Anime streaming sites
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HiDive is my choice for anime streaming service.
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I mainly watch stuff on Crunchyroll via my PS4. I haven't had issues with their PS4 app in ages, so I'm guessing the complaints are mostly about their website.
I also have a subscription to HiDive, but find it virtually unusable. They have no console apps, and their iOS app was removed from the store. Their website sucks on anything that isn't a PC, and watching TV on my gaming computer is... uncomfortable. Maybe once I get my HTPC working again.
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I have been a premium member of Crunchyroll since they went legit back in Jan 2009. Though I am debating on dropping it.
While I want to do my part to support the industry in Japan, Crunchyroll seems to have some sjw agenda that I cannot support.
I have have also seen a few comparisons of its quality vs other streaming sites (that are unfortunately for other countries only) and it is very sub-par.
If google 'crunchyroll reduced quality' some of the articles and posts are from about a year ago but it still seems to be plaguing the service.I need to actively search for another avenue even if it's a couple different services at the same time.
I mainly only watch on PC so I'll probably check out HIDIVE and/or use a vpn to another english speaking countries service.
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HiDive is working on meeting the Apple requirements to get their app back in the store -- see here:
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@jason-maranto Ah, so it's Apple's greed and not HiDive's fault. Good to know. Hopefully they fix it soon.
I imagine given the increase friction with Apple, Google, and Steam, that 30% cut rule is not going to stick much longer!
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@flarecde As long as Apple demand it (and they will), everyone else will copy it.
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I've been subscribed to Crunchyroll since 2013 but I'm done with them after it expires in December. I've been unimpressed with their service for the past couple of years, and they apparently use my subscription money toward other avenues--their own convention, some original series that they told us nothing about, etc.--instead of improving the streaming service/website/apps.
Trying to watch anything on their website would give me constant buffering at the lowest quality video; their Android app randomly freezes and/or crashes in and out of videos (I haven't been able to watch a single episode without it freezing for a couple of minutes, then playing like ten seconds of audio before the video decides to play again at much lower quality); the PS3 app has issues with video quality consistency, like the first few minutes of a show will be low quality before jumping to something better until the last minute or so and then it jumps back to low quality again. But I suppose that's preferable to what it used to be, when it wouldn't want to load videos at all. The iOS app has been the best experience as far as video playback goes, but everything else is really slow.
I've heard they want people to use VRV instead, but I'm not paying more for content I'm not going to watch, much less with something that has the Funimation name attached to it. They've lost my business too.
I like HiDive a lot, but it's definitely best on PC. The Android app works pretty well, as long as I'm using wifi. It just does not want to work on 4G. I don't know if it's the area I live in or what. Hopefully they'll get the situation with Apple figured out soon, since any show that has an "S" in its content rating won't play (and it turns out that's a LOT of shows). I'm also hoping they'll be able to get more content per simulcast season, and if other companies like Aniplex, Nozomi, and Eastern Star would make their shows available on the service, since right now it's just Sentai.
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I too have canceled my renewal, and it's unfortunate because Crunchyroll truly does have the largest library and have also started adding quite a few older series, but that does not outweigh the cons and will not keep my membership.
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@tremorc said in Anime streaming sites:
and they apparently use my subscription money toward other avenues--their own convention, some original series that they told us nothing about, etc.--instead of improving the streaming service/website/apps.
They've always used your subscription money in whatever ways they saw fit, your preferences be damned. If you don't like the direction they're going, fine, but this argument of "my money can only be used for things I want" is ridiculous. You paid them for a service, and they gave you that in spades. What they then do with that money is their decision.
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@myskaros I never said "my money can only be used for things I want," and that's not the argument I was making. I'm saying that I'm paying for a service that I've had several issues with for a long time now, that still haven't been addressed. Like you said, I paid them for a service, but it has been lousy, so I'm not going to pay for it any more.
I suppose their ventures into the convention and original programming spaces stick out more than they should because of the ongoing problems I've had with their service. If I didn't have the issues that I do, perhaps they wouldn't be as big of a deal to me.
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@tremorc I'm not sure how else I'm supposed to interpret "I will no longer spend money on a service because they're using that money for other things instead of things I want." Either way, if that's not what you meant, then just take my rant as directed at all the other people on the Internet who are saying that, because there are a lot of them.
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@myskaros I somewhat see where you a coming from but don't necessarily believe that is argument that @TremorC is making. Crunchyroll is first and foremost an anime streaming company(currently), in other words anime streaming is their product.
If you are giving a company money for a product you expect that product in return, if the company fails to deliver said product with no explanation/admit to fault/attempts at a solution or some sort of reimbursement it is only natural to no longer do business with that company.
Also if the company does produce the product, if the product is not up to par one way or another it is only natural to look for other companies producing that product up to your standards.
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@myskaros And what I do with my money is my decision -- I am not required to have any reason at all to cease giving them money, but in this case I have all the justification I need.
You act as if they have the right to do whatever they want without losing customers... but I bet you would change your tune if they were engaging in something you personally felt was wrong. The difference between us here is a matter of value judgement. Your lecturing over my reasons(or anybody elses) is pointless -- we are all free to support or not as we see fit... we owe NOTHING to CrunchyRoll (and nothing to you either).
