Forum - View topicStreaming: Do you think it's effective?
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Sheleigha
 Posts: 1675 |
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This is something I've been very curious on...
Lately, I haven't been watching too many anime series like I used to, and it feels like yesterday the ONLY way to check out a new series was to check out the fansubs of it. It's how I checked out a bunch of shows and made ALOT of purchauses. But nowadays, I swear it feels like all of a sudden simulcasts came out of nowhere and there are TONS of them now! An excellent alternative instead of using fansubs (which I now only grab if it involves a series that will NEVER see the light of day over here). There's been some series I've checked out through streaming, although I know the commercials can be a pain, but hey, not much difference than watching on TV anyhow (and it's usually just ONE commercial online, anyhow). However, I recently started using Netflix (which we won't be discussing...) a month ago and I've been very pleased with the amount of anime titles on it! In fact, just because they're there, there's a bunch I've added to my instant que to check out. Who knows? Maybe I'll enjoy them enough to grab them. One thing that does make me sad though, is the number of streams with no plans of making physical copies, or just ones that seem to take forever to come out. I hope this will change, someday. Viz already mentioned that if there's enough traffic for Blue Dragon it may see an uncut release in North America (Europe already got one). This is one release I never thought would even be possible to see uncut physical copies for! I know this is quite an unorganized ramble, but I'm just curious on if you think that streaming has been very effective and has actually been bringing more fans in, and bringing more people to watch these releases than downloading? Any ex downloaders that do streaming now because it's there? I know there will always be the fanbase that downloads because of their preferences, and people out of the country who can't access it, although they have been spreading out more... slowly... But region issues can be a pain, I can imagine. |
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@
 Posts: 3498 Location: IN your nightmares |
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I don't really have the same viewpoint on the value of streaming as the way you put it. From your viewpoint streaming is inherently an alternative to downloading [fansubs] and both exist for viewers to weigh the pros and cons of each to determine how they get their anime. I think of it from the standpoint that streaming is ONLY an alternative to other forms of viewing anime that is intended by it's producers and creators (such as TV broadcasts and DVDs). Streaming exists because it puts the content on your video monitor instantly in a way that is conducive to capitalism. Fansubs, while some claim their merits to the industry exust, they still violate and undermine the business/consumer relationship of entertainment.
Therefore, when you make the choice to buy DVD title A or stream title B tonight, it's not the same as making the choice between buy DVD title A or download fansub title C. And if that's the case isn't choosing between a fansub and a stream less like alternatives to each other (but both happen to be instant entertainment) and rather more like a personal battle of ethics? |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 8016 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Streaming definitely works for the people who would rather watch something the legal way as a preference. You can't really do anything about the other half of the anime fanbase though. I used to download the unlicensed shows I wanted to see (I have a no DL policy for licensed stuff) but with legal streaming I don't have to because pretty much everything I want to check out is picked up nowadays. There still might be a few that fly under the radar of Crunchyroll or the others, but I usually don't have to download many shows. Also yes, it's gotten me to check out things I was going to pass on, simply because it was available and I was bored. This season has a number of examples of that such as Usagi Drop, Kamisama Dolls, A Dark Rabbit Has Seven Lives, and No. 6, which turned out to be interesting. Since I'm also an anime collector, the more I like, the more I'll probably buy, so in this case streaming has increased sales to me. I'd say it's a success. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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I think streaming is great. I still watch a few things fansubbed if streaming isn't an option but 90% of currently airing anime I just stream.
The only thing I wish is that we'd start seeing more dubbed anime streamed eventually. There are a lot of shows that I'd be a bit more inclined to watch if I could just put them on in the background and listen to them dubbed. |
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st_owly
 Posts: 5234 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland |
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It's not ineffective, I'd say. You'll always have people who download things illegally no matter how many legal alternatives there are. Even if legal streams were simultaneous with Japan (remember that One Piece incident a while back?) there will always be leeches who think the world owes them everything they want, for free. For people who actually have more than 2 brain cells to rub together, I think streaming's been great. I live in the UK, and we tend to get the short end of the stick both with DVDs and streaming (There are only 4 of this season's shows available on CR for the UK this season, for example). Yes, the ads are annoying, but I'd rather not contribute to the death of the industry, and I'm just grateful that more and more legal streaming services are popping up (AoD, Niconico). Before legal streaming, I downloaded things, as 90% of the shows I wanted to watch were either unlicensed (I'm a shojo/josei fan. Nodame Cantabile is one of my favourite shows ever) or only available in R1 DVD, and since I'm a poor student, I don't have the money to import DVDs. (I have enough trouble finding the money to buy UK DVDs and funding my manga habit) Now, I'll watch random shows on CR just because they're there, and I probably wouldn't have bothered with them otherwise.
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Guren Alchemist4
 Posts: 347 |
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I do believe it has helped bring in new fans. I know from my own experience that people who had never watched or hadn't watched since Dragon Ball or another older title started watching anime as soon as Netflix became available on the 360. A few of them started out out of curiosity because of suggestion provided by Netflix while others started watching anime again because it was easily accessible. I of course have sent them to legal streaming sites if they choose to watch further. Time will tell if they continue but even attracting casual viewers will be good for anime companies. In cases like these, I do believe streaming proves to be more effective than downloading because quite frankly not everyone engages in illegally downloading media and certainly not anime.
