Should I Download Gimp Directly Or Via Bittorrent

The most important thing to remember is that you should always download your copy of GIMP from the official website at gimp.org, the home of the GNU Image Manipulation Program in all its open-source glory.

Vote with your Net connection (Score:5, Insightful)by GraZZ ( 9716 ) writes: on Monday July 18, 2005 @11:03PM (#13100795)HomepageJournal For everyone that wants companies to understand BitTorrent, now's your chance to vote with your Net connection (and indirectly, your wallet). I'm probably the furthest thing from an anime fan (don't hate it; just don't like it), but I'm downloading and seeding this file just to show my support of the technology.

If this trial of BitTorrent goes well for this particular company, then that's one more "good" use of torrents we can use to fight the people who want to shut it down because of its possible "bad" uses.

I encourage all BitTorrent supporters to encourage AnimeOnDVD's test of new technology and new delivery models with me.SharetwitterfacebookADVFilms is almost bankrupt. (Score:2, Informative)by Anonymous Coward writes: The company has laid off over 75% of their staff in the last year. A friend of mine was part of the last round of layoffs.

The company is desperate to try anything to stay in business.

Re:ADVFilms is almost bankrupt. (Score:2)by MsGeek ( 162936 ) writes: OK, so I guess that means that about wraps it up for the live-action Neon Genesis Evangelion they announced with such fanfare a couple of years ago. That is, unless WETA Workshop and Gainax can get funding elsewhere. (Wry chuckle as I was quite skeptical of ADV's ability to bankroll such a project...)

An inadvertant plus: maybe the English-language rights for the Nuku Nuku series will be back up for grabs with the demise of ADV. And Excel Saga too. And Neon Genesis Evangelion. Nuku Nuku in particular needsRe:ADVFilms is almost bankrupt. (Score:2)by Bones3D_mac ( 324952 ) writes: I'm not sure why this would really surprise anyone. ADV had a brief lucky streak where the niche market they serve suddenly became a booming industry fad here in the U.S. As a result, they grew way too fast for their primary market to sustain them. Now with the industry receding back toward being a niche market again, they're struggling to stay afloat.

Aside from that, ADV's production quality has been getting progressively worse over the last couple years. Translations are much further off from what they wRe:ADVFilms is almost bankrupt. (Score:2)by Nogami_Saeko ( 466595 ) writes: I was actually pleasantly surprised when ADV released the City Hunter series on DVD (although I can't find it on their site anywhere at the moment). It's one of my favorite series of all-time, and the opportunity to get the entire show (~120 episodes) at a fairly reasonable price was great.

I was more than a little surprised when I noticed how good the translations were, as well as what I consider to be an excellent subbing job - good quality with minimal "over-production" (seeing as I how I fansubbed manyRe:ADVFilms is almost bankrupt. (Score:2)by Bones3D_mac ( 324952 ) writes: Considering I own this set, I'd have to agree with your sentiments. Sadly, it's one of the last decent releases by ADV before things changed for the worst.

If you check out the City Hunter movies that came out later on, you'll notice just how much ADV has changed in the last couple years.

For example, they now change characters' names to more english-friendly substitutes. Ryo's name is dumbed down to simply "Joe", as are many other characters' names.

There just isn't any good excuse for such blatant stupidiRe:ADVFilms is almost bankrupt. (Score:2)by Shadow99_1 ( 86250 ) writes: Now I find this a strange statement... Probably because I'm staff for an Anime Convention. Year over year Anime conventions have kept growing in attendance. Heck some of the most popular have had to set caps on attendance or they couldn't fit them all in a reasonable way... That would seem counter to any kind of 'recession back to a niche market'. At the same time Anime Conventions are sprouting up everywhere, five years ago I'd have had to drive 500 miles to visit a convention, now I have 3 within 100 mileRe:ADVFilms is almost bankrupt. (Score:2)by Shadow99_1 ( 86250 ) writes: Um I was replying to his statement where he says "ADV had a brief lucky streak where the niche market they serve suddenly became a booming industry fad here in the U.S. As a result, they grew way too fast for their primary market to sustain them. Now with the industry receding back toward being a niche market again, they're struggling to stay afloat."

I argued back that the signs seem to indicate that the market isn't shrinking and if anything is still growing (just maybe not as fast as it did a couple yearRe:ADVFilms is almost bankrupt. (Score:2)by Bones3D_mac ( 324952 ) writes: Look, I've been collecting anime since way before it gained any major acceptance by broadcasters here in the U.S. I have a pretty good idea what I'm talking about on this. The fad has peaked with the general population here and is starting to recede back to being a niche market again.

In terms of market, I'm refering to adult viewers with money to spend on this stuff, not kiddie shows like Pokemon, YuGiOh, One Piece, etc which are an entirely separate market in and of themselves.

