Fan Channels – A point of view

General Discussion
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Hello everybody,

I would like to share some opinions and suggestions about the fan channels. The first time I came across a fan channel was by chance, I enter in some actor/actress profile to see his/her works and there was among of it a fan channel.

In my opinion, the fan channel are not much accessible for users, specially for the new one. Most of them neither know that the channels exist, and that is sad, because there are a lot of good channels that could have more following people and more licenses get. How could I want something if I don´t know that it exist? Thinking about that, I would like to share some suggestions and opinions and hope it help to improve things, besides, get others opinions and suggestions too.

• Be more accessible – Maybe Viki would implement some kind of tool that allow people see the fan channels more easily. I saw a suggestion made by @piranna , that I like a lot https://support.viki.com/hc/pt-br/community/posts/115009229967-A-new-tab-for-Fan-channels-or-a-new-tag-Fan-channels-in-Search-Function-and-making-explanations-visible . If you liked it too, please vote on it, so who knows, Viki would make it.

I normally watch my series/shows… on my TV (by Amazon FireTV) and some time on my cell phone, rarely on my computer (except when I started on Viki). I think it would be nice if mobile app have the possibility to show as filter the fan channel. I heard that most of the views use mobile device to view the shows/series….
P.s: I don´t know if Fire TV or Chromecast are considerer mobile app too

• Improve the number of the following and the request of license – One thing brings to another, if the fan channel is more visible, it will have more following people and more request of license. It will be interesting have an option in the mobiles app to ask licenses, maybe a button as today have of to follow a channel, you don´t need to write just mark/clicking on it, showing that you would like the license for that title (or the button could open a browse and you enter with the request…). So, more views could express their wish for that title.
Today, you can request the licenses only by computer not via app, so you lost a lot of request because is only on the page of Viki.

• Know that a new channel was created – It would be wonderful if every time Viki creates a new channel everybody knew it, then if it is a channel that people get interesting, they could follow and ask for license. Maybe a new filter.

I am writing these things because is sad to see good titles with so little following people and with a lack of request of licenses, and it is just because people is not aware that it is available on Viki. I hope Viki would think and look these things with fondness.

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If I’m not mistaken, the existence of fan channels somehow hinders Viki from getting licences for other, current shows.

Also, just because the fan channel is more visible does not mean it will have more chance of getting a licence. On the contrary, since most of those channels are old (because new fan channels can’t be created any longer), there is more chance they will attract the wrong eyes and be shut down completely, as a lot of them already had been.

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I’m only using VIKI via laptop but even with that some things are hard to find and not always clear enough, e.g. that “not available yet (bc of pending upload/licensing” and “not available bc of geoblocking”.

Also, for new users it is hard to find where to submit titles for licensing. They could add a title request dropdown menu on top, e.g. there, where the app and other stuff could be downloaded or below the community tab.

I thought all old fan channels were removed.

I still don’t understand, how important a (fan) channel is for a drama to get a license.

If the request form is more important, it should be easy to find on the start page/top menu for everyone. (And not like now somewhere hidden…)

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I have an impression that when a show goes to “Coming Soon Page” the number of the following people raise, and it is because more people start to know that the title is “available” e get interisting for it. I believe that the same could happen to fan channels if it was more “visible”. I can be totaly wrong but it is my imprenssion, I am still new around so I am not quite sure how things work.

About you said of most of the channels are old and new fan channels can´t be created any longer, I found some channels of recent titles and future titles, also I see sometimes new channels on the Find Project page. I believe Viki is creating now it according the request form, not?

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I see the fan channel like a showcase, a draft of future channel with space for people talk about that title.

I am totaly agree with you.

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Wait, I think you are talking about the old fan channels, when the OP was talking of the ones Viki makes to see whether there is enough interest in a drama and decide to ask for the license.

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Oh, yeah, those are two very different things.

There is an “official fan” channel, one that Viki creates. Although calling this the official fan channel is like saying round cube. Anyway, the process begins with lots of fans requesting a new show via the Title request form. Then Viki creates a fan channel which remains under that category until it gets licensed. Those channels usually have this picture:

If the picture changes to anything else, it means the channel got a licence.

BUT there are also true fan-fan channels, which were created a long time ago by (guess who!) fans themselves, uploading the videos themselves, segging and translating them. Those have video content which does not necessarily have a licence. Those channels are a bit awkward to have when negotiating for a licence for another series, because they make you look unprofessional as a site. And those fan channels can’t be created anymore.

Now, back to the original question of the thread. I think the reason Viki’s own “fan” channels aren’t shown on devices or are hard to find, especially if you’re not using the computer, is because the volunteers are segging and translating on their computers, while the viewers are mostly watching on other devices. I think the volunteers are far more likely to suggest a new title and/or, once the new channel is created, click the follow button, indicating their interest in the show. And Viki probably wants the viewers on devices to be able to focus only on the stuff for watching, making Viki look like just another streaming site to the outsiders who don’t know how it really functions.

When it comes to licensing, Viki is fighting the world streaming giant here, Netflix. There are no more independent competitors for the Asian content out there. It’s just those two now. And, of course, one interesting conglomerate of three Korean broadcasting companies who have monopoly on their own produced content.

My point is, as much as we try and ask for specific shows via following/liking the fan channels, out of two-three large series at one time point, Netflix gets one and Viki gets the rest.

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Netflix has quite few Chinese dramas and topic related mostly the same scheme they have with US or European shows (crime & romance/comedy).

So from my point of view if one is truly interested in Chinese dramas VIKI & Youtube are the platforms for them. (I guess amazon video has like “no Chinese shows” at all for my Country, mabye some movies, but not new dramas).

PS:

I guess it is similar to books. Netflix takes the blockbuster dramas while publishers (of Western novels) take the popular American novels to translate them into European languages and ignore most other stores (that are written in other languages).

So I think VIKI is still unique in the aspect of showing Asian (Chinese) dramas to viewers world-wide.

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I’ve all but given up on Korean dramas for various reasons, so I’m glad Viki has some great Chinese dramas - I’ve only discovered C-dramas in the last year so have a lot of catching up to do. Thank you Viki for continuing to add Chinese and Taiwanese dramas. The only other source is YouTube and I much prefer to watch on Viki.

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The subtitles on youtube are such, that every third one makes sense and is a full grammatical sentence… Yes, definitely a big shout out to all the hard-working Chin-Eng subbers and editors :heart:

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Hi what happen with the movie Always before the movie was license but after is fan channel There is any possibilities to get the license? And with others channels too like mr lonely and the best hit…?

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Sorry for the time. The only way that I know for us, to help to get the license is filling the requet form for the drama or movie we want (independently it has or no a fan channel). How much more request the drama or movie get, better, it shows to Viki that the users are interiested for it and Viki can study to try or not get the license. Get the license does not depends only of Viki, it involves a lot of issues. But let´s keep trying and requesting :wink: .

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