borrowing vs. downloading

[tsukikage]

Out of curiosity, do you guys see a difference between borrowing licensed (and available) DVDs of a series from friends and downloading fansubs, or even DVD rips, of that series?
I guess I've come to see watching and buying as separate activities, and although I support anime financially as much as I can (some would argue more), in my mind if you're not financially supporting the industry... What's the difference? I guess to put it bluntly, I would go so far as to say that if you think downloading the series is unethical, you should extend that logic to borrowing being unethical.
I do realize that things like Netflix are another option, better than either borrowing from friends or downloading subs/rips. But that's not really the question I'm asking right now.
I've also been thinking lately... Is shopping around for sales/good prices being a non-supportive consumer? My sense is yes. If we show that we only want to pay sales-type prices, their incentive to publish (quality product) will be lowered even further.
So, yeah, opinions wanted.

Also, seeing the X Files movie with my mom (and Allie, for a surprise) was quite nice.

Comments

[hampster-cowboy.livejournal.com]

There's always checking DVDs out from the library.... That's what I do. Some systems have quite a large selection. I'm not positive about Hennepin County/Mpls though.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but that's even less of a financial contribution that Netflix.

[carve037.livejournal.com]

You're paying as a taxpayer for the discs at a library.

[hampster-cowboy.livejournal.com]

oh lol, didn't notice you wrote the same thing...

[hampster-cowboy.livejournal.com]

Personally, yes. But they are paid for for you to use.

[akibare.livejournal.com]

It's an interesting question, because yes I will admit I DO download (steal) from BitTorrent, TV series on the internet.

Thing is, they were broadcast 100% free of charge to the public. But, I don't have an antenna anywhere in range.

Add to that, LONG before there was EVER BitTorrent or any sharing service, or even much of a non-academic internet at all for that matter, I did essentially the same thing - watched TV from an area I didn't live in.

The only difference was, I went to a video rental place, for expats, that had TV recorded to VHS, rooms and rooms and ROOMS of it, rentable at $2 a week. These shops existed widely. I don't know how they were supplied, if someone had a giant sattelite dish, or if they had some super mailing arrangement. Given that the VHS tapes in question all had English markings, I suspect the former, though I don't know.

Eventually those shops converted to DVD. They still exist. If I want, I can go rent DVDs for the same $2 a week from the same place I get my groceries, they are about 50/50 split between Japanese and Korean TV. Sometimes I still do, if they have something no one managed to rip for BT.

Such services have seriously been around since the 80's. Those guys made money off their rips. They still do.

I would be willing to pay SOME price to download legal copies of things, if they exist. But, currently to BUY the DVD version of regular Japanese TV drama shows, is crazy crazy pricing. They come out way after the show is over, so usually I've seen whatever it is, but the price is crazy anyhow - for a few episodes, not even a whole season, they want the equivalent of over $100. No one is willing to pay those prices, just like people are not willing to pay $20 for a CD to get one song.

With music, people ARE willing to download legal things for $1/$2 a song from amazon or iTunes or other providers. I guess eventually video will move the same way, I don't know.

I'm certainly happy to rent (for money) TV DVDs, if I can get them. It's just that I know when I rent the Japanese ones from the supermarket, they're just as illegal at some point as if I BT at home. US TV, I can get from the regular movie rental house ($1 for 4 days) and it's 100% legal, official licensed DVDs. I do rent a lot of those too.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

I'm referring mainly to US licensed releases of shows, which aren't anywhere near Japanese prices. Well, with a few sore-thumb exceptions. >.>

[akibare.livejournal.com]

Ah, those I rent, yeah. My rental house is very good for it.

I DO like what some of the US shows have done, though - some things they'll put online (tiny size, but fine just to watch by yourself) AFTER the episode is broadcast, and leave that up until the DVD is actually available somewhere.