Check out the ratings in thTorrent FTW (Score:5, Informative)by springMute ( 873579 ) writes: on Monday July 18, 2005 @11:07PM (#13100826) I'll tell you this.

This past weekend was AnimeFriends (www.animefriends.com.br) in Brazil, the country's largest yearly anime 'congress'. As usual, you have a huge amount of people doing cosplay. This year, a MAJOR part of the cosplaying people was inspired on Naruto.. I'd say, I don't know, around 1/3rd of the cosplayers were based on the series. Not counting the huge number of people with Naruto headbands that can be bought online on a local brazilian ecommerce site, I saw a lot of Narutos, all flavors of Sasukes, several different Rock Lees (even the "young" one), all Kakashis had their own "Gentleman series" booklet (I've forgot the name, sorry), there was a pic someone took that had three Kibas, women impersonating Oroshimaru... and so on and so forth.

But the thing is, Naruto isn't even broadcasted on TV here. It isn't even broadcasted outside of japan for that matter. It's all because of the torrent distribution and the people that buys it on dvd/vcd from other local shops (few, I think). Because the official, bureaucratic series version takes years to reach those countries (apparently we'll get Naruto on the end of this year, when we'll also get the local version of cartoon network's Adult Swim - yay!), people take matters in their own hands and end up getting used to it. Torrent is part of the anime culture now.

I also saw a lot of people from real obscure animes I barely know the name.

Torrent... I don't know *how* anime companies can profit from it.. I personally doubt they can. But that the format has some huge potential for distribution is undeniable.. even here, where broadband isn't so widespread, people are used to going online every thursday to get their weekly Naruto fix via torrent.SharetwitterfacebookI'd pay to download (Score:5, Interesting)by batkiwi ( 137781 ) writes: on Monday July 18, 2005 @11:21PM (#13100890) If they were in high quality xvid mkv with soft subs and dual audio, I would pay say $4 per episode, or a pack of 6 for $20.

Maybe even allow you to earn credit by seeding a ton, to encourage the BT usage...SharetwitterfacebookI'd pay for it. (Score:4, Insightful)by mcc ( 14761 ) writes: on Monday July 18, 2005 @11:21PM (#13100891)Homepage A little disappointed this is just a promo. I would honestly pay for an anime download service if the prices were reasonable (read: comparable to my local rental place). The attraction of online anime to my mind isn't the illegal free-ness, it's convenience and a greater selection.SharetwitterfacebookWhose gonna care? (Score:3, Insightful)by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday July 18, 2005 @11:45PM (#13100987) Not to knock ADV, but who exactly is going to care about this? The majority of the piracy that goes on in the anime community is fueled by the distaste for the piss poor translations and bastardization of the fans' favorite series. Great example is Detective Conan... was renamed to Case Files and a LOT of people went into a flying rage. The addition of Karaoke couldn't hurt either.

The way I see it the only market they MIGHT reclaim is from those that solely illegally DL DVD "rips".

It's the same old song and dance... the companies refuse to realize that if you treat your customers with respect and give them what they want you will make money, not offer them torrents. Fans don't DL torrents, because it's convienent... it's hell keeping up with the pacing... they just hate the crap the companies are trying to shovel their way.

A lot of anime/manga pirates do it for reasons other than getting it for free.SharetwitterfacebookMOD PARENT UP!!! (Score:2)by Spy der Mann ( 805235 ) writes: Either Insightful or Informative. Obviously this guy knows what he's talking about.Now just for Pioneer DVD... (Score:3, Insightful)by Midnight Thunder ( 17205 ) * writes: on Monday July 18, 2005 @11:58PM (#13101038)HomepageJournal This is interesting, though there are some companies who are even further out of touch, such as "Pioneer Entertainment" who distribute the great series "Last Exile". Most DVDs generally top out at the $30 CAD price mark here, yet the "Last Exile" DVDs are tagged at $45 CAD, which just sounds like price gouging.SharetwitterfacebookRe:Now just for Pioneer DVD... (Score:2)by Tiroth ( 95112 ) writes: Pioneer always seems to be pricey. I think one of the problems is that DVDs are more expensive in Japan, and Japanese companies can't stomach pricing their releases to the North American market.

For example, Amazon.co.jp lists Last Exile at 6090Y, or $66CAD. Pioneer thinks they are already giving you a deal at $45.I don't understand, (Score:4, Funny)by krelian ( 525362 ) writes: on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @12:16AM (#13101109) Torrents are already used massively to distribute anime.SharetwitterfacebookNo longer the only distributor... (Score:2)by Robmonster ( 158873 ) writes: I wonder how this wold work out legally, since by using BT as a distribution method they are now no longer the only distributor of the product. Anyone on the torrent is also a distributor.

