History Main / DirectToVideo

In Japan, where the business model is referred to in {{Engrish}} as ''Video-through'' (ビデオスルー), {{OVA}}s follow the same model of distribution, but have the opposite expectations in terms of their quality. With larger budgets and without ExecutiveMeddling or the strict requirements of the {{Media Watchdog}}s, [=OVAs=] are expected to be significantly better than television-based anime. Live-action direct-to-video, known as "V-cinema" overseas (although this is [[BrandNameTakeover technically a trademark of Toei Company]]), also has a much better reputation in Japan. This is due mainly to the number of established filmmakers who use it for their more "experimental" or unusual work, enjoying the [[ProtectionFromEditors greater creative freedom and lack of censorship]]. In addition, some Japanese dubbed versions of foreign films or TV series also go direct to home video without getting a theatrical or TV release first - for example, the Japanese release of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''.

* In an effort to accommodate those who are unable or uncomfortable with venturing out, many studios have taken a modified approach to this in the wake of theaters reopening after the pandemic-forced shutdown, releasing movies in cinemas and on-demand either simultaneously, or very soon afterwards rather than several months later as was done before. For example, Film/NoTimeToDie was released on-demand within a month after it finally opened in the US, and will be available on DVD by December 21.

This is the practice of skipping theaters/[[MadeForTVMovie television]] and just going straight to home video as the first release. This is [[SturgeonsLaw generally not a good sign in terms of quality]] (especially if it ''was'' [[PolishTheTurd originally going to be released theatrically, but was consigned to video]])--the term "direct-to-video" or "straight-to-video" often gets used as slang for "cheaply made, rushed, low quality", and in extreme cases, "[[DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible complete bucket of crap]]."

* All of the ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' films except for [[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryTheMovie the first one]]. One of the most recent ones [[{{Crossover}} crosses over]] with ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.

** Even some of season 5's episodes had been released on DVD before their official airtime on DVD%20s such as "Friend or Foe?" ("The Original Fry Cook", "Night Light", "Fungus Among Us", and "Spy Buddies"), "Season 5 Volume 1" ("Fungus Among Us"), "Bikini Bottom Adventures" ( "Boat Smarts", "Good Ol' Whatshisname", "New Digs", "Krabs à la Mode", "Roller Cowards", "Bucket Sweet Bucket", and "Breath of Fresh Squidward"), "[=WhoBob WhatPants=]" ("Goo Goo Gas"), and "Season 5 Volume 2" ("Goo Goo Gas").

In the United States, while there have been plenty of direct-to-video films and such since the advent of home video, they were usually things that were considered financially unsound to release in theaters, like instructional videos, specialized documentaries, foreign films, film}}s with controversial or niche subject matter, Z-grade low budget horror films, cartoon compilations, {{Concert film}}s, longform music videos, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick and pornography]]. The practice of creating and releasing regular fiction specifically for video didn't really take off until 1994 with Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' and Creator/{{Universal}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime II'', neither of which was intended to hit theaters at any point in its production.[[note]]The financial failure of ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'' was what caused Disney to decide to do this with their sequels. Repeated itself when in the mid 2000s they tried again with sequels for ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967''. Once again, the failure of those films resumed their straight to DVD methods.[[/note]] Other studios started following suit, hardly limited to child-oriented animation. In particular, independent studios and filmmakers quickly picked up on this distribution model, due to its lower distribution costs and reduced censorship (video stores will often stock {{unrated|Edition}} films that theaters won't touch).

* ''Series/StargateSG1'' has two direct-to-video sequel movies: ''Stargate: Film/TheArkOfTruth'' and ''Film/StargateContinuum''.

In the United States, while there have been plenty of direct-to-video films and such since the advent of home video, they were usually things that were considered financially unsound to release in theaters, like instructional videos, specialized documentaries, foreign films, film}}s with controversial or niche subject matter, Z-grade low budget horror films, cartoon compilations, {{Concert film}}s, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick and pornography]]. The practice of creating and releasing regular fiction specifically for video didn't really take off until 1994 with Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' and Creator/{{Universal}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime II'', neither of which was intended to hit theaters at any point in its production.[[note]]The financial failure of ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'' was what caused Disney to decide to do this with their sequels. Repeated itself when in the mid 2000s they tried again with sequels for ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967''. Once again, the failure of those films resumed their straight to DVD methods.[[/note]] Other studios started following suit, hardly limited to child-oriented animation. In particular, independent studios and filmmakers quickly picked up on this distribution model, due to its lower distribution costs and reduced censorship (video stores will often stock {{unrated|Edition}} films that theaters won't touch).

