| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
|
|
Nachtwandler
Joined: 17 Mar 2014
Posts: 539
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:09 pm
|
 |
|
| Angel M Cazares wrote: |
| paulchaested wrote: |
| Angel M Cazares wrote: | |
It is unfortunate that monopoly apologists continue to hate on HIDIVE for daring to attempt to offer some competition for Crunchyroll. |
You realize that most people that hate on HiDive are people who in live regions that don't have legal access and can't watch any shows licensed by HiDive right? Because for some bizarre reason, ever since they got bought out by AMC their progress for improvements have hilariously gone backwards. They've shut down their service in a handful of non-English speaking regions and the people who used to be subscribed to them in those regions have no choice but to resort to piracy. |
I can symphatize with fans living in regions not covered by HIDIVE. My issue is mostly with NA fans who want HIDIVE to go away because they are willing to support a monopoly if it means having everything in one place. |
I personaly never saw NA guys complining about it (unless they are from Latin America countries that HIDive excluded from their coverage). People complaining here are from the countries only covered by CR. Unlike the guy above I do not even mind having 2 subscriptions, but the proviers rarelly cover the same region with different shows.
Yes, monopoly means provider can dictate prices and service conditions, but the problem is that it is already monopoly in a lot of regions as alternative providers just do not cover them.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
kotomikun
Joined: 06 May 2013
Posts: 1205
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:12 pm
|
|
|
| Angel M Cazares wrote: | | I can symphatize with fans living in regions not covered by HIDIVE. My issue is mostly with NA fans who want HIDIVE to go away because they are willing to support a monopoly if it means having everything in one place. |
We've been over this before--the ideal world is one where exclusive and regional licenses do not exist, and streaming services compete on video/translation quality, price, site organization, and so on. Because the whole system runs on exclusivity, none of the services have to do any of that other stuff particularly well, because they know your only alternative way to watch any specific show is the non-legal option. And if you don't buy into all the major networks, sooner or later something you want to watch won't be available.
There's a sort of illusion of competition over each individual show, but the system as a whole benefits all the companies and hurts the consumers in the same way a monopoly does. It's arguably even more profitable than a monopoly, since it's easier to convince people to pay $5 a month for two supposedly separate services than $10 a month for one. This is often called a duopoly, or in this case maybe a multi-opoly (though it's 90% CR and Hidive these days).
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
ZelosZoidberg
Joined: 23 May 2018
Posts: 661
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:15 pm
|
|
|
| paulchaested wrote: |
| Angel M Cazares wrote: | |
I can symphatize with fans living in regions not covered by HIDIVE. My issue is mostly with NA fans who want HIDIVE to go away because they are willing to support a monopoly if it means having everything in one place. |
I can’t speak for everybody when I say this, but for me personally, having multiple subscription is a pain in the ass because it costs money and it does add up. You’re more than welcome to make the argument of “it’s just $5” or “stop being cheap” but people like me simply don’t like spending money (whether we are loaded or not). If hidive/Sentai created a streaming service before CR and they were the top dogs you bet I want them to be the one stop shop but hey CR just happened to be first out of everybody.
Anyways that’s just my brutally honest opinion… |
I get ya. but lets say that Sony/CR is the only game in town do you think they would keep the price low enough for you where you have no other legal choices? A good example of this is Satellite Radio. Back when XM and Sirius were separate companies their fee was about $9.99 a month for either services with them offering crazy deals (like a new radio) just to stay with either service. Now that both companies have merged together that fee is $20 a month with them making it hard as hell to cancel (they hang up on you now) with no good deals. An even better comparison? Ticketmaster. And unlike the EU the US seems to encourage monopolies. Best advice? Get one service at a time and cancel and get the other one when it fits your watching habits. And well I don't do this except for Hajime no Ippo manga but there's always the "Seven Seas".
