now more attractive than the cheaper version later.

[Ornette]

But aren't there Tariffs for importing? I doubt that the price you see on a foreign website automatically takes those into consideration, especially when they don't even add the cost of a normal tax/shipping and handling until you actually try to purchase the product.

Not when I buy it from a website, like 3.33, from a site like CDJapan, which sells it in Japan for the same price I pay, and I don't get charged tax, nor any tariffs, and I pay $3 for shipping (and on the amazon.co.jp site, it's cheaper than what Japanese pay because the tax is included in the price, which they deduct). I'm assuming you've never ordered anything international, since you neither pay tax nor tariff; and even if the shipping is on the higher end, say $15, a Japanese DVD consisting of 2 episodes for $60 is way more expensive than a U.S. DVD with 4 episode for $15. Even with a $20 shipping fee, it's cheaper it import (from the U.S. to Japan, in this instance).

This isn't to say that the DVD market segmentation is smart, nor that it makes sense, because it's entirely based on hardware producers now that the region encoded has been long cracked, and for anyone who knows how to use google, can get around it. But that's the jist of why it's there.

[pwhodges]

I'm assuming you've never ordered anything international, since you neither pay tax nor tariff;

Here in the UK, I frequently have to pay UK tax (VAT) or duty on parcels before the courier will deliver them - even DVDs. Some US suppliers have an arrangement to collect UK tax at time of sale, and others don't. Sometimes I get away with paying no tax - it depends on the documentation that the shipper provides.

On the region thing, no one has mentioned the original reason for region encoding, which was not to segment the market for price inflation, but to prevent imported DVDs being able to pre-empt the cinema showings of films - so protecting that separate revenue stream.

[Mr. Tines]

On the region thing, no one has mentioned the original reason for region encoding, which was not to segment the market for price inflation, but to prevent imported DVDs being able to pre-empt the cinema showings of films - so protecting that separate revenue stream.

That's still market segmentation -- offer one product in one region and another related one (or nothing at all) in another.

One of the best side-effects of arbitrage happening anyway is that we no longer have the ~1 year delay for films to cross the Pond. I remember when Star Wars premiered in Rhodesia (of all places) months ahead of it opening here in spring '78.

[TheFriskyIan]

I'm assuming you've never ordered anything international, since you neither pay tax nor tariff;

I have not. When I get the money, this would be my first. I order stuff online all the time, but I never ordered something internationally though.

[JoeD80]

There is no import duty for blu-rays from Japan to the US.

I once ordered over $500 of stuff from Japan and had to fill out a form describing everything in the box before I got it...but there wasn't any fee for that.

[Stan]

There is no import duty for blu-rays from Japan to the US.

I once ordered over $500 of stuff from Japan and had to fill out a form describing everything in the box before I got it...but there wasn't any fee for that.

Well it sometimes depends. I had plenty of international orders (some from Japan) and didn't pay customs on stuff $100+ and other times had to pay $20 in customs for a $35 order :/

[HEALTH_DISCO]

Is it the first time a rebuild movie is released on DVD/BD so quickly ?
Is there any reasons for such a quick release ? Poor Reviews ? They want to release 4.0 before the end of the year ?

[Nuclear Lunchbox]

Is it the first time a rebuild movie is released on DVD/BD so quickly ?
Is there any reasons for such a quick release ? Poor Reviews ? They want to release 4.0 before the end of the year ?

Because money.

[TheFriskyIan]

Is it the first time a rebuild movie is released on DVD/BD so quickly ?
Is there any reasons for such a quick release ? Poor Reviews ? They want to release 4.0 before the end of the year ?

Unless we start getting announcements for FINAL by the time 3.33 hits, I highly doubt FINAL will premiere this year.

[Electric Sachiel]

Is it the first time a rebuild movie is released on DVD/BD so quickly ?
Is there any reasons for such a quick release ? Poor Reviews ? They want to release 4.0 before the end of the year ?

I agree. Its quite unusual to have a Japanese film arrive on Blu Ray and DVD so soon after theatrical release. I would have thought that Khara and TJoy would have wanted to wait a few more months and have Eva 3.0 rack up some more ticket sales at the boxoffice before a home video release is done. Odd.....

[pwhodges]

Maybe the movie's done so well in the theatres that it's hit its kickstarter target already!

[riffraff11235]

I'm guessing they'll make us pay for this quick release once 4.0 rolls around. I'm already steeling myself mentally for a 9-month wait....

...In other news, only 56 days left, guys! There's a link to a countdown timer in my sig if anyone's interested!

[lo zaffo]

Maybe the movie's done so well in the theatres that it's hit its kickstarter target already!

Well, I've not read in KHARA boss's mind, but I suspect this is in facts the case: Eva 3.0 Q had got 60 Milliions$ out of Japanese theatres.
KHARA can release DVD/BR because of the success in theatres of home country and if they refresh Anticipation tease of FINAL film they can continue striking mass market.

[cyharding]

Unless we start getting announcements for FINAL by the time 3.33 hits, I highly doubt FINAL will premiere this year.

True. There is no reason to expect any announcement for Final before 3.33's release. The best we can hope for so soon is that they will modify the Next Time preview at the end to announce the time of the year Final will be released (for example, summer 2014).

[CJD]

Maybe the movie's done so well in the theatres that it's hit its kickstarter target already!

No stretch goals? 3/10, would not back.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

Yeah, I caved and purchased the first press edition of the 3.33 Blu-ray. I might even watch it before Funimation gets the rights to it. (Whenever that happens...)

In fact, if there's anyway to get subs to sync with the film on my computer, please let me know how I can do that.