The challenges of releasing anime on newer formats in the UK

Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

To be frank, if I was to hazzard a guess, I'd say the Aniplex Boxsets of the world would go USB in about five years time.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

I think the point at which physical media becomes a rarity is probably the day I decide to give up on new stuff and stick to what I already have. If they think that people can be pushed down the non-physical route then that would be a gamble, and likely a mistake.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

ConanThe3rd said:
To be frank, if I was to hazzard a guess, I'd say the Aniplex Boxsets of the world would go USB in about five years time.
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Not sure I like this idea. Unless there would be some way to lock them. I'd hate the idea of somehow accidentally deleting or formatting the stick, losing your show. Also, I don't think this would be cost effective for Aniplex. Two 64gb Memory Stick costs about £30 whereas you can get 20 BD 50 discs for £27. Obviously, these are just Amazon prices, it would be different buying bulk from their own sources but I imagine it would be way cheaper to buy discs.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

Whilst BR's are undoubtedly cheaper than flash memory - even more than your example as BDs are pennies when pressed in bulk. Their price isn't halving like flash (when calculated in pence per GB) every 18 - 24 Months. Overwriting shouldn't be an issue as you can build that in - even Windows 10 comes on USB if you buy a physical copy. (And imagine the problems if legitimate windows 10 usb sticks could be modified to add malware).

For regular films 4K will be a thing and 4K streaming bandwidth is only going to be possible for a very small proportion of the public for a long time to come. So physical media in some form will be necessary for some time. Exactly what form that media will take is a whole other question...
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

Lavigne said:
I think the point at which physical media becomes a rarity is probably the day I decide to give up on new stuff and stick to what I already have. If they think that people can be pushed down the non-physical route then that would be a gamble, and likely a mistake.
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I second that.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

msgeek said:
For regular films 4K will be a thing and 4K streaming bandwidth is only going to be possible for a very small proportion of the public for a long time to come. So physical media in some form will be necessary for some time. Exactly what form that media will take is a whole other question...
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Though good luck getting Joe Blogs to buy into YET ANOTHER format that now needs a whole new telly that is now the size of all existance given they barely give two damns about BR.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

The problem with new formats is that Joe Public expects the same kind of jump as when VHS-DVD. As great as HD is, it isn't as big a leap. Equally the jump from BD-UHBD/4K will be perceived to be an iterative leap rather than a game-changer.

I guess the other thing to bear in mind is that there's a good percentage of people that are perfectly happy with SD, and if they're not incentivised to move to HD then there's little chance that they'll want to move to 4K.

Sucks to be in the minority in actually appreciating superior PQ/AQ and wanting to see things in the very best way!
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

I still remember having VHS as a kid and, while there was an obvious leap in quality to DVD, I think the reason DVD was so successful is that it offered more convenience - no having to rewind back to the start every time, no having to fiddle with the tape round the back etc. DVD > Blu-Ray > 4K doesn't offer anything different in convenience.

And I'm confident in saying that 4K will never reach the dizzying heights of Blu-Ray, much less DVD. It'll be like SACD or something. If not, I'll do a Paddy Ashdown and eat my hat.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

4K sets should normalize in price to 1080p sets within a couple of years. It will just be another feature that consumers get when buying a new TV - Much like the Freeview > Freeview HD transition...
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

Will not buy a 4K anytime soon. For me that would mean, new TV, new Blu-ray player or whatever they's all the media and also a new processor where everything is hooked on. Would be a serious investment which now i'm not willing to take.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

I'm not convinced by 4k either. I'm sure I'll get a 4k-capable TV eventually (I think mine is technically capable of 3D though it's a feature I don't use) but since the things I care about won't be available in 4k for an incredibly long time I can't really be bothered to proactively seek out new ways of spending money. Anime created in the past was never designed to be viewed in 4k so it's not as though anything of huge value is being missed, and I'm not sure that getting the studios to make new 4k-friendly transfers from old materials is the best use of time for anything other than the most incredible classics.

Plus there's only so many times I can buy the same content over and over before I stop caring, and the market as a whole is full of people in that position. As has been said, VHS to DVD was a massive upgrade and a no brainer, DVD to BD fixes the problems with early DVDs, PAL conversions and source material higher than DVD quality, but what does 4k achieve other than a further boost to resolution which requires me to buy multiple new pieces of hardware to even see? I want to budget for new content, not quadruple dips on the same classics again over such a short time. We haven't even got BD right in the UK yet so surely all that rushing to another format would do is convince even more people to give up on physical media and move to digital. Young people think that old people like us who like our physical collections over the convenience of streaming are crazy as it is.

If MVM still haven't been able to come up with a reliable way of supporting the dwindling physical market in the UK with BD after all of their hard work, there's just no way I can see 4k releases working here right now for anything that isn't a mainstream product.

