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Answerman - The Changing Tides

EnigmaticSky wrote:

Random thought about my quest to watch something legally streaming: Game of Thrones. I don't have cable, so I figure, "Hey, I can watch HBO GO, maybe get a trial or something to watch it." So I go there and find out that there is no trial. Alright, no trouble, I'll just buy a month of HBO GO. Ok, I can't just by GO. Fine, I'll get HBO so I can use it. Oh, I need cable? I don't have cable. THAT'S WHY IM ON THE INTERNET TO STREAM IT. Why should I need cable to watch something on the internet. So they wouldn't even LET me give them my money to watch it. So I tried to download it and was told by my isp I had to delete them immediately. Figures... I don't know why they won't let me pay them my money. I figure I may blind buy it on bluray, but at the time I wanted to they weren't even in print because apparently some scene was to be altered and they discontinued all runs, but I think that has been fixed.

I remember when The Oatmeal posted the same rant, and it sounded just as entitled then. HBO isn't required to make all their content available to you in the format or delivery method you prefer. Is it shitty? Yes, but that's their choice to make.

It took a while, but the first three seasons are available on Amazon Instant Video and iTunes.

The Macross franchise has never had a single decent English dub. Animaze's 2 and Plus dubs, while featuring some good talent, were still clumsy and poorly performed. Hell, even Bryan Cranston was terrible in it. And ADV's SDF dub was embarrassingly bad, partly because they thought that the Japanese VA for Minmay would be cool to have as the English VA, too. Yeah, she can speak English. But she can't act in it.

About karaoke: A huge percentage of the disc releases STILL don't have karaoke. It was actually a hit to my desire of owning anime when I started borrowing anime from the public library in a baby step to move away from fansubs, and I discovered much to my disappointment that they had no karaoke, no translated signs, no translator notes on traditional Japanese idioms or concepts, no colour-coded text for quick and messy dialogue, etc, etc. All that is definitely a labour of love by the fansubbers.

I'm not crazy to pretend that simulcast streams should have that stuff... but physical media released months and sometimes years afterwards? I feel that it is inexcusable not to go the extra mile to offer a more polished product. And then they complain that fansubs take away their business when they are not even trying to raise to standards set by teenagers working for free in their spare time within 2-3 days of episode release? Sometimes I really don't understand this industry.

About karaoke: A huge percentage of the disc releases STILL don't have karaoke. It was actually a hit to my desire of owning anime when I started borrowing anime from the public library in a baby step to move away from fansubs, and I discovered much to my disappointment that they had no karaoke, no translated signs, no translator notes on traditional Japanese idioms or concepts, no colour-coded text for quick and messy dialogue, etc, etc. All that is definitely a labour of love by the fansubbers.

Think you'll find that not many people agree with you on the bolded part, especially for Macross Plus. Its dub is widely held in high regard, even by people who often don't otherwise tolerate dubs.

And I'd even argue that the original Macross's dub, while not spectacular, was still an improvement over the lackluster Japanese original.

Worse, the more popular a site gets, the more ISPs take notice, and as with the Netflix (which does show anime titles) and Comcast, the problem is getting worse for consumers.

Netflix has recently increased its monthly fee by $1 in the US to new members (existing members get a 2 year grandfather clause).

If issues like this continue, illicit sites will actually begin to see an increase in usage, not the decrease license holders are wishing for.

About karaoke: A huge percentage of the disc releases STILL don't have karaoke. It was actually a hit to my desire of owning anime when I started borrowing anime from the public library in a baby step to move away from fansubs, and I discovered much to my disappointment that they had no karaoke, no translated signs, no translator notes on traditional Japanese idioms or concepts, no colour-coded text for quick and messy dialogue, etc, etc. All that is definitely a labour of love by the fansubbers.

I'm not crazy to pretend that simulcast streams should have that stuff... but physical media released months and sometimes years afterwards? I feel that it is inexcusable not to go the extra mile to offer a more polished product. And then they complain that fansubs take away their business when they are not even trying to raise to standards set by teenagers working for free in their spare time within 2-3 days of episode release? Sometimes I really don't understand this industry.

no ADV dub was ever an improvement over anything.

The woman who played Myung in the Plus English dub might be the worst voice actor I've ever heard in my 30 years on this planet. I suppose that could be why she's hardly ever voice acted since.

I would think it's really easy to come up with a way to not have this problem? Is there someone we should be complaining to?

It would be fair enough if HBO wasn't in a constant stir about people pirating their precious GoT. You should see the huge deal they've made about Australians pirating it. But... they do not make it available except under the most draconian means?

omoikane wrote:

I would think it's really easy to come up with a way to not have this problem? Is there someone we should be complaining to?

They (I'm guessing Japan?) don't necessarily want people screenshotting their anime, which is probably counterproductive. I remember I wanted to show someone a panel form Jmanga and I couldnt even printscreen it, had to use my phone to take a photo of my computer screen which was dumb.

omoikane wrote:

I would think it's really easy to come up with a way to not have this problem? Is there someone we should be complaining to?

They (I'm guessing Japan?) don't necessarily want people screenshotting their anime, which is probably counterproductive. I remember I wanted to show someone a panel form Jmanga and I couldnt even printscreen it, had to use my phone to take a photo of my computer screen which was dumb.

Pylgrim wrote:

It would be fair enough if HBO wasn't in a constant stir about people pirating their precious GoT. You should see the huge deal they've made about Australians pirating it. But... they do not make it available except under the most draconian means?

At the risk of soapboxing like I always do whenever I come on these forums...I recently subscribed to Foxtel Play so I could watch GoT here in Australia and it works perfectly fine, it isnt "draconian" at all (although I admit its a downgrade from previous seasons, which were available for download on iTunes)

phifedawg wrote:

They (I'm guessing Japan?) don't necessarily want people screenshotting their anime, which is probably counterproductive. I remember I wanted to show someone a panel form Jmanga and I couldnt even printscreen it, had to use my phone to take a photo of my computer screen which was dumb.

I've used Snipping Tool (inherent to Windows, just search for it in Start) to take screen caps of games/visual novels whenever PrintScreen gave a blank/black image.
If you have Win7, try it, not sure if its still in Win8. Haven't tried it on Flash though.