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Cardcaptor Takato
Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4955
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 12:02 am
|
|
|
|
The situation with HiDive is unfortunate but I think people forget Sony also blocked streams in Latin America back when Funimation was still a separate app and Crunchyroll could just as easily decide to pull out. Which would be an awful scenario and let's hope that never happens but if it did and HiDive was no more there would truly be no alternatives to Crunchyroll.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
JustMonika
Joined: 17 Jan 2022
Posts: 1041
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 7:44 am
|
|
|
| paulchaested wrote: |
| Angel M Cazares wrote: | |
It is unfortunate that monopoly apologists continue to hate on HIDIVE for daring to attempt to offer some competition for Crunchyroll. |
You realize that most people that hate on HiDive are people who in live regions that don't have legal access and can't watch any shows licensed by HiDive right? Because for some bizarre reason, ever since they got bought out by AMC their progress for improvements have hilariously gone backwards. They've shut down their service in a handful of non-English speaking regions and the people who used to be subscribed to them in those regions have no choice but to resort to piracy. Apparently they even bother to translate their shows in certain languages that they stream in those certain regions. Of course they're going to "hate" Hidive for picking up "x" show because CR, whether you hate them or love them, provides this convenient availability...
Also, I know you're definitely referring to me as one those "monopoly apologists" since I've said on multiple occasions that I don't care if CR has a "monopoly" if they somehow gobble up Sentai in the future. That's totally fine with me because I'm just being 1000% honest: I just want my Asian cartoons in one place without having subscribe to too many services. Saves me the trouble of yo-ho-ing shows licensed by Hidive... |
I mean if it's a problem then move to North America or buy the Blu-ray or DVD's.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
paulchaested
Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Posts: 261
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 9:58 am
|
|
|
| JustMonika wrote: | |
I mean if it's a problem then move to North America or buy the Blu-ray or DVD's. |
I live in the great state of Texas.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
Silver Kirin
Joined: 09 Aug 2018
Posts: 1143
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 11:21 am
|
|
|
| Cardcaptor Takato wrote: | | The situation with HiDive is unfortunate but I think people forget Sony also blocked streams in Latin America back when Funimation was still a separate app and Crunchyroll could just as easily decide to pull out. Which would be an awful scenario and let's hope that never happens but if it did and HiDive was no more there would truly be no alternatives to Crunchyroll. |
At least Funimation eventually arrived in our region, and although they started on the wrong foot with their controversial Hy Hero Academia Spanish dub, they later made much better quality dubs. As for Crunchyroll, I'm pretty sure they consider LatAm as an important market, heck I live in Argentina and CR recently began to advertise their service everywhere, even in the public transport, I don't think they'll abandon our region as quickly as HiDive did.
| JustMonika wrote: | | I mean if it's a problem then move to North America or buy the Blu-ray or DVD's. |
No offense, but is this sarcasm? People outside the U.S. are not going to move there just to watch anime legally, and while buying the shows might be and option, home video prices in general are much more expensive than hiring an streaming service here in LatAm, that's why services like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and HBO Max are very popular. Not to mention that HiDive/Sentai Spanish subtitles/dubs aren't very good, especially their dubs since the few anime they dubbed were done by relative unknown actors (with some exceptions) unlike Netflix, Funi and CR which tend to dub anime in Mexico. HiDive has to improve a lot in various aspects if they want to succeed in LatAm
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
CelticMutt
Joined: 24 Sep 2021
Posts: 64
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 12:42 pm
|
|
|
| Kiwi93 wrote: | | I’m happy to see that Hidive has been acquiring a lot more anime titles these past few seasons but man I wish they would upgrade their service, the apps need a big QOL improvement. |
Yes, yes it does. I stream everything on my Amazon Fire Cube (including anime apps and YouTube). On the HiDive app, I can't use the play/pause button to play or pause, and I can't use the FF or Rewind buttons either. Everything has to be done by using the ring and circle buttons to click on the UI itself. It's kind of annoying.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Blanchimont
Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 3468
Location: Finland
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 1:35 pm
|
|
|
| JustMonika wrote: | | I mean if it's a problem then move to North America or buy the Blu-ray or DVD's. |
As paulchaested alluded, it's not really a problem as it is a matter or annoyance, for those of us who don't mind illegit means of watching when legit means fail. All of CR's, as well as Hidive's, shows, get ripped and made available online, so when an official source doesn't exist in a specific region, people can simply resort to piracy.