R
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

Intermediate question, is there actually a thread where people can show their setup where they watch there anime ? Couldn't immediately find one.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

Rui said:
I'm not convinced by 4k either. I'm sure I'll get a 4k-capable TV eventually (I think mine is technically capable of 3D though it's a feature I don't use) but since the things I care about won't be available in 4k for an incredibly long time I can't really be bothered to proactively seek out new ways of spending money. Anime created in the past was never designed to be viewed in 4k so it's not as though anything of huge value is being missed, and I'm not sure that getting the studios to make new 4k-friendly transfers from old materials is the best use of time for anything other than the most incredible classics.

R
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As I understood it, most new shows aren't even animated in full 1080p yet, so 4K for new shows probably won't ever happen. And, I can't see them doing classics in 4k (except maybe films) because of all the hassle upgrading to 1080p.

Although, having said that, if Netflix are physically involved in the production of Knights of Sidonia (rather than just buying worldwide rights off somebody else), that must have a 4k master knocking around, as Netflix require all their originals to be 4k.

Edit: Having looked, it seems Netflix just acquired worldwide rights to Sidonia rather than becoming a co-producer, so there probably isn't a 4k version avaliable.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

Interesting thought re: 4K... it is highly likely console makers are extremely keen for it to be widely adopted by the time next gen consoles arrive.

4K would be a great selling point for them. But if it does not have widespread adoption by the time the next gens are out it increases the barrier to entry for those new consoles. It wouldn't surprise if some form of back room deals were worked out between those stakeholders with an interest in seeing widespread 4K adoption and those who actually make the sets - effectively lowering the end-unit price.

Sony is an interesting case as they make their own sets... they could even set price point where they would be selling at a slight loss for a couple of years until the manufacture costs come down in order to drive adoption. So by the time PS5 comes round they won't have loads of people saying "oh no I don't want one as it would also need me to spend extra money on a 4K set to get the proper benefits..."
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

msgeek said:
Interesting thought re: 4K... it is highly likely console makers are extremely keen for it to be widely adopted by the time next gen consoles arrive.

4K would be a great selling point for them. But if it does not have widespread adoption by the time the next gens are out it increases the barrier to entry for those new consoles. It wouldn't surprise if some form of back room deals were worked out between those stakeholders with an interest in seeing widespread 4K adoption and those who actually make the sets - effectively lowering the end-unit price.

Sony is an interesting case as they make their own sets... they could even set price point where they would be selling at a slight loss for a couple of years until the manufacture costs come down in order to drive adoption. So by the time PS5 comes round they won't have loads of people saying "oh no I don't want one as it would also need me to spend extra money on a 4K set to get the proper benefits..."
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Would Sony do that though? At one point, the word was Sony were selling the PS3 far below cost price and aiming to make up the difference from games purchases and licensing. I believe, although this seemed ridiculous to me at the time, at one point there were genuine concerns about the loss made from PS3 dragging the whole company down.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

Stiivun said:
Intermediate question, is there actually a thread where people can show their setup where they watch there anime ? Couldn't immediately find one.
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Well if you can't find one, make one :p
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

I can't see most people being that bothered by 4k given that DVDs are still so popular.
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

I bought a new TV for my PS4, there is zero chance of me buying another for PS5 at this point no matter how much Sony is supplementing the cost. The games I prefer to play look terrible anyway.

I would say I have above average disposable income over here but it's hard to realistically believe there will be any anime content worth owning in 4k by then, so there's very little appeal to switching formats (plus I would need to upgrade my computer monitors, computer drives, separate players, probably buy more software and so on). And even if I do all of that the small UK anime companies won't be able to redo anything for 4k other than Ghost in the Shell and the Ghibli films anyway. Even massive collectors will hit a wall of 'upgrade fatigue' eventually and continuously inflating the technology in a way which improves the experience less noticeably each time is the perfect way to drive more and more everyday people away from physical and over to Netflix. Rather than 4k making physical relevant again, I think all it's going to do is hasten the inevitable split between the collectors with their pricey small print run physical editions and the regular people enjoying the convenience of cloud-based entertainment.

Going back to the VHS-DVD upgrade point, DVD->Netflix has a much more tangible pay-off for the average human being than DVD->BD (or its 4k cousin). Being able to shut the kids up by letting them watch Peppa Pig on a tablet while you enjoy something more grown up on your nice telly, all for the price of a subscription? No more shipping fees, waiting for several days, budgeting around release dates, returning damaged items, or worrying about storing media in tiny flats? It's a massive quality of life improvement, especially for those with limited means. The problem that some people have terrible Internet connections is a separate issue and one that should be resolved, but not at the cost of denying the amazingness that streaming provides.

R
 
Re: [UK Anime Distributor] MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

IncendiaryLemon said:
Stiivun said:
Intermediate question, is there actually a thread where people can show their setup where they watch there anime ? Couldn't immediately find one.
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Well if you can't find one, make one :p
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Just a note to say I'd be interested in seeing peoples setups.

In regards the 4K discussion I concede that Anime probably isn't going to go down that route - as least in much volume... But if most people have a new TV every 5 years and if in the next couple of years the 4K price difference to 1080p sets becomes minimal then adoption (at least of the capability) will become much more widespread.
 
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