What's In the Reference Database
The reference database contains Laser Discs (LDS) and DVD titles released in the United States between 1979-2008. The database is oriented to the package that you buy in the store. This is different than a database of movies. A retail package may contain more than one movie but will be one record in the database. Conversely, a movie may be issued as a disc title several times by one or more publishers. The database will contain a record for each title that can be identified by a distinct catalog number. A title may contain one or more platters but the database will contain one entry per set, sold as a unit.
The reference database was developed based upon publishers catalogs and catalogs available from retail merchants. Due to limitation in the sources of information about discs, the reference database does not provide complete coverage of all attributes and these missing attributes will need to be added to your database by physical inspection of the album cover.
The following types of discs are included in the reference database:
NTSC discs issued in Japan and Taiwan are not included in the reference database. PAL discs issued in Europe are not included.
What Qualifies for a Catalog Entry?: Here are some troublesome cataloging situations and a description of the DVD Register policy to handle them:
Promotional Packs: A promotional pack is a single retail package that contains more than one title. The most common variety is a so-called "2-Pack". These are usually titles that were previously available individually that have been shrink wrapped and marked down when bought together. There is usually some common thematic element or common performer/director presumed by the publisher as the motivation for the buyer to purchase the set. There is usually a new Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) for the package but the inner packages retain their original UPC codes. Sometimes there is a cardboard band, corner cap, or base cap. The DVD Register policy is to not catalog Promotional Packs because once the package is opened the individual packs are indistinguishable from the originally cataloged titles. There is little reason a collector would keep the trivial wrappings for any period of time. To qualify as a "Box Set" there must be a reason for the collector to keep the individual titles together by virtue of the packaging.
Reissues: Popular titles are reissued once the original pressing has been sold out. The DVD Register policy is to create a new catalog item for a reissue if it meets the following criteria:
The DVD Register policy is to not create a new catalog entry for the following situations with reissues:
Call Backs: Occasionally a publisher will initially distribute a title and then for some reason, call-back all of the stock. This can happen if the pressing has a defect or if there turns out to be an intellectual property issue with the content that was discovered too late to stop initial distribution. The DVD Register policy is to catalog a "call back" if there has been some retail sales. The analogy is a postage stamp error. The post office tries to recall all of them but a few leak out to collectors. Usually by the time the DVD Register finds out about these cases they have been dropped from retail channel and information about the title is scarce. For call backs the DVD Register depends upon users to submit the catalog data.
The Anime Collector's Case: It is common with anime titles for the first title in the set to be issued both as a single title and with an otherwise empty collector's slip case. These individual items have different UPCs and prices. However the DVD title itself once opened is indistinguishable from the titles issued without the collector's box . As the titles in the series are issued, the collector places each new title in the slip case and when the series has been completed has a box set. Previously, the DVD Register made two catalog entries for the first title, one designated as the "with collector's case". More recently the DVD REgister has cataloged these as a single title, with a noted variation and a UPC variation. The current thinking is that the reference catalog should add the Box Set if and when the publisher collects all titles and issues a full box set with all titles included.
Non-Boxed Ephemera: Some workout titles and children's titles come packaged with non-media merchandise such as a workout aid or a toy. Typically the title is also sold packaged without the extra merchandise. The DVD Register policy is to catalog these as two separate titles, one with the merchandise and one without, even if the packaging provides no meaningful way to keep the parts together once opened. This is similar to the cases where Laser Discs were packaged with books, posters, lobby cards, and other ephemera related to the release of the movie, except the LD usually provided an oversized box to contain all of the related materials.