Some anons remember the days of VHS tapes and grainy nth-generation fansubs; a few elite enthusiasts had access to imported Laserdiscs. Nostalgic though it might be, it was a pain in the ass.
The blossoming of the anime on DVD market seemed a miracle, allowing access to compact and high-quality media, but in time physical media was supplanted by downloadable content, and the DVD market imploded as fansubs proliferated.
Now comes the age of streaming, in which we now trade selection and durability, for convenience and instant gratification.
So... anime format discussion -- where are we headed?
Let's bring back laserdiscs to be honest.
>>143987890
>Let's bring back laserdiscs to be honest.
Nostalgia aside, what for?
The resolution was relatively limited, and the discs were large and heavy enough to impede easy shipping.
tfw My Dad still has a laserdisc player in his house.
VHS is the superior format.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlBLcLdTYr4
But seriously, streaming will take over almost completely, with blu-ray sets being for the ultra-obsessed fan.
>>143988290
>But seriously, streaming will take over almost completely
Probably. Already have Crunchy, but I just found out that at some point Daisuki started a Premium subscription service.
Giving it a whirl, signed up to watch Planetarian. The quality of the subtitles seems to be pretty good.
>>143987656
Almost every videophile will agree that VHS was (and probably always will be) the best format. However, technology capable of playing VHS will die out eventually, and I'm not sure CRT production is even still a thing.
Whenever 4k becomes the standard for anime, that will be the future. Not streamed, of course.
>>143987656
If this post didn't make you remember the smell of VHS tapes, you don't know shit about anime.
>>143988629
>that guy that never rewound the VHS tapes so you had to do it every time
>>143988629
>the smell of VHS tapes
I used VHS all the time and I don't remember a smell. I do remember the horrible, carcinogenic fumes of cheap DVD cases though.
>>143988680
>Renting
>>143988629
I think I found a Katawa Yandere reader.
>>143988541
What? Even Betamax is superior to shitty VHS
I actually still use VHS for any old anime I want to buy, it's much cheaper than DVDs. I got Gundam 0080 and 0083 together for like 10 bucks.
>>143988629
>If this post didn't make you remember the smell of VHS tapes, you don't know shit about anime.
I remember the sound and feel more than anything. The soft resistance as the tape slid in the machine, the whirring as the tape loaded and the head spun up.
Premium streaming(streamium?) will augment and then supplant simulcasting.
The major players(e.g. Netflix, Amazon) have enough financial muscle to bid in the same league as network television for major productions. Anime in comparison is fucking chump change.
Now if bigger money somehow translates into attracting better talent and making season charts look less homogenous(or at least for the love of god kill LNs), all the better.
>>143988735
I still rented well into the DVD era. Now I just torrent everything.
>>143989221
>The major players(e.g. Netflix, Amazon) have enough financial muscle to bid in the same league as network television for major productions. Anime in comparison is fucking chump change.
That could potentially change the finances of the industry. There's a bunch of new "Netflix Original" anime titles listed as upcoming, and we already have two seasons of Sidonia.
A title called Kuromukuro also just showed up on the list, haven't watched it yet.
>>143989039
Fuck off.
>>143989221
I hope netflix bankrolls Despera.
>>143990203
>I hope netflix bankrolls Despera.
I don't know how much hope there is of that, Netflix is probably going to prioritize shows that with potential for break-out appeal.
They want to own the next Attack on Titan or Bleach.
The next question is what happens to the players in the anime market. I think the following:
Regional distributors and localizers have been disappearing, retreating into niches, or moving to other markets. Those big enough (Funimation) are becoming their own streaming service.
Japanese companies are trying to either partner-up with one of the large players (like the studios making Netflix Originals), or pushing for their own streaming service (Daisuki.net).
Crunchyroll ends up being a distribution service for none-of-the-above studios, who don't have an exclusive deal.
Former fansubbers either cease operation or become employed by one of these organizations professionally. Many of the remaining groups just release edited rips of subtitles, instead of tranlating themselves.
