Forum - View topicNEWS: Newsweek on Youtube and Haruhi Suzumiya
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Wyvern
 Posts: 1569 |
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So what's the status of bittorrent in Japan? I'm kind of surprised that Youtube raised such a stir with clips when there are sites that you can go to to download torrents for entire episodes of Japanese shows (many of those sites are, ironically, American, but still) within a few hours of their airing.
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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They don't use BT (or eDonkey/eMule) as often. Instead, the major P2P programs used in Japan are WinMX, Winny, and Share. They even have "trading" systems i.e. if the seeder doesn't value what you can provide he can refuse the "trade," even if, say, you are willing to give him several GB of DVD ISO and all you ask is a digitized episode of an 80's anime on VHS only 100MB in size. IIRC Winny has encryption capabiliy and gives copyright holders and law enforcements a hard time trying to provide evidences of illegal distribution. However, using these programs requires certain levels of computer skills so they are restricted within hackers and advanced users. YouTube, on the other hand, can be easily accessed by just about anyone with little or no computer skill. Trust me, Japanese people don't value their own domestic copyrights as many Westerners have believed. 
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PantsGoblin
 SubscriberEncyclopedia Editor  Posts: 2969 Location: L.A. |
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Because there are more Japanese who use Youtube as opposed to torrents. Mainly because 1. Downloading raws is annoying for them since not as many people seed them as fansubs, making Youtube a lot faster. 2. While downloading fansubs can be fast, why wait two or three days for something to get fansubbed when you can watch it without waiting and without the annoying subtitles getting in the way? Edit: This in addition to what Dormcat said. |
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mufurc
 Posts: 612 |
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Sadly, Winmx is not around anymore (at least not in a way that I know of), which is a pity because beside the usual stuff it had lots and lots of really obscure, very interesting stuff that's practically impossible to obtain even in Japan. (Band demo CDs, really old anime/manga, stuff that's been out of print for ~10 years, etc.) Ah well, the trading mentality really killed it, though, unless one had at least 120 gigs of stuff on one's hd, purely for the sake of filesharing.
Yep. Actually, most Japanese I've heard/talked to about this topic see as many problems with downloading anime as the average western fan. With DVD prices being ridiculously high even for Japanese standards, and anime not regarded as important as in the western fandom, many people simply don't care to buy them and go for the merchandise instead. Of course not everyone who doesn't buy DVDs downloads the anime, but a good portion of the fans do. Plus, most people seem to regard Youtube as a very practical and necessary service. As most anime airs at night (and many TV shows air in an inconvenient time for whatever reason), people either record it or, saving time and trouble, watch it on Youtube instead which they can do at home, at work, etc. (Btw, Japanese download fansubs, too - it's not the common practice (what with tons of raw being available on P2P programs), but there are people who a) don't care about the subs, b) are curious, c) regard it as a nice way to practice English.  )
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Nenena
Posts: 10 Location: Nagano-ken |
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[quote="tempest"]
Amen amen amen. Heck, currently I'm relying on YouTube to watch my favorite American cartoon show because Disney recently decided to drop it from every channel except Toon Disney which isn't even available in my area if I wanted to pay for it. And this is a show that will never, ever be released on DVD. (I will eat my shoes if this show ever gets a DVD release, seriously. I will squee with delight and buy all the DVDs and then eat my shoes.) I would love for companies to start offering legit ways to watch TV online. It's a lifesaver for those of us who live in areas where many cable channels simply aren't available... Double-suck if the show that you love *started* by airing on a more widely-available channel and then was suddenly yanked to a different channel! Especially shows that are highly unlikely to ever see a DVD release. And this is just talking about domestic (US, to me) stuff. I'm not even going to touch on anime and other material that crosses national boundaries, but again that's something that it seems to me like it would only be in any company's best interest to offer in a legitimate, controlled fashion over the internet. Last edited by Nenena on Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:32 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Cheesemon
Guest
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Personally, I think Japan is a bit paranoid over the whole thing. Have TV ratings or CD sales really been falling since Youtube became popular?
I mostly use Youtube to watch Japanese music videos and keep up with popular music . . because of Youtube, I've become interested in many artists and songs, and will buy their CDs once I visit Japan again in a couple months. Before Youtube, it was really difficult to preview music, they don't even have that preview button on Amazon Japan like all the other Amazons have! Japan has been terribly protective of their music, but now that Youtube is opening up a way to sample music (and that's what music videos are for, right?), I'm thinking sales might actually increase. It's not like the video and sound quality on Youtube is that great y'know. I really don't think Japan realizes what a great advertising tool Youtube can be . . |
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TAKAVAR
 Posts: 138 Location: Canada |
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ummm,
i mean... WHO would watch an anime episode on the poor quality of you tube when it is already airing on their TV and is available on DVD. the quality of videos are REALLY bad, any one watching that stuff is probebly not gonna pay you anything ever, the whole thing is just stupid. and buncha paradoys is just advertisement. i'm confused. |
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Avacado Burger
 Posts: 85 |
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I just thought of something... For now, the TV companies can go chasing all their copyrights off of Youtube. It's their property and let them do as they please.
