Strange dilema in regards to a download

[Rocketshipper]

I'm sure some of you have heard this news, but Toei has just signed a deal with Crunchyroll to start distrubuting some of its anime on-line. See this link for more detail. http://www.mania.com/toei-teams-up-crunchyroll_article_110734.html

One of the series they've started releasing there is Digimon Adventure 02. The first episode is availible to watch subbed on the site, and you can purchase the episode for download for 1.99. I'm certainly excited about this, if just for the potential that this deal means (who else is hoping someone knocks some sense into Toei and convinces them to start putting Sailor Moon up?) But I just ran into a strange dilemma. I'm a big digimon fan, and I'm excited about this, but I discovered that the version of the show on Crunchyroll is of poorer quality, subtitle wise, than the fansub I have. So the dilemma I face is...is it alright to keep the fansubbed version and watch it, if I still support the original "official" version by purchasing the episode download on the site?

[Roy Mustang]

As for the Sailor Moon thing, not going to happen as long as Toei has a lockdown on it.


Now the question is, did you pay the $1.99 for the sub download.

If you don't pay for the downlaod and just watch it on Crunchyroll, then you are going to get the poorer quality anyway. You must be a member of the site and pay a fee to be one or pay for the download, then you will get the better quality, that's just how Crunchyroll has done it always.


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[minakichan]

I think he's talking about the subtitle quality, not the video quality.

So the dilemma I face is...is it alright to keep the fansubbed version and watch it, if I still support the original "official" version by purchasing the episode download on the site?

If it's a question of ethics, yeah, you're paying for it, it should be fine. The reason that the companies don't like fansubs is supposedly because it represents money they're not making, but if the money gets in their hands anyway, it's pretty much all that really matters. It's not the act itself that is the problem to them, it's the "lost sale" and the money.

[Roy Mustang]

I think he's talking about the subtitle quality, not the video quality.

Yeah, I know but Crunchyroll has been known to do that as well or it shows that Toei doesn't care and just put a crappy subtitle out.

As for the ethics wise, I don't see too much of a problem, but at the sametime Crunchyroll has been question on ethics as well as of late.

Some anime fans can't really believe that the Japan companies are working with them, but at the same time this comes from fans view about the site, so take it like a grain of salt on that one.


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Rocketshipper]

That's why I said someone should knock some sense into them. The SM lockdown is just incredibly stupid and bad business. And yeah, I'm a member, and I did pay for the download.

I compared the fansub version and the crunchyroll version, and its seems the crunchyroll version actually DOES have a better subtitle translation than the fansubs. But I'd say the fansub version is still better overall, because the video quality on the crunchyroll download I have SUCKS. The colors are sort of muted in comparison to the fansub, and the video seems to be playing at a bad framerate or something, because it looks all choppy whenever there is a lot of movement. And yet the crunchyroll file is 3 times as large as the fansub file. Plus, the opening and ending aren't subtitled. Maybe it had to do with the download option I chose. You can download it as a file compatable with PC, iPod, or PSP. I downloaded the PC version.

[Roy Mustang]

That's why I said someone should knock some sense into them. The SM lockdown is just incredibly stupid and bad business. And yeah, I'm a member, and I did pay for the download.

I compared the fansub version and the crunchyroll version, and its seems the crunchyroll version actually DOES have a better subtitle translation than the fansubs. But I'd say the fansub version is still better overall, because the video quality on the crunchyroll download I have SUCKS. The colors are sort of muted in comparison to the fansub, and the video seems to be playing at a bad framerate or something, because it looks all choppy whenever there is a lot of movement. And yet the crunchyroll file is 3 times as large as the fansub file. Plus, the opening and ending aren't subtitled. Maybe it had to do with the download option I chose. You can download it as a file compatable with PC, iPod, or PSP. I downloaded the PC version.

I would say that it maybe best to keep the fansub one then. I can't say who at fault here, crunchyroll or Toei. I want to say Toei, since I don't trust them anymore and its like they don't care about the fans.

Hint: Its why I wouldn't even pay $1.99 for their stuff, I will not support them, untill they start caring about the fans.

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Rocketshipper]

Yes! Toei is evil.

I'm currently downloading the "iPod" version of the episode, to see if it has the same video quality as the other version. The file is much smaller.

