The News Thread (for news that does not need a thread)

SnowWolf said:
I pray for the day when all dvd releases are simultaneous and there's no need for region locking.
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Totally unrealistic I'm afraid, they could in theory match the Japanese release dates using the online streaming sub tracks. The release pattern would however have to match Japan's tendency to have just a few episodes per release and also match the cost. While I'm in favour of paying a little more than we currently do to ensure quality releases not everyone else is, and very few would be happy to collect a series piecemeal and at cost versus waiting a year or two.
 
Rosencrantz said:
SnowWolf said:
I pray for the day when all dvd releases are simultaneous and there's no need for region locking.
Click to expand...

Totally unrealistic I'm afraid, they could in theory match the Japanese release dates using the online streaming sub tracks. The release pattern would however have to match Japan's tendency to have just a few episodes per release and also match the cost. While I'm in favour of paying a little more than we currently do to ensure quality releases not everyone else is, and very few would be happy to collect a series piecemeal and at cost versus waiting a year or two.
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I dunno, if you can still get into the monthly anime bestseller chart in the UK ( http://www.alltheanime.com/topsellers-april/ ) by selling only a few hundred copies nowadays, there are probably enough hardcore people in the UK who would buy a premium release to make that a viable option for non-mainstream titles...

R
 
Rui said:
Rosencrantz said:
SnowWolf said:
I pray for the day when all dvd releases are simultaneous and there's no need for region locking.
Click to expand...

Totally unrealistic I'm afraid, they could in theory match the Japanese release dates using the online streaming sub tracks. The release pattern would however have to match Japan's tendency to have just a few episodes per release and also match the cost. While I'm in favour of paying a little more than we currently do to ensure quality releases not everyone else is, and very few would be happy to collect a series piecemeal and at cost versus waiting a year or two.
Click to expand...

I dunno, if you can still get into the monthly anime bestseller chart in the UK ( http://www.alltheanime.com/topsellers-april/ ) by selling only a few hundred copies nowadays, there are probably enough hardcore people in the UK who would buy a premium release to make that a viable option for non-mainstream titles...

R
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Wow, HMV being out of the picture for a bit hit sales considerably, if I'm interpreting it correctly FMA the Movie sold between 55 and 59 copies (as they tend to give figures in 5/0's.)

If we doubled set price could we still count on 50% on the people buying? the UK market seems like it's too small to support a true premium system, not to mention we lack combined marketing effort they have in Japan, sure we have avenues to buy merchandise but it's not the same approach here.
 
SnowWolf said:
I pray for the day when all dvd releases are simultaneous and there's no need for region locking.
Click to expand...
For those who remember, that's exactly what Bandai and its international subsidiaries tried a few years ago with the Gunbuster / Diebuster movies set and Freedom. Same discs and packaging for every region, to the point that even the booklets were in Japanese with English translation sheets. However it seems people weren't prepared to shell out for them (even though the UK releases were considerably cheaper than the Japanese) it never happened again, Beez and Bandai USA were smothered by their parent company and Japan suddenly became massively paranoid about reverse importing - Hence it's not ever likely to happen again either. A shame, because I think it was probably one of the best things the international anime industry has ever collectively managed to do.
 
There's still Gundam Unicorn. I think that the choice of series has always been a huge issue for the experiments though (this was especially a problem for the Bandai Visual experiments in the US, where they gave a bunch of extremely weak series premium releases and didn't find much success as a consequence).

R
 
So isn't AniPlex doing the exact samething now? It seems to be working for them so-far, though I've not spent one copper farthing on them. as for buying monthly singles again. My scar tissue from the burns I received from Revelation Films and ADV still irritates me that I will never buy a single series until it is completely released and available, so that market plan is well dead with me forever.
 
ayase said:
SnowWolf said:
I pray for the day when all dvd releases are simultaneous and there's no need for region locking.
Click to expand...
For those who remember, that's exactly what Bandai and its international subsidiaries tried a few years ago with the Gunbuster / Diebuster movies set and Freedom. Same discs and packaging for every region, to the point that even the booklets were in Japanese with English translation sheets. However it seems people weren't prepared to shell out for them (even though the UK releases were considerably cheaper than the Japanese) it never happened again, Beez and Bandai USA were smothered by their parent company and Japan suddenly became massively paranoid about reverse importing - Hence it's not ever likely to happen again either. A shame, because I think it was probably one of the best things the international anime industry has ever collectively managed to do.
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I'm starting to suspect they've realised they can achieve a similar effect without any real risk by putting English subs on their releases. If they get some extra overseas sales it's good, and if they don't nothing has really been lost.

The Madoka movies for example, masses of extra subtitle tracks. If they could be bothered to also sub the audio commentary they'd have sale from me.
 
I have pre-ordered Aniplex's Madoka movies 1-2 release, but yeah it is annoying how the extras aren't subbed, only the main features are. But eh, I'll live.
 
The problem for me with US single disc releases was always that they were three or four months apart - having regular monthly releases when buying from Japan (as well as knowing in advance when shows that you want to buy are going to start coming out) makes it a much more pleasant experience (depending on your view of the price, obv.).
 