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The thing is, there are very few active fan subbers anymore, unless Netflix is involved. If you watch on a pirate site, it’s more than likely that it is simply a rip from Crunchyroll. I honestly have no problem with fan subbers, but I find ripping off of official sources just plain lazy and scummy. Therefore, my CR sub will remain.
Not to mention, I’ve never had a buffering problem on my phone, Roku, or laptop after I got the chrome extension, and CR has even rolled out their new html5 player for a lot of users, and a full rollout is expected to come in September.Yea, I’m not happy about High Garden Spice, but CR still pays sizable license fees and about half of their streaming revenue still goes back to Japan as royalties. What they do with the other half isn’t really up to us.
I encourage everyone to read Justin’s article on ANN: http://4NN.cx/.136030 -
I just read that article earlier today and was quite impressed with the numbers. It's unfortunate that I can't stand behind Crunchyroll with the issues that I have with them. As far as buffering specifically, I have a gigabit connection and have had my fair share of issues. The times I have really noticed it, is once an episode is just put up - so seems to be a server/demand issue.
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@khaos said in Anime streaming sites:
Crunchyroll is first and foremost an anime streaming company(currently), in other words anime streaming is their product.
If you are giving a company money for a product you expect that product in return, if the company fails to deliver said product with no explanation/admit to fault/attempts at a solution or some sort of reimbursement it is only natural to no longer do business with that company.Sure, but the main reason this conversation is even occurring isn't because they've somehow failed to deliver the product they promised, it's because they've announced they're doing something new. The anime subscription still costs the same amount of money, and they're still licensing anime every season and even adding older shows to their catalog. The service is not being compromised in any way, at least not on the surface. People are complaining because they're afraid something will happen in the future that hasn't happened yet, and conflating that fear with the current service, which has not changed.
@jason-maranto said in Anime streaming sites:
And what I do with my money is my decision
Yes, I agree. What you do with your money is your decision. What they do with their money is their decision. Once you give them your money, it's no longer your money, it's their money. So the idea that "I'm giving them my money, but expect them to do something with it that I approve of" is ridiculous.
You act as if they have the right to do whatever they want without losing customers
I did not say that anywhere. I did say if you don't like the direction they're taking, then fine. Unsubscribe, that's what you should do. But to whine that they shouldn't pursue potentially profitable business ventures because "it wasn't something I asked for" is childish and not how business works. As I said above, the service you are paying for has not changed at all.
Your lecturing over my reasons(or anybody elses) is pointless -- we are all free to support or not as we see fit...
You're posting your reasons on an Internet forum for some reason, one that gets nonzero traffic, so I assume you're doing it either for attention or simply to express yourself. So, I am choosing to challenge those reasons. You're absolutely right, you're free to do whatever you want, but you still chose to respond to me, so...
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@myskaros said in Anime streaming sites:
@khaos said in Anime streaming sites:
Crunchyroll is first and foremost an anime streaming company(currently), in other words anime streaming is their product.
If you are giving a company money for a product you expect that product in return, if the company fails to deliver said product with no explanation/admit to fault/attempts at a solution or some sort of reimbursement it is only natural to no longer do business with that company.Sure, but the main reason this conversation is even occurring isn't because they've somehow failed to deliver the product they promised, it's because they've announced they're doing something new. The anime subscription still costs the same amount of money, and they're still licensing anime every season and even adding older shows to their catalog. The service is not being compromised in any way, at least not on the surface. People are complaining because they're afraid something will happen in the future that hasn't happened yet, and conflating that fear with the current service, which has not changed.
But at the same time it is because they failed to deliver the product they promised, at least to an expected standard. So whether they are or they are not, reasonably working on the issues but at the same time doing new things - is unknown. Therefore people believe they are investing money that was intended for a product that they were not satisfied with on other endeavors instead. So what follows is people looking for somewhere to voice their complaints....
Much could be avoided if things like this were communicated prior or just more transparent overall.
(Though since all the backlash I think they came out with a statement saying where original series funds came from - but don't remember exactly where it was or what was said)
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Let’s all keep this civil, it is a topic about discussing where we all consume Anime, trying to speculate on the inner workings of Crunchyroll and other similar compaines is not what this topic is about.
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I'm gonna veer away from that incendiary thread and just throw in my two cents. I don't use Crunchyroll because they treat the non-Japanese Asian market poorly. It was mentioned above that CR has the largest library available but not the case here in my country. A lot of series are region-locked, so I don't bother.
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@myskaros Once my pre-paid subscription (which is non-refundable) runs out I could care less what CrunchyRoll does with (what is at that point) its money. Until that happens both they and I consider us engaged in a current transaction... and as such I will continue to express myself as a dissatisfied customer.
If they were to issue me a refund for the remainder of the year I would cancel my forum access there immediately... never to be heard from again.
I have taken as much action to remedy the situation as I am able -- which included getting a 1-year HiDive subscription. I wholeheartedly recommend HiDive as an alternative. I said nothing about CrunchyRoll here in this thread until you posted your reply.
