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Direct-to-video or straight-to-video (also known as direct-to-VHS, direct-to-DVD, direct-to-Blu-ray, direct-to-digital, etc.) refers to the release of a film to the public immediately on home video formats rather than a theatrical release or television broadcast. Because inferior sequels or prequels of larger-budget films may be released direct to video, references to direct-to-video releases are often pejorative. However, this belief is changing, with direct-to-video releases having become something of a profitable lifeline for independent filmmakers and smaller companies. ==Reasons for releasing direct to video== A production studio may decide not to generally release a TV show or film for several possible reasons: a low budget, lack of support from a TV network, negative reviews, its controversial nature, or a simple lack of general public interest. Studios, limited in the annual number of films to which they grant cinematic releases, may choose to pull the completed film from the theaters, or never exhibit it in theaters at all. Studios then generate revenue through video sales and rentals. Direct-to-video releases have historically carried a stigma of lower technical or artistic quality than theatrical releases. Some films released direct to video are films which have been completed but were never released in movie theaters. This delay often occurs when a studio doubts a film's commercial prospects justify a full cinema release, or because its release window has closed. In film industry slang, such films are referred to as having been "vaulted". Direct-to-video releases can be done for films which cannot be shown theatrically due to controversial content, or because the cost involved in a theatrical release is beyond the releasing company. Animated sequels and feature-length episodes of animated series are also often released in this fashion.〔 The Walt Disney Company began making sequels to many of its animated films for video release beginning with ''The Return of Jafar'' (the sequel to ''Aladdin'') in 1994. Universal Studios also began their long line of ''The Land Before Time'' sequels that same year. Studios may also release sequels or spin-offs to a successful live action film straight to DVD, due to a lack of budget in comparison to the original. An example is the ''Behind Enemy Lines'' series of films. The family film segment is a major part of direct-to-video sales. According to the ''Los Angeles Times'', Often, the downfall of live-action family films at the box office is their strength on video. Their appeal is to families with young children, who may go to only a couple of movies per year but who will watch many videos multiple times. The teens and young adults who drive blockbuster box office statistics stay away from family movies. During the Golden Age of Porn in the 1970s, many pornographic films were released in theatres, some of which became some of the highest grossing films in their release years and in the porn industry altogether. Towards the 1980s porn began to shift to video release, because video allowed the producers to work on extremely low budgets and dispense with some film production elements like scripts, and the increased privacy and convenience of the format change were preferred by the target market. During the 1990s, pornographers began releasing content through paysites on the Internet. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Direct-to-video」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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