It's too bad that... (Score:3, Insightful)by lbbros ( 900904 ) writes: on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @05:06AM (#13101893)Homepage ...at least from a non-US perspective, ADV's releases are really poor in terms of localisation and sometimes, even content. I can't believe they don't include chapter selection in their DVD menus, which is something really basic (note: I'm *not* talking about episode selection, but individual chapter selection) and it's even more sad since the chapters are there on the DVD, just not used.

Aside that, the presentation is somewhat lacking, and all. Other companies have been doing better efforts (cf. Bandai).

I don't think Bittorrent will help them improve their quality, I think it will just make matters worse (remember ADV Fansubs?).SharetwitterfacebookLet's not forget... (Score:3, Interesting)by kinglink ( 195330 ) writes: on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:02AM (#13102474) Let's not forget why they are desperate to try anything... They went on a rampage attacking websites through their ISP with out first talking to webmasters, it created more bad blood then anything else, and people have boycotted their dvds (I know I have) I bite my toungue when I buy their manga even..

They didn't want people to learn about their anime like that, so people couldn't learn about the anime they owned, watching dubs on tv wasn't helpful for that, and so people just decided most of it wasn't worth their time to buy blind.

I don't think they are embrassing BT, they are just trying to get the online community to believe they arn't so bad, too bad some of us remember how their gestopo tactics were and still can't support them.SharetwitterfacebookCopyright Theft (Score:2, Funny)by bayers ( 155001 ) writes: Hmmm. I'm going out of business because people are downloading stuff off the Internet without paying.

What can I do? Let's see... Teach more people how to download copyrighted stuff off the Internet! That's it!

It could work.Bad news for ADV films... (Score:2)by Spy der Mann ( 805235 ) writes: Which Anime Fan (that lives to the title) would choose to download crappy dubs with scenes cut? ADV has earned its reputation, after all.Re:Slight typographical error. (Score:5, Insightful)by Microlith ( 54737 ) writes: on Monday July 18, 2005 @10:22PM (#13100595) Distribution? I believe the word you're looking for is 'butchering'.

Butchering? You're looking for 4Kids. ADV hasn't butchered anything in YEARS, and they've never once done anything like what 4Kids has done.

Feel free to mod me into oblivion, it felt good and was worth it.

Seems more like a waste, and a lashing out in ignorance...Parent SharetwitterfacebookRe:Slight typographical error. (Score:2, Interesting)by Xenkar ( 580240 ) writes: Some of us consider using horrible voice actors as "butchering".Not only are the voice actors horrible, there is only a small pool of voice actors that they select from. So the same person who ruined Character X from Series X has gone on to ruin Character Y from Series Y.I haven't gone to an anime convention in two years because I'd probably end up in jail for assaulting anyone who is there to represent the american dubbing companies (I like to think of them all as slaughter houses).Anime and manga frRe:Slight typographical error. (Score:5, Insightful)by Golias ( 176380 ) writes: on Monday July 18, 2005 @10:45PM (#13100714) Some of us consider using horrible voice actors as "butchering".

Ah, well then ADV certainly doesn't "butcher." All of their DVD's feature some of the top voice talent in all of Japan!

Oh... you are probably listening to the English dubs... You poor, misguided bastard. You really should know better by now.

(And don't give me that shit about the Bandai dubs like "Cowboy Bebop" being any better. Sure most of the English cast, apart from Wendee Lee, is relatively capable, but they are talking over what were vastly superior performances. Subtitles are the only way to go, short of actually learning the language.)Parent SharetwitterfacebookRe:Slight typographical error. (Score:2)by LtOcelot ( 154499 ) writes: A listener is not capable of judging whether the original voice acting "vastly superior" without knowing the language it's spoken in.Re:Slight typographical error. (Score:2, Insightful)by MrChom ( 609572 ) writes: Now I help to run an anime society, and we schedule subs there, and I mainly watch subs, but I see nothing wrong at alll with dubs.It's all about accessibility. Most dubs these days (Initial D aside) stay close to the source material and include casting on the good side of the scale. If it continues to be done with that in mind then anime will reach more people which is exactly what I try to promote on a daily basis (Albeit within a small Welsh university...which has the 4th largest anime society in BriRe:Slight typographical error. (Score:2)by Golias ( 176380 ) writes: I'm not a subtitle zealot for the sake of "purity."

The truth is that dubs are often closer translations of the original script, because subtitles have to be brief enough for people to read them.

The reason I prefer subtitles (in all foreign-language entertainment, whether it be movies, anime, opera, etc.) is because the actor's vocal expression is a critical part of the performance. Japanese "seiyuu" are, for the most part, superstar talents and a big part of why I watch anime in the first place.

If I canSpike is better in English (Score:2)by Tungbo ( 183321 ) writes: The japanese voice actor had a deep gutteral voice which did not match Spike's personality. It made him sound too old and too serious. THe English voice actor's voice was a better fit. Of course, this is an exception that proves the rule.