The REAL thing they are afraid of is the rise of internet TV: I know everyone's had a show they liked that was cancelled or cut down in it's prime. With internet TV, writers, actors, and animators can be as creative as they want without the pressure of ratings breathing down their back. Although it's not nationally syndicated numbers, YouTube can pull in an impressive amount of viewers daily. As the digital age grows stronger, dinosaur models such as the TV, music, and movie industry have failed to adapt. Internet TV will become more of an important alternative, and eventually dealing a nasty wound to the ad revenue of regular stations. There are huge roadblocks to keep things like a legal P2P or Internet TV from taking off. Geez, I'm blathering again... I hope I got some kind of point across. |
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mufurc
Posts: 612 |
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Because it airs after midnight and the DVDs cost ~5600 yen/2 episodes?  Besides, casual Japanese fans in general aren't as obsessed with video quality as western fans.
What I don't understand is why so many people in the western fandom watch anime on Youtube when they could download higher quality files, but then, Youtube requires no brain work or a particularly fast connection. Surf in, click, watch. |
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SomeWhiteGuy
 Posts: 8 |
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Ah~ If only YouTube was UseNet based. Then there would be no stopping it. NO STOPPING IT! RAWR!~
Btw, I dunno if someone already asked this, but where doe YouTube get all their money to host their HDs and BW? Just by ads? They don’t have very much, and I think there used to be a time when they didn’t advertise... Are they owned by some other large company or something? |
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hikaru004
 Posts: 2306 |
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Yep, you've answered your own question. Things that are easy to operate and convenient are popular. YouTube requires no fast connections, no updating of codecs, no updating of P2P programs, no changing your download ports, no changing of media players, no looking at more than one torrent site for content and so far, no worries about being sued. |
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otimus
 Posts: 63 |
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Wait a second... Music videos and AMVs are being removed?
That's damned stupid, and damned annoying.. and a little too iron fisted and draconian. |
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Sakurachan1
Posts: 42 |
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Sigh, this article confirms my fears; International and even National broadcast companies have become so consumed with making a fast buck, and the overall bottom line of ratings=big money, that they are now completely out of touch with what consumers, and potential consumers, want and need.
How many of us have actually discovered a show by using these so-called "illegal" methods? I know I for one love researching Anime series, and I also like having the option of being able to sample a show that catches my interest. I don't live in Japan, so there is no way I can watch current Anime "legally", and since the average turn around time for the licensing of new series is still around 1-2 years; it helps to be able to see an episode or two, just to get a feel for what the show is like. Buying Anime domestically has become a big investment, most people would like to know if a show is going to be worth that $100+ for a 4-12 disk Sites like Youtube are an effective tool for people like me. I found Loveless that way. A friend recommended it, and I in turn used Bit-torrent to check it out. Now I own the "legal" DVDs, but I probably would never have just gone out and purchased them, if I had not seen the show before the domestic release. That Fuji TV can be wasting manpower on searching Youtube for violators, is hysterical. It's just as hysterical as the US Anime licensing firms using sites like Youtube, and the Torrent networks, to seek out new licensing prospects; then turning on the kids offering those shows to other fans, and calling them criminals. Fuji TV and other Japanese broadcasters should realize these tools have become a powerful aid in boosting their international bottom line. Why not use them as a researching tool for the potential overseas marketing of your shows to licensors. A show that is popular on Youtube with Japanese fans, is probably also popular with international fans. Domestic buzz creates ratings, ratings lead to international interest, international interest leads to licensing, licensing leads to a longer shelf life for your properties. Popular shows like Naruto, Bleach, etc...and even niche shows like Gravitation, and His and Her Circumstances; all came to the US market via these so called "illegal" means. I don't have a cellar full of Bootlegs, nor is my HD packed to capacity with pirated Anime. I do however, have a healthy collection of legal domestic release DVD's, that I enjoy with my family and friends, most of which I probably never would have known about, if not for sites like Youtube. |
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Steventheeunuch
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There's been no real evidence that anything bought over to the US that's gained any real notoriety (Naruto or even One Piece esque popularity) being decided apon illegal reproductions. Shows such as Gits:Sac, One Piece, Naruto etc are bought over because U.S companies believe that they'll be worthwhile merchandise pushers. However it doesn't ignore the fact that while Youtube and torrents are 'unfair competition' something will need to be developed to actually satisfy the possible viewers who will actually pay for it online. |
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daxomni
 Posts: 2650 Location: Somewhere else. |
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Why would they leave it alone now? Any basis for that?
Why would a Japanese copyright holder care what a small sliver of Americans can buy or not buy, see or not see? If they want it so bad they can try to import it. Otherwise, they can live without. There may have been a time when fan videos were helping to grow the anime market during the rough early years, but that time has long since passed. At this point it's mainly about bootlegging and not much else. The whole pro-fansub debate is all about the concept of an honor system, and if there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that the honor system simply doesn't work. Give something away for free and people will be reluctant to purchase it. It's as simple as that. As for J-Pop, the number of serious J-Pop fans in America is so small that I doubt they even register when it comes to copyright enforcement decisions. |
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