Merge with Direct-to-Video: Original Video Animation

Direct-to-Video means that a movie or TV show is released on VHS or DVD first, without being shown in cinemas or on television. Nothing more, though connotations regarding quality have arisen.

Both the Direct-to-Video and Original Video Animation pages flat-out state that OVA is DTV except animated, and done well. Furthermore, the DTV page lists several animated movies in its example section.

Since OVA is quite clearly a specific type of DTV, I propose they be merged.

I think "higher budget than normal" is a significant difference.

The connotations alone are enough to keep these separate, I think. Say something is an OVA and people are likely to expect it to be good. DTV, however, is usually taken to mean "dreck".

Yeah, from what I know of OVA, this is one of those rare cases where "Done Well" is actually an incredibly significant difference.

An OVA may not actually be "done well", but the expectations that it will be are very high.

A DTV may be "done well", but the expectation that it won't be is very high.

It's also objectively about the treatment compared to DTV. DTV tends to about the same budget and production values compared to TV shows, and sometimes even less. OVA tend to be higher budget and production than TV shows, even if not as much a films.

edited 1st Sep '11 1:42:27 PM by DragonQuestZ

Is the perception of "done well" enough to warrant a split, though? They're basically the same thing, only by calling a rabbit a smeerp (or changing the cultural context) one can manage the expectations of them, yes?

Also, DTV's (as the name implies) go straight to video/DVD sales for their initial release. OVA's can be broadcast via stations/channels for their initial run, then released on DVD later.

Again, it's not abut "done well". It's about "This is TV level production or less" versus "This is better than TV production".

...Really? Huh. The current OVA description doesn't mention that.

edited 2nd Sep '11 11:27:22 AM by Embryon

Plus a lot of DTV films do that as well ("Sci-Fi Channel "Original" movies).

So, in other words, DTV covers Made For TV Movies that eventually get released on video?

I was under the impression that DTV literally meant "direct to video": no TV broadcast, no theatre run, just video.

edited 2nd Sep '11 2:22:34 PM by Embryon

I wouldn't call a Sci-Fi original a DTV either. They're Made For Television. DTV is just that — skip the threaters, skip TV, go direct to the video store.

Woah, didn't realize this was open. So, should this become a definition page or something? I'd say that it needs to either ''become' a full trope page, or have the examples worked into the description deleted.

I Wouldn't say merge it does need work as the page is far broader than what an actual OVA is [1]

Also it needs examples and transformed into an Index.. there are 27 OADs coming out this season alone like Gundam Unicorn ep 4 and Hakuouki Hekketsuroku OVA Series Toudou Chapter, Rio Rainbow Gate OAV, Deadman Wonderland OVA, Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kira: file.03, Kiss X Sis OAD Ep. 6 (Which is completely different than Kiss X Sis TV series) etc. (And a few of them air on TV)

Legend Of The Galactic Heroes... 150+ episode OVA.

edited 16th Oct '11 5:34:53 AM by Raso

I think the main difference is that DTV implies it wasn't good enough for theaters, while OVA implies it's too good for TV. One's a downgrade from a high budget "real" movie, while the other's an upgrade from low budget weekly television.

Yeah, I also say we make this a list, or index.