VCD and DVD

[Michael Raine]

I'd second that recommendation for DVD. Unfortunately, the Japanese DVD
market (for Japanese films at least) seems rather lame. Is this because
films are available on VCD? What do people think of the quality of Japanese
film on VCD? All the ones I've seen looked horrible, maybe because I was
watching on a PC. I have some of the first DVDs from Nikkatsu: they look
much better than VHS though they're obviously mastered from release prints.
They're also overpriced. 

Michael

PS: Just because I'm a media snob: Village of Dreams is also available on
VHS from Tsai and Ling. 

At 08:36 AM 2/12/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Thanks to Lori for the valuable information about VCD sales on-line.  When
>I was in Hong Kong recently, I bought an English-subtitled copy of VILLAGE
>OF DREAMS which looks fine.
>
>For anyone who has or is thinking of purchasing a DVD player:  DVD players
>will play VCDs.  The superiority of DVD over tape, of course, makes
>purchase of this machine very desirable.  The fact that it plays VCDs was a
>happy discovery!
>
>David Desser
>
> )At 7:53 AM 2/12/99, Lori Hitchcock wrote:
>>There is *one* way to get ahold of a subtitled version of "Shall We Dance"
>>that is the full running time (that I know of), but it involves getting a
>>VCD (video cd) player.  Online stores that sell Hong Kong VCD's (not the
>>pirated ones, but from distributors) also sell some Japanese movies with
>>English subtitles.  Since they bypass the Miramax (in this case)
>>distribution stronghold, they are usually the same running time as the
>>Japanese versions, and most (although not all) have English subtitles.
>>
>>This, by the way, is also a nice way to get ahold of Japanese movies with
>>English subtitles that haven't been generally distributed in the West
>>(specifically the US): titles I've been able to get include "Suzaku," just
>>about everything by Iwai Shunji, "Nagisa no Sinbad," "Shiko o funjyatta"
>>(Sumo Do, Sumo Don't - Suo Masayuki).  The main problems with VCDs is:
>>they tend to pixelate; HK versions often work off a poor quality master
>>print, so they can be very dark (this is the case with "Swallowtail
>>Butterfly").  But if you're trying to show some examples of recent
>>Japanese film to students who don't know Japanese, they can be a great
>>resource.
>>
>>Some good sites to visit include: SASA <www.sasavcd.com>
>>                                  HKPOP <www.hkpop.com>
>>                                  Amae Enterprises <www.hkdb.com>
>>
>>I've ordered from the first two with no problems (Sasa also sells VCD
>>players for about $288) - they have secure servers; Amae lists a lot of
>>movies (although it helps to know the Chinese title of the Japanese
>>movie), but I haven't yet ordered from them.  HKPOP requires membership
>>(free).  Sasa's most recent Japanese titles are "Fuyajyo" and "Shigatsu
>>Monogatari."
>>
>
>>
>>Lori Hitchcock
>
>