In the United States, while there have been plenty of direct-to-video films and such since the advent of home video, they were usually things that were considered financially unsound to release in theaters, like instructional videos, specialized documentaries, foreign films, film}}s with controversial or niche subject matter, Z-grade low budget horror films, cartoon compilations, {{Concert films, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick and pornography]]. The practice of creating and releasing regular fiction specifically for video didn't really take off until 1994 with Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' and Creator/{{Universal}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime II'', neither of which was intended to hit theaters at any point in its production.[[note]]The financial failure of ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'' was what caused Disney to decide to do this with their sequels. Repeated itself when in the mid 2000s they tried again with sequels for ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967''. Once again, the failure of those films resumed their straight to DVD methods.[[/note]] Other studios started following suit, hardly limited to child-oriented animation. In particular, independent studios and filmmakers quickly picked up on this distribution model, due to its lower distribution costs and reduced censorship (video stores will often stock {{unrated|Edition}} films that theaters won't touch).

In the United States, while there have been plenty of direct-to-video films and such since the advent of home video, they were usually things that were considered financially unsound to release in theaters, like instructional videos, specialized documentaries, foreign films, films with controversial or niche subject matter, Z-grade low budget horror films, cartoon compilations, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick and pornography]]. The practice of creating and releasing regular fiction specifically for video didn't really take off until 1994 with Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' and Creator/{{Universal}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime II'', neither of which was intended to hit theaters at any point in its production.[[note]]The financial failure of ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'' was what caused Disney to decide to do this with their sequels. Repeated itself when in the mid 2000s they tried again with sequels for ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967''. Once again, the failure of those films resumed their straight to DVD methods.[[/note]] Other studios started following suit, hardly limited to child-oriented animation. In particular, independent studios and filmmakers quickly picked up on this distribution model, due to its lower distribution costs and reduced censorship (video stores will often stock {{unrated|Edition}} films that theaters won't touch).

In the United States, while there have been plenty of direct-to-video films and such since the advent of home video, they were usually things that were considered financially unsound to release in theaters, like instructional videos, specialized documentaries, foreign films, films with controversial or niche subject matter, Z-grade low budget horror films, cartoon compilations, [[BreadEggsMilsSquick and pornography]]. The practice of creating and releasing regular fiction specifically for video didn't really take off until 1994 with Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' and Creator/{{Universal}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime II'', neither of which was intended to hit theaters at any point in its production.[[note]]The financial failure of ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'' was what caused Disney to decide to do this with their sequels. Repeated itself when in the mid 2000s they tried again with sequels for ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967''. Once again, the failure of those films resumed their straight to DVD methods.[[/note]] Other studios started following suit, hardly limited to child-oriented animation. In particular, independent studios and filmmakers quickly picked up on this distribution model, due to its lower distribution costs and reduced censorship (video stores will often stock {{unrated|Edition}} films that theaters won't touch).

In the United States, while there have been plenty of direct-to-video films and such since the advent of home video, they were usually things that were considered financially unsound to release in theaters, like instructional videos, specialized documentaries, foreign films, films with controversial or niche subject matter, Z-grade low budget horror films, cartoon compilations, and pornography. The practice of creating and releasing regular fiction specifically for video didn't really take off until 1994 with Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' and Creator/{{Universal}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime II'', neither of which was intended to hit theaters at any point in its production.[[note]]The financial failure of ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'' was what caused Disney to decide to do this with their sequels. Repeated itself when in the mid 2000s they tried again with sequels for ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967''. Once again, the failure of those films resumed their straight to DVD methods.[[/note]] Other studios started following suit, hardly limited to child-oriented animation. In particular, independent studios and filmmakers quickly picked up on this distribution model, due to its lower distribution costs and reduced censorship (video stores will often stock {{unrated|Edition}} films that theaters won't touch).

In Japan, {{OVA}}s follow the same model of distribution, but have the opposite expectations in terms of their quality. With larger budgets and without ExecutiveMeddling or the strict requirements of the {{Media Watchdog}}s, [=OVAs=] are expected to be significantly better than television-based anime. Live-action direct-to-video, known as "V-cinema" overseas (although this is [[BrandNameTakeover technically a trademark of Toei Company]]), also has a much better reputation in Japan. This is due mainly to the number of established filmmakers who use it for their more "experimental" or unusual work, enjoying the [[ProtectionFromEditors greater creative freedom and lack of censorship]].