As for me, I stream most of my anime through legal sites these days since everything that seems to interest me is available. Occasionally, I do download a show, but it’s becoming more rare for me to do so. I actually find it hard to keep up with the current releases because of how much is legally available for streaming on top of watching the anime I purchase. Therefore, I’m usually playing catch up, so the shows which I would’ve downloaded in the past become available for streaming or get licensed before I get to them. lol The introduction of simulcast releases has really helped as well. It’s now possible to stay current with my favorite shows like One Piece so I’m quite satisfied. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 25610 |
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I love streaming, especially the legit kind. I have a good computer and excellent highspeed internet access so I very rarely run into any technical problems. Virtually all of my legit streaming is on Crunchyroll where I have an anime membership so I don't even have to worry about ads. For me, streaming is a great way to determine if I want to buy a series later on should it get an R1 physical release.
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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Not sure where you're getting your facts, but this isn't true at all. In fact, the anime industry has been everything but conducive to its market. Did you miss the point of his post? Here it is, in a nutshell: I swear it feels like all of a sudden simulcasts came out of nowhere... This isn't a statement of a conducive industry. It's a statement of a reactive one. This should have been a statement made in 10 years ago. The arrogance this industry portrays has at least one negative impact: this year marks the least amount of money I've spent on anime related merchandise and DVDs. It's also the first year to which I've not hit a fansub site (even with titles not yet streamed). Between my streaming options, I've more than enough awaiting a viewing they're no longer needed to fill the gap between DVD releases and ... nothing else. This industry has never been proactive, simply reactive. Case in point: three new distributors are entering the North American market: NISA, Aniplex, and Innovation Network Corporation of Japan. I don't know about anyone else, but the last thing I'd do to a balloon filled with too much air is keep pumping more air into it. |
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HaruhiToy
 Posts: 4118 |
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My own story on this.
Over the space of about six months I ended up watching more anime streaming than I did from buying/renting the DVDs. If I am typical of the U.S. anime consumer, that is a mammoth shift. I would say an 80/20 ratio flipped. The thing is the 720p output from CR or Netflix looks better than any but the best DVDs, with only occasional Internet bandwidth problems. The ony thing I don't like is you don't have a choice of sound tracks or subtitles. Actually, about the only time I buy/rent media anymore is if I want the BD version, or if the DVD is the only way to watch it. So far, I have never bought a BD simply to see something uncensored that was censored on streaming but someday that might happen. |
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Sheleigha
Posts: 1675 |
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The answers have really varied and it's been interesting to here what people say from their own experience. This is different, but not surprising. While there are people like me who (eventually) need their physical media, some are fine with streaming-only of series. Still, it's just another way to support anime and the series you are watching. |
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A Mystery
 Posts: 1962 Location: Netherlands |
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The first time I have seen an anime legally after Dragonball Z and Gundam Wing ended their runs on tv over... ten years ago, was on a legal streaming site
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I started discovering what anime really was and became a fan when I was about sixteen years old. A lot of anime I watch today aren't fansubs anymore, so that's a positive change. So, it has definitely been effective for me. Streaming anime is easily accessible, being free and all. However, I think I have also matured a bit in this field. Now I'm actually trying to support the industry. (Since this year. I'm already 22. Heh.) I don't feel guilty when I am following a series fansubbed, though. There are a lot of titles I cannot see/purchase legally and then there's the money issue. |
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@
Posts: 3498 Location: IN your nightmares |
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mglittlerobin
 Posts: 1071 |
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I usually watch legal streaming most of the time, if there's no way for me to legally see it streaming and I really, really want to, I'll go on an illegal site, but I rarely do, because the stuff I really want to see I end up buying to support the industry. But I've found so much legal streaming animes that I can't really keep up, but they do help me earn extra money because I write reviews for them and I don't have to go out and buy it.
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Melanchthon
 Posts: 550 Location: Northwest from Here |
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Is streaming an effective way to reduce fansubs/piracy? Yes. I've noticed the number of major fansub groups has dropped by a far amount in the last two years.
Is streaming an effective way to profit from anime? The jury is still out, but signs point to yes. Crunchyroll claims to turn a profit, and increased streaming has lead to increased viewing which should lead to increased sales for DVDs. Probably. Is streaming a more effective way to watch anime than fansubs? Your mileage will vary, but for me this is a no. Streaming requires a constant internet connection. Stream quality varies by internet speed. Streaming is region locked (Sure, I could bounce it off a proxy, but see the previous point). I can't demux the file and fix mistakes in the subtitles of streams (not that there are many these days). And I can't save a stream to watch later. Now, this being said, I think streams are good for the industry overall, but I'm too much a dinosaur to turn my viewing over it. |
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tenebrusmke79
 Posts: 86 Location: Wisconsin |
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I believe it's effective. I have totally stopped watching fansubbed anime. I have stopped watching the Japanese raw videos, even. Of the series I watch, they're either streamed legally or I watch whatever I have on DVD. I don't touch unlicensed or unstreamed anime, and I want to support the industry.
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