[EricTheFred]

I make up for fansub viewing by purchasing the DVD when it comes out. In several cases, I've yet to watch anything but the bonus features on the purchased DVD, because I already watched the series several times in fansub before the DVD was available. The only difference between that and your 'dilemma' is the order in which you are watching them.

I think getting 1.99 from one viewer for one episode is more than adequate compensation. Your sticking to the fansub when they've received compensation from you for the episode isn't harming them a bit.

[Rocketshipper]

Yeah.

One thing I do worry about though is that the company might decide later on to release DVDs and I'd be really annoyed if I went and bought the episodes on-line if they were just going to release DVDs later. I know its probably unlikely to happen with Digimon and Toei, but Its something I've been thinking about for other series. I've been watching the Bokurano fansubs lately, and I heard that Funi had the licence and might start releasing episodes on-line. I didn't know if I should buy them on-line when they start coming out, or wait for DVD ^^;;;

[Roy Mustang]

[quote="Rocketshipper"]I've been watching the Bokurano fansubs lately, and I heard that Funi had the licence and might start releasing episodes on-line. I didn't know if I should buy them on-line when they start coming out, or wait for DVD ^^]

That's news to me. The only thing that I know is that early this year that Crunchyroll remove Bokurano, Rocket Girls, Romeo × Juliet, Mahou Sensei Negima! OVA Haru, and Mahou Sensei Negima! OVA Natsu.

But Funimation had previously sent a letter, on behalf of the anime studio Gonzo, to request that a fan group cease and desist its subtitling of Romeo × Juliet and Bandai Entertainment as them to take Rocket Girls down,

Since that time, Romeo × Juliet, Mahou Sensei Negima! OVA Haru, and Mahou Sensei Negima! OVA Natsu have been pick up by Funi and Rocket Girls Rocket Girls Complete Collection was release this Tuesday by Bandai Entertainment.

Nothing has been said about if Bokurano being pick up by anyone.

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[EricTheFred]

That's news to me. The only thing that I know is that early this year that Crunchyroll remove Bokurano, Rocket Girls, Romeo ×][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

I saw it mentioned in this month's Otaku USA. It surprised me, too, because I hadn't seen any press release. Dennou Coil, as well.

-- EDIT: Wait, that might have been Baccano. I will go back and check when I'm back home.

[Rocketshipper]

yeah, it could just be a rumor. Animesuki still has the torrents for Bokurano up, and they're usually really good about taking stuff down as soon as anyone hears it licenced.

[Fish and Chips]

I certainly hope you aren't saying that flashy subtitles have more substance to them than an accurate translation does.

[minakichan]

I certainly hope you aren't saying that flashy subtitles have more substance to them than an accurate translation does.

=/ Sure, but the official version isn't always better. Script rewrites and the lack of liner notes are enough to question whether the licensed release is always more accurate. On average, the R1 releases are less typo-prone than fansubs (although no less translation-weirdness prone), but I'd say that the best fansub is <s>better</s> more accurate than the best R1 release, simply because they'll be correct AND translate and explain everything.

But at any rate, Digimon 02 is subbed by Toei. Japanese company English subs on anime tend to be much less professional and much more error-prone than the R1s (i.e. they can't even get the English names of their own characters right. Gonzo called Montague Montagu and Mercutio Macushio in Romeo x Juliet, for heaven's sake). So this is likely.

(My prof's book coming out soon has a chapter on fansubs, so XD;;;)

[Rocketshipper]

I was mainly annoyed with how they didn't sub the opening/ending or the insert songs, although after I thought about it, I realized I could just rip the subbed op/ed out of the fansub with windows movie maker and have them along with the official version ^^. But now my main annoyance is the video quality of Crunchyroll's upload. great video quality and less accurate sub wins over awful video quality and more accurate subs.

[ShiroiHikari]

All I have to say is: $1.99 for one freaking episode? If the anime is like, say, a 50-episode epic, and you pay 2 bucks an episode for it, that's 100 dollars, which I think is a big fat ripoff. Even Bandai, whose DVDs are some of the most expensive R1 releases, doesn't quite charge that much. You can get all 50 episodes of Zeta Gundam on DVD for like 75 dollars and it's way higher quality than a download. And if you shop around you might be able to get it for less than that. o_o