Finally, after much debate and useless attitudes from studios trying to fight internet piracy, someone went on the right track and is on the verge of getting a hands-on battle on fansubs, one which only viewers can GAIN:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-21/gonzo-works-to-be-streamed-simultaneously-with-airing

GDH (Gonzo) has announced they will be releasing their next animes on several free online streaming video services (YouTube included) SIMULTANEOUSLY with their airing in Japan, WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Yes, you heard it right, at the same time an anime airs in Japan, it will be made available for streaming, WITH SUBTITLES, on YouTube ... uploaded by none other than GDH themselves.

If it were not enough, a fee-based HDTV version will also be available for download, so you can also get your .avi file (with subs) simultaneously.

There is NO WAY a fansub can beat it, because by the time the fansub finishes ripping the RAW, it will be already available WITH TRANSLATION AND SUBBED on the internet! Even speed subs take up a day to get the translation done and upload their works, how can they beat a simultaneously release?

This is the right way to go GDH! My only fear is that low-fi version on Youtube ... some people are content with low quality and only want to watch, so it might actually reduce the number of possible downloaders for the HD version. Well ... a right step nonetheless

This is (almost) what I have been waiting for!

This is the right way forward. I see no problem with the LQ youtube version reducing the number of people paying for the HD; this creates two distinct markets - one for the people who just want to sample, and the serious fans who want to get a HQ copy to keep. My main concern is that the translation may be poor. Last thing we need is legal downloads of Engrish subs. =X

What I would really like to see is for the studios to co-opt fansubbers in a community-oriented system; let the translators, timers & checkers from already existing fansubs into some sort of wiki-powered system to produce subs. The studio still owns the raw, and the fansub groups own the translated dialogue and timing.

This makes great economic sense:

Consumers
- get their fix legally.
- are assured of high quality video.
- get to choose the best from many translations & subs.
- presumably, it should cost less than what you have to pay at the moment because this system cuts out the middlemen -- no distributors, no shops, the whole damn chain is cut out.

Fansub groups
- get to keep doing what they like doing, but legally.
- can get some amount of payback in cash, or earn credits that they can use to buy merchandise and goodies, pay for downloads, etc.

Studios
- offer a legal alternative, at a fair price; now there is no excuse for illegal fansubs, so they have a stronger case to prosecute people who distribute illegally.
- take control of overseas distribution, instead of collecting a flat fee to license out to distributors. I put forward that this will be worth more to them once they work with law enforcement in countries with solid intellectual property laws to clamp down on illegal distribution, thus leaving consumers with no choice except the legal choice.
- after *some stupid distributors* went around suing fans in court for illegal downloads, they badly need to shore up their customer relationship. Still, this needs to be handled delicately; they should make clear that they are not punishing the consumers, only those who distribute illegally. Allowing consumers to "license" fansubs that they have, rather than suing for ridiculous amounts of damages, would be more appropriate.

Distributors
- they lose. Who cares, it's about time they woke up to the new reality anyway. They had their chance but screwed up with a business model that relied too heavily on their exclusive rights, and failed to deliver with the speed and quality that consumers demanded. Plus, there have been quite a few public relations nightmares, so it's about time they just folded up and died. =3

Wow I first saw it here and Ka Boom, the news is everywhere ^^. Agreed, if it get low quality crap from youtube, i'll still take the sub from the anime community.

They better start upgrading to the future since Blu-Ray DVD just got recently cracked.

I guess you didn't read the part where it says they will ALSO upload Hi-quality versions to download for a fee, probably HDTV.

About hamster's comment, that is going a little too far in the dreamworld. They will never partner with fansubs =p I also fear for the sub quality on those english "on-the-fly" versions, but still .. I guess it won't be far from speed-subs anyway, those also are somewhat engrish anyway xD

The future is here, clicky clicky for my report on this experience (downloading official anime)

(locked so we can talk about it at that thread)