* Most seasons of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' have some episodes released on video or DVD before they are broadcast on TV. Most notably, the third season had sixteen episodes (over half a season's worth) released on video the year before they were actually broadcast, and the fourth season had eight episodes released on tape the year before they were shown on TV. Notably, the music and sound effects present in these episodes were altered in the TV airings and all subsequent video releases, making the early season 3 and 4 videos more sought-after than most. The early Season 3 episodes even had their entire narration redone after the initial video release. The majority of the feature-length specials are given a limited release in select cinemas (mostly via Kidtoons Films and at the Theater at Mall Of America during Toddler Tuesdays, both of which are now defunct) before the DVD release, but ''Calling All Engines'' was released on DVD and VHS without a theatrical release.

* All of the Japanese-made Franchise/{{Godzilla}} films from 1989's ''Film/GodzillaVsBiollante'' to 2004's ''Film/GodzillaFinalWars'' were released straight to video in the west, with the sole exception of ''Film/Godzilla2000''. ''Biollante'' was handled by Creator/{{HBO}} and the rest by Creator/SonyPictures, who also handled ''2000'''s theatrical release and distributed the American-made ''Film/Godzilla1998''. The 2016 reboot ''Film/ShinGodzilla'' broke the trend by getting a limited American theatrical release by ''Creator/{{Funimation}}, prior to its video release.

*** ''Trolls World Tour'' got released at select AMC Theaters locations beginning in April of 2021. In addition, the film was shown at three summer kids' movie programs: Regal's ''Summer Movie Express'', Cinemark's ''Summer Movie Clubhouse'' and Megaplex Cinema's ''Kids Summer Movies''.

*** Luca got a theatrical release at the El Capitan Theater the same day it hit Disney+.

* Due to the UsefulNotes/CoronavirusPandemic shutting down theaters, ''WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour'' went straight to video on demand, skipping theaters (bar a few drive-ins). ''WesternAnimation/{{SCOOB}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOnTheRun'' [[note]] which was released theatrically in Canada and South Korea[[/note]],''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Luca}}'' followed suit.

* Due to the UsefulNotes/CoronavirusPandemic shutting down theaters, ''WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour'' went straight to video on demand, skipping theaters (bar a few drive-ins). ''WesternAnimation/{{SCOOB}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOnTheRun'' [[note]] which was released theatrically in Canada and South Korea[[/note]],''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{ Luca}}'' followed suit.

* Due to the UsefulNotes/CoronavirusPandemic shutting down theaters, ''WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour'' went straight to video on demand, skipping theaters (bar a few drive-ins). ''WesternAnimation/{{SCOOB}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOnTheRun'' [[note]] which was released theatrically in Canada and South Korea[[/note]] and ''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}'' followed suit.

*** ''Soul'' got a limited release in select theaters in New York City and California, most notably the El Captain Theater.

* With the exception of ''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}'', Creator/{{Pixar}} has mostly averted this. Though ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' was almost released this way, becoming a theatrical film when it was felt that it would be better suited as such.
** Also averted with the ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' SpinOff ''WesternAnimation/{{Planes}}''. It was originally going to be released direct-to-DVD but it later got released theatrically.

* ''Anime/TheAnimatrix'' is probably the second best thing that ever happened to Film/TheMatrix franchise (with the sequels rarely on fans' favorite list, the video game adaptations fall victim to the [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames typical syndrome]] and the graphic novels largely forgettable). Most of its success can be credited to bold exploration into the Matrix mythos, a return to the cyberpunk theme (that was never revisited by the sequels) and the excellent hand-drawn as well as CGI animation.

* With the exception of ''Soul'', Creator/{{Pixar}} has mostly averted this. Though ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' was almost released this way, becoming a theatrical film when it was felt that it would be better suited as such.

** Disney has released direct-to-video sequels to a significant portion of its animated canon, animated by the company's various television animation units. At first they were follow-ups to UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation titles, but they gradually shifted back to films from the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation Golden]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation Dark]] ages. There are also a few titles based on WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts characters and ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'', while at least one film was a CompilationMovie consisting of the completed episodes of an aborted [=TV=] spinoff. In TheNewTens, Disney's only efforts in this vein are the ''[[Franchise/DisneyFairies Tinkerbell]]'' CGI films.

** And the ''Tinker Bell'' movies (with the exception of ''The Pirate Fairy'', thanks to ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted'' coming out at the same time) are shown at the El Capitan so they can be hypothetically nominated for an Oscar, thus padding the list of eligible animated films. [[note]]Academy rules state that in order for the Best Animated Feature category to have 5 nominated titles in a given year, 16 films must be made eligible.[[/note]]

* The Australian releases of ''[[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney's Great Adventure]]'' and ''Film/TheAdventuresOfElmoInGrouchland'' were this due to an Australian law that bans children under the age of four from visiting the cinema. Despite this for unknown reasons, ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'' averted this practice.