Do you actually buy DVDs/Manga?

[Myname]

Do you actually buy DVDs/Manga or do you just buy another hard drive to store your downloads? Would you have bought it if you couldn't download it online?

If you do buy it after downloading it online, do you actually watch it or buy it for the sake of supporting the creators? It is more convenient having a collection on your computer rather than searching through DVDs for the shows you want to watch.

[HasuMasu]

you aren't an undercover agent now are you?

anyway...

do you actually watch it or buy it for the sake of supporting the creators?

in my case it's more like "buying since streaming takes a while, and downloading even worse"

[ahelo]

I buy manga but DVDs are way too expensive. I guess you could call me a leecher.

[bhl88]

I buy Blu-Ray boxes and Blu-Rays once in a while (DVDs if none else are available) and yes, I buy manga (one title only).

[james0246]

I buy several manga each month and for a few choice titles (One Piece, Berserk, Vagabond, etc) I will even import the Japanese versions so that my money can go directly toward the sales in the Japanese market (sadly, I can generally read Japanese for shit, so I do this solely for collection purposes and to support the authors).

As for DVDs/Blu-Ray, I will generally only buy a series once it is fully released, and often only after it has gone on sale. I have, on occasion, bought Region 2 copies, but I've only done that for titles that are unlikely to make it to America or titles I really wish to support (the last such title for me was Arakawa).

That being said, I buy less of everything now that I can readily read/watch the series online.

[Vexx]

I buy japanese language manga and figures direct from Japan. I buy R1 DVD and Blu-ray. I don't tend to stream because frankly the technology implementation sucks.

I *do* insist on being able to preview broadcast anime via fansubs before chucking anyone money for the DVD versions. Occasionally, I'll download the DVD fansub rips if the title doesn't get licensed for R1.

I find it annoying that it takes so damned long for both manga and anime to be released in the US. There's really no excuse for it.

Before I discovered fansubs... my expenditures for anime and manga were - ZERO. Nada. Zilch. I don't buy stuff I can't see.

As for watching.... it depends, sometimes the fansubs are better but usually the DVDs have fixed gaffes, errors, new material, etc. So I'll rip the DVDs to disk for ease of access. I loathe the DVD standard format for subtitles though.

[bhl88]

I can only buy the Blu-Rays once in a while though...

Spoiler for 39800 yen (discount at Amazon):

[Equidistant]

Originally Posted by Myname

Do you actually buy DVDs/Manga or do you just buy another hard drive to store your downloads?

I buy DVD's pretty often. I'll spring for it right away if I like the show enough, but otherwise I'll usually wait for complete collection + sale.

Originally Posted by Myname

Would you have bought it if you couldn't download it online?

I've only blind bought 1 anime series in my life.

Originally Posted by Myname

If you do buy it after downloading it online, do you actually watch it

I almost always rewatch something I've bought, but as to whether or not I'm actually rewatching the actual physical product and not a higher quality download is another story.

Originally Posted by Myname

or buy it for the sake of supporting the creators?

I buy anime for collection purposes, I've never really give any thought to supporting the creators, and considering the majority of my money is going to R1 licensing companies(which are businesses, not charities), I see no need to start.

Originally Posted by james0246

unlikely to make it to America or titles I really wish to support (the last such title for me was Arakawa).

...and that one actually got licensed. Well NISA is a bit unpredictable.

[ArrowSmith]

Yes because I believe in rewarding artists for their efforts.

[For~Eternity]

Generally, I watch an anime or read a manga online, then if I like it I'll go out and buy it.

Originally Posted by Myname

It is more convenient having a collection on your computer rather than searching through DVDs for the shows you want to watch.

I greatly prefer watching shows on my tv so that they're higher quality and on a bigger screen. Plus, there's just something wonderful about owning the manga and dvds... It feels a lot better than pirating.

[Akito Kinomoto]

The poll should have had some in-between options, such as I buy a little but mostly DL a lot or I buy a lot and rarely DL. After all, more likely than not we are going to support the creators of our favorite shows, so the question is how much that happens for anything else.

I rarely buy the DVDs for shows I've already seen, though some of my favorites were actually discovered like this. Now as far as stock is concerned, hard-copies are definitely the way to go since,
1. The DLd shows are deleted ASAP.
2. My DVD inventory is nowhere near big enough to be -searching through them-, though they do warrant a small shelf.

you aren't an undercover agent now are you?

I'd say he's seen too much already. Get the needle.

[Echoes]

I buy DVDs (not so much manga anymore) when I can, which is sadly not very often these days. I'll freely admit that I watch a lot more anime than I ever buy, which is exclusively for financial reasons. I want to support the creators, and I do so when I can.

Of course, I also like to own things that I enjoy. If I could, I'd buy everything I liked/space allowed, but thus far my collection is quite humble. I'm hoping to change this once I (hopefully) get out of my sticky financial situation. Of course, what gets licensed also limits what I can buy, but that's not something I'm going to complain about until I actually buy the stuff I like that's available.

[brocko]

Most of my DVD and manga purchases generally come from massive sales and/or markdowns along with the too good of a bargain to pass up as those are the only times I'm able to afford them. However i will make exceptions and pay full retail for works that i really do love and want to support (Makoto Shinkai movies and 1st Haruhi Season for example) .

[ddwkc]

I buy DVD box sets usually. I used to buy mangas, but I don't have much space to keep them neatly.

[gsilver]

Originally Posted by Myname

Do you actually buy DVDs/Manga or do you just buy another hard drive to store your downloads?

I buy tons of stuff. My purchased anime collection is pretty huge (around 1000 DVDs). Some of that is blind-buy junk, however. Rightstuf's 25 for 100 sales got the better of me.

Originally Posted by Myname

Would you have bought it if you couldn't download it online?

Blind-buying is a very bad idea. There have been cases where it worked out (Gungrave) and in some instances (Evangelion movies) I know enough to know if I want to buy it beforehand, but in general, blind-buying can lead to unnecessary shelf clutter for shows that I don't even like.

Originally Posted by Myname

If you do buy it after downloading it online, do you actually watch it or buy it for the sake of supporting the creators?

Since I generally delete my fansubs after purchasing English-language DVDs, I'll use them to rewatch a series, but often, I won't want to rewatch it for quite a while.

Originally Posted by Myname

t is more convenient having a collection on your computer rather than searching through DVDs for the shows you want to watch.

Fansubs are vastly more convenient, but I still appreciate the better sound and video of DVDs.

[Farplaner]

manga yes, DVD no.

[TinyRedLeaf]

I'm a Crunchyroll subscriber, even though I don't actually get to watch many of their streams on-site, thanks to region-locking malarkey.

I buy DVDs of anime I enjoyed, as and when I happen to find them on the shelves (my most-recent purchases were of Cantonese-dubbed Ghost Hound and Blood+). I import them only when I absolutely loved the show — it's too much of a hassle otherwise.

What few manga I read I usually end up buying, as most titles — including obscure gekiga by Yoshihiro Tatsumi — are widely available here, either from Kinokuniya or my local manga-and-anime franchise, Comics Connection.

[Flower]

Yes indeed ... I do - although there is not as wide a selection as I would like in English manga wise. I like to buy Blu Ray dvd's if possible too.

[Endless Soul]

DVDs - yes, when I can.

Manga - yes, when I was younger. Now - no.

[Revan21]

Not too many, it costs too much to import them