Better question asked would be, how many of those watching the pirated streams/files, would have watched them as subscribers? How much of the cake does Hidive leave on the table?
At least Hidive is available here in Nordic. I've followed the manga for both of those shows in the headline. Probably going to check out Farming Life, but doubtful I'll watch it, if it's anything like the manga it'll be too boring and dry with huge pacing issues... On the other hand Ippon Again! is a sure watch. Needless to say, in context with the above, if they somehow get locked out from here, I'll also use those 'other' means to watch/check them...
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Cardcaptor Takato
Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4955
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 4:18 pm
|
|
|
| Quote: | | As for Crunchyroll, I'm pretty sure they consider LatAm as an important market, heck I live in Argentina and CR recently began to advertise their service everywhere, even in the public transport, I don't think they'll abandon our region as quickly as HiDive did. |
In this era where streaming is more fickle than ever anything could happen to Crunchyroll over night that would drastically change the landscape. Like maybe Sony decides to sell Crunchyroll to someone who cancels all their programs for a tax write off like HBO Max or they fall into massive debt and have to shut down. But you’re missing the point that you’re taking a big gamble betting on one service existing for all anime everywhere in a fickle market where anything could happen and the whole thing could collapse like the mid 2000s bubble burst.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
matt78
Joined: 25 Jul 2015
Posts: 253
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:22 pm
|
|
|
| Cardcaptor Takato wrote: | | But you’re missing the point that you’re taking a big gamble betting on one service existing for all anime everywhere in a fickle market where anything could happen and the whole thing could collapse like the mid 2000s bubble burst. |
Isn’t he already in that situation since HiDive seems to have abandoned Latin America? Seems to me that if HiDive doesn’t want to run a streaming service in LA that they should sub license their shows to other streaming services so that people don’t have to resort to pirating.
Last edited by matt78 on Thu Dec 22, 2022 6:06 pm; edited 1 time in total
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Cardcaptor Takato
Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4955
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:49 pm
|
|
|
| matt78 wrote: | |
Isn’t he already in that situation since HiDive seems to have abandoned Latin America? Seems to me that if HiDive doesn’t want to run a streaming service in LA that they should sub license their shows to other streaming services so that people don’t have to resort to pirating. |
The solution seems to be to keep pestering HiDive to reopen to Latin America rather than wishing for their end.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
matt78
Joined: 25 Jul 2015
Posts: 253
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 6:05 pm
|
|
|
| Cardcaptor Takato wrote: | | The solution seems to be to keep pestering HiDive to reopen to Latin America rather than wishing for their end. |
I doubt that’s going to work right now with the financial problems AMC currently seems to be having. I think it’s likely that they are the next small studio to get bought out by one of the larger studios.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Cardcaptor Takato
Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4955
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 6:35 pm
|
|
|
| matt78 wrote: | |
I doubt that’s going to work right now with the financial problems AMC currently seems to be having. I think it’s likely that they are the next small studio to get bought out by one of the larger studios. |
There's been no evidence the AMC issues have trickled down to HiDive and as I recall HiDive streamed in Latin America before they were bought by AMC.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
matt78
Joined: 25 Jul 2015
Posts: 253
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 6:53 pm
|
|
|
| Cardcaptor Takato wrote: | | There's been no evidence the AMC issues have trickled down to HiDive and as I recall HiDive streamed in Latin America before they were bought by AMC. |
You don’t think them shutting down their streaming service in LA is a sign that their financial problems haven’t trickled down to HiDive?
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