Wow, I guess all the whining had an effect. Awesome, because an expensive lesson like that might make them remember to actually watch what they release before selling it next time.

I'm glad mine hadn't shipped yet so it can be recalled without fuss.

R
 
Ath said:
I hope MVM/Hanabee caught this when authoring their versions, I can't see them being able to afford a recall of their own if it has the error too.
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Hanabee's release is affected. I've sent a tweet to MVM and will await their response. In the worst case scenario I'll just be importing Sentai's fixed version.

EDIT: Turns out this isn't the first time, someone even went to the trouble of listing every Sentai BD with issues. It's quite depressing how many have been added to the list this year.

This is a list every single major problem BD that Sentai (and Maiden Japan but it's the same production people) has released so far:

Penguindrum (both parts) - 1080i (JP BDs are 1080p), artifacting
Bodacious Space Pirates (both parts) - 1080i (JP BDs are 1080p), artifacting, missing lines in the dub
Horizon In the Middle of Nowhere - Episode 7 has severe aliasing for 10 minutes
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 - 1080i (JP BDs are 1080p), artifacting, JP track of episode 7 has this same audio problem as Kids
The World God Only Knows Season 1 - JP track of episode 12 has this same audio problem as Kids
Dream Eater Merry - 1080i (JP BDs are 1080p), artifacting
Kamisama Dolls - 1080i (JP BDs are 1080p), artifacting
Fate/Stay Night (both parts) - artifacting, 1080i is correct for it though, one of the discs of part 1 is missing chapter stops
K-On Season 2 Part 1 - JP track of episode 11 is muffled and louder than the other episodes
Canaan - artifacting, 1080i is correct for it though
This Boy Can Fight Aliens - artifacting, I don't know if 1080i is correct for it
Legends of the Dark King - lossy Japanese audio, supposedly it looks bad but I can't confirm that
Appleseed - lossy English and Japanese audio

This isn't counting lesser issues like typos/errors in the subs, mistiming of the subs and chapter stops, etc. that numerous releases have.
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Just Passing Through said:
Cat Planet Cuties has been delayed again to 8th July. They converted the video from NTSC -PAL, but forgot to retime the subtitles. I guess that confirms that Madman's release was NTSC or they would have just released that.
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It's stated right there on the Madman site that it is NTSC.

Mohawk52 said:
So isn't AniPlex doing the exact samething now?
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Not exactly, since they're importing discs intended for the JP market. Bandai Visual created discs intended for a global market from the get go, with FBI warnings and BBFC logos etc.
 
Mangaranga said:
Ath said:
I hope MVM/Hanabee caught this when authoring their versions, I can't see them being able to afford a recall of their own if it has the error too.
Click to expand...
Hanabee's release is affected. I've sent a tweet to MVM and will await their response. In the worst case scenario I'll just be importing Sentai's fixed version.

EDIT: Turns out this isn't the first time, someone even went to the trouble of listing every Sentai BD with issues. It's quite depressing how many have been added to the list this year.

This is a list every single major problem BD that Sentai (and Maiden Japan but it's the same production people) has released so far:

.. Big list edited out..

This isn't counting lesser issues like typos/errors in the subs, mistiming of the subs and chapter stops, etc. that numerous releases have.
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Was about to say they missed the mis-timed signs track on Word God only knows S1 Ep6 when I spotted the line at the very bottom. Definitely good that someone has brought them to account, perhaps they can actually do some QC now?

-

Also Sainsbury's come through again with Black Rock Shooter at £15.99 versus Amazons £17.75, they even have the correct Art work on display. In fact every title I just randomly checked appears to be cheaper than Amazon.
 
Just Passing Through said:
Cat Planet Cuties has been delayed again to 8th July. They converted the video from NTSC -PAL, but forgot to retime the subtitles.
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And nothing of value was missed

I understand if signs where missing from an important piece of plot line like a letter, but guy's you're more weebo then me and even I can grasp what half the signs mean without it being pointed out
 
animefreak17 said:
but the dvd versions ok right?
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I believe so in this case, however, the people who buy the BD version are also more likely to spot problems (as a rule, they tend to have higher expectations and better equipment). So it's always possible that a DVD version has issues too.

Otaku-san said:
Just Passing Through said:
Cat Planet Cuties has been delayed again to 8th July. They converted the video from NTSC -PAL, but forgot to retime the subtitles.
Click to expand...

And nothing of value was missed

I understand if signs where missing from an important piece of plot line like a letter, but guy's you're more weebo then me and even I can grasp what half the signs mean without it being pointed out
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If that was true, people wouldn't bother subtitling anime at all and everyone would watch it raw. I don't think it's at all unreasonable for people to complain about words on signs not being translated, especially when they are paying for a translated product and the sign subtitles exist on another subtitle track, which they can't use with the version they want to watch due to the limitations of the disc.

Furthermore, in the post you quoted it is clearly stated that the subtitles are mistimed, not that the sign subs are missing. Mistimed subtitles are a pretty major problem (as the company acknowledged). Please don't post ill-considered things for the express purpose of antagonising others - we have rules about that.

R
 
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