BT launches limited legal anime download service

R

Ryo Chan

Symphogear
BT are in the process of launching their IPTV service, BT Vision- and with that comes a download store, which seems to be carrying a handful of anime shows.

Searching for 'anime' is a little... off, but you can just about pick out that they're running:

Slayers Try
Slayers Next
Cosmo Warrior
Gun Frontier
Saiyuki
and IkkiTousen, episodes of which have popped up in the top ten TV downloads.

There only seems to be about five episodes of each, and they're DRMmed up to the eyeballs and they're charging £3.50 a throw (albeit download-to-keep and with some shows they mail you a physical DVD, too) so it's probably more of a publicity thing, getting you to buy the proper DVDs, than a standalone product.
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taken from the uk-anime.net forums
 
neptune2venus said:
Even how cheap the pricing may be, I'd take a DVD over a file anytime. There's just something about owning the actual product than downloading it.
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Somehow for me, considering the current price of UK Anime DVD's, £3.49 an episode doesn't strike me as being cheap.

Granted there are options to have the DVD sent to you, but i have to ask, is it an official DVD or would it be some BT-esqe packed good.
 
The pricing isn't actually that bad, when you consider that your average anime volume carries four episodes and has an RRP of £15-20. But at the same time, I do think it might have made more sense to have some sort of introductory offer going, ie offer the first few episodes for a bit cheaper to pull in the skeptics.

It's an interesting initiative that I think is a step in the right direction, but I think there's quite a way to go yet before the idea of digital distribution truly takes off.
 
Andy said:
The pricing isn't actually that bad, when you consider that your average anime volume carries four episodes and has an RRP of £15-20. But at the same time, I do think it might have made more sense to have some sort of introductory offer going, ie offer the first few episodes for a bit cheaper to pull in the skeptics.

It's an interesting initiative that I think is a step in the right direction, but I think there's quite a way to go yet before the idea of digital distribution truly takes off.
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I don't agree because I think DVD prices are higher than they should be and you don't own it physically so they're saving on manufacturing, packaging and distribution! Where are the savings being passed on to consumers? I wouldn't pay more than 99p... £1.49 tops for an episode.

I think for around £3.49 I could watch a movie on Sky Box Office.

The truth is they don't want to cut into their DVD sales.
 
neptune2venus said:
Even how cheap the pricing may be, I'd take a DVD over a file anytime. There's just something about owning the actual product than downloading it.
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Considering at that price, the individual DVDs represent better value.
£3.50 is practically price parity with a DVD nowadays, and DVDs have the following to boot:
- play on your exiting playback equipment, not just the PC you downloaded it on
- can be loaned to friends
- can be re-sold
- higher video fidelity
- DVD extras
 
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