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Article The Art of Buying DVDs

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Fed up spending your hard earned cash on DVDs only to realise that…
  • That DVD you just paid £15 or more for a few weeks ago is now selling for well under a tenner almost everywhere.
  • The studio has just released a newer, 2-disc version of a DVD you've already got and it's loaded with extras, better quality sound, etc.
  • That DVD you just had to have as soon as it was released is still sitting on the shelf, as yet unwatched.
Well I've been buying DVDs for a few years now and I've been caught out by all of the above, some several times, so I thought I'd write down some common questions and hopefully spread a few tips around as well…

Which Version Should I Buy - Region 1, Region 2 or even Region 4, etc?

When I started collecting DVDs a few years ago it was the norm to go for Region 1 releases because they were more likely to be released earlier, be cheaper and would probably have more extra features than the Region 2 equivalent, if there even was one.

However that's much less the case these days for mainstream titles. Most studios have started to see the sense in trying to have single, or at least close release dates for all regions and to keep feature differences to a minimum. However, there are cases where this still happens or, in the case of less mainstream titles, a UK release may not even be scheduled or may take a very long time to materialise.

Video Format

This may be an issue worth considering if you have an analogue display - i.e. a non-digital television. For example, US Region 1 discs are normally encoded for NTSC video systems and UK Region 2 discs for PAL video systems. This is still a contentious issue but the majority of authorities on the subject favour PAL over NTSC for DVD playback quality so that may have an effect on your choice of region. There is also the SECAM format but you're much less likely to come across this these days.

Classification/Censorship/Cuts

There are situations where UK censors may impose cuts that don't appear on other versions and vice versa, although not very often in the latter case.

There are various ways to check what classification has been given to a production. This isn't a comprehensive list but it covers the main regions and areas that you're likely to buy from…
  • Region 1 (US) - Go to MPAA Movie Ratings and search the database.
  • Region 2 (UK) - Go to BBFC and search the database. This is quite good as it also lists any cuts for DVD extras.
  • Region 3 (Hong Kong) - Go to TELA, and do a search.
  • Region 4 (Australia) - Go to OFLC, enter the Classification database section and do a search.
If you want to check if there are any cuts then look up the movie on IMDb and select the alternate versions page if it is available. Another few useful sites are…
Customs Charges

Be aware that you may be liable for customs or VAT charges if importing digital media to the UK. Currently, the package value threshold that attracts charges is £18 so if your order is £18 or more, then you could get charged the duty on it. You may also get charged a handling fee by the Post Office for the privilege.

Bascially if the value of the goods, excluding any packaging or handling charges, is under £18, then you won't normally be charged duty. If it's valued at £18 or over then you may be charged duty on the full value, including any packaging or handling charges. However, this is not normally an issue as most overseas suppliers ship orders for multiple titles in single units but if you're ordering a box set, then the risk of being charged duty is much higher.

You'll find the definitive text on this at the HM Customs and Excise site. Another useful link is for the Exchange Rates used to calculate your package value in £s.

The best bet these days, if you want to check which version is best for you, is to look it up on one of the following DVD comparison sites… NB: Due to DVD region coding, playing DVDs from outside your region will almost always require a multi-region compatible DVD player and a compatible display device.

Where Should I Buy From?

Maybe the question should be "How much should I pay?" as I don't care where I get my DVDs from as long as I think the price is reasonable and the store is reliable.

Online stores are by far the most popular way to buy DVDs now but whatever the online generation might think, High Street shops are still an option worth keeping an eye on. They often have reasonably good sales or special deals such as "Buy One Get One Free" or "Three for £20", etc.

Price Comparison Sites

If you’re looking for a specific title and want to check who's the cheapest supplier, then do a search for it on one of the following price comparison sites… There are loads more of these, most less specifically DVD oriented, price comparison sites out there so feel free to try some more of them out.

NB: These price comparison sites are useful but aren't always accurate so always check the price on the seller's site before buying.

Online Bargains

The other thing to do is to keep an eye out for an online bargain as sellers often have sales, special offers or even release discount vouchers. There are a couple of sites worth checking out for the latest bargains… There are also online DVD bargain forums and we have our own Bargains Forum here and there are others out there.

Supplier Reliability

It can be difficult to gauge the reliability of a supplier and the last thing you want is to part with your hard-earned money and get nothing in return or to have hassles with delivery, returns, etc. Again, we’ve got a couple of ways to help you do that – check out our Suppliers area, where we rate suppliers based on actual experiences, and the Suppliers Forum, where you should be able to check up on what the rest of the buying community thinks of a supplier.

When Should I Buy?

This is difficult to nail down and will be different for every situation. There will always be those "Resistance Is Futile, I just have to have it now!" DVDs such as the next Star Wars or Lord of the Rings instalment or the kids will pester you endlessly for the latest Harry Potter movie but if you can wait, it'll almost always be worth it, monetarily speaking.

One thing to mention is that some stores offer pre-order discounts and some are very attractive looking but it's always worth checking around and I've almost always found that whatever they were selling it for on pre-order is pretty much what everyone else will charge on release anyway. There are, of course, exceptions to this and if you keep an eye on the bargain sites, these will become obvious!

If you're willing to resist buying before or at release time then you'll almost certainly save money by waiting until the price drops. Depending on how popular a DVD is, it can take a while to do this but in other cases it drops pretty quickly. Another benefit of waiting is that the studio might announce a better, more feature-laden version before you’ve opted for the current version.

I've got a few DVDs that I just had to have and they're still on the shelf, as yet unwatched, so what I do now is keep a wish list, to which I add titles I fancy. Every now and then I’ll do a price comparison search for some of them to see if the price has dropped enough to interest me or if someone is offering a bargain.

Conclusion

At the end of the day it's how you feel about how much you paid that counts and if you're happy shelling out over the odds to get the goods as soon as they're available, then more power to you. You're subsidising meanies like me as the stores may be more willing to discount a product that they've made their initial target sales on.

Sooner or later, that DVD you've been looking for will turn up at a good price from a reliable supplier so - Happy shopping!

NB: I should also state that this is a personal view of how to buy DVDs and I’m sure other users of this site do it differently. There are other ways to buy DVDs, I just don’t use them, e.g.…
  • Buying from online Auction sites.
  • Buying second-hand/pre-owned.
  • Swapping with others online – we’ve got a Trade Forum for just that here and there are others out there.


Allan Ogg - Monday 22 September 2003
This page has been read: 656 times.

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Comments:
I found your article very useful, even though I consider myself to be a discerning buyer already. I certainly will make use of the bargain site info you posted, as previously I've relied on our own forums and shopping around the sites I know to get a good deal.....

Posted By: richard baylis View / Reply
Updated - added another online DVD bargain site.....

Posted By: aogg View / Reply
Amazing article GJ!....

Posted By: William_Shatner View / Reply
Updated - Added more price comparison sites and a bargain site.....

Posted By: aogg View / Reply
Updated again - this time adding more info on the new customs position on imported DVDs.....

Posted By: aogg View / Reply
Nice additions Allan, this is a great article for new buyers.....

Posted By: Steve Kinsey View / Reply
Updated Bargain Sites: dropped DVD Best Buy and substituted with Kjaerland.dk/DVD....

Posted By: aogg View / Reply
Originally posted by aogg: Updated Bargain Sites: dropped DVD Best Buy and substituted with Kjaerland.dk/DVD
Great article ....

Posted By: ashtray_head View / Reply
Originally posted by ashtray_head: Great article Hi Richard, I knew it was you thanks for signing up mate, i look forward to some good threads....

Posted By: sjp1966 View / Reply

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