Asameshimae 220 Posted January 10, 2015 (edited) If you happen to have the smartphone sumo app it now has English localization, at least for iPhone anyway. And it appears it has a lot more bells and whistles too. Very likely worth the monthly fee to get more too. Though I am not sure if I will take the plunge. Because it is in English I was sure it would be available outside Japan but it looks like it IS NOT. Shucks. PS: I thought this would go well in the sumo information section; but apparently I can't post there. Guess I have to be Dai-Yokozuna or something first. :-P Edited January 10, 2015 by Asameshimae Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asameshimae 220 Posted January 10, 2015 I believe you can now see any bouts from any division if you pay the fee. My guess is that this is why they discontinued the pay streaming video. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kuroimori 1,634 Posted January 10, 2015 The next half-hearted / half-assed attempt by the NSK to generate cash? No mention of the price for the "tanimachi" (pay option) and it was quite difficult to find something even at Google Play. At the very bottom of the description I found some price tag of 3.55€. I am skeptical... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asameshimae 220 Posted January 10, 2015 (edited) I don't pay for it, but I have two friends who do and love it. Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with the designers or distributors of this product. :) Edited January 10, 2015 by Asameshimae Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 20,297 Posted January 10, 2015 My guess is that this is why they discontinued the pay streaming video. (In a state of confusion...) There was another pay-per-view solution in place last basho to replace the discontinued one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asameshimae 220 Posted January 10, 2015 (edited) Yeah, I just remembered. I never used it after it became pay per view. Sorry. Blow my theory out of the water eh? Edited January 10, 2015 by Asameshimae Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yamasanzan 96 Posted January 10, 2015 Here's the link:http://www.sumo.or.jp/en/kyokai/information?id=74 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shimodahito 336 Posted January 11, 2015 Because it is in English I was sure it would be available outside Japan but it looks like it IS NOT. Shucks This may be the first time the word "shucks" has been used in the forum... not sure the translation in non-English languages.... :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sesom 55 Posted January 11, 2015 At the very bottom of the description I found some price tag of 3.55€. I am skeptical... 3,55 € would be OK, but the apps says 3,55 €/month and this is quite hefty! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kuroimori 1,634 Posted January 11, 2015 I could watch 1 free video with the free version today after selecting my favorite rikishi yesterday. I got the best out of the one free view today as I chose Osunaarashi, who had by far the longest bout today ;-) Vid quality was good but the loading/buffering was quite slow with several stops. Not worth 3.55 €/month IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 20,297 Posted January 11, 2015 Not worth 3.55 €/month IMO.You need to judge it against the $120 price tag on the stream! ;-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kuroimori 1,634 Posted January 11, 2015 Not worth 3.55 €/month IMO.You need to judge it against the $120 price tag on the stream! ;-) I rather compare it to the ~14€/month of my annual jpPlayer subscription... Maybe because I am still more of a PC/Laptop guy than a Smartphone/Tablet guy. BTW, is the NSK pay stream still available? Haven't been checking the NSK homepage that much lately. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sesom 55 Posted January 11, 2015 I played around with the app for a while now. Being in Germany and pulling content from a japanese server seems not to be a good idea, loading content seems to take forever, most of the time I just see a spinning circle. I will try to analyze the network traffic of the app with Wireshark, maybe I can figure out from which server the videos are loaded from. ;) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
takuyaf 7 Posted January 13, 2015 Currently, the Nihon Sumo Kyokai has been provided official smartphone app on Google Play & App Store. You can watch recorded torikumi videos in near real-time with the app. Grand Sumo - Android Apps on Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.dwango.sumo&hl=en Grand Sumo - The Nihon Sumo Kyokai Official App on the App Store on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/id775745258 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kintamayama 47,369 Posted January 13, 2015 Currently, the Nihon Sumo Kyokai has been provided official smartphone app on Google Play & App Store. You can watch recorded torikumi videos in near real-time with the app. Grand Sumo - Android Apps on Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.dwango.sumo&hl=en Grand Sumo - The Nihon Sumo Kyokai Official App on the App Store on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/id775745258 Wow!! This is great!! Thanks!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krindel 688 Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) Here's my two cents worth on the android paid version of the app: + You can watch every bout recorded since March 2010 (obviously they have burned all tapes before that, to avoid Asashoryu contaminating the stream) + The new bouts are up almost immediately, so you can watch the ongoing basho in nearly real time + Loading times for me were decent enough (as a comparison the benchmark showed a faster rate of transfer than Euroleague Basketball and a slower one than the NFL stream) + Price was 3,55 euro a month (also can translate to 3,55 euro per basho if you turn your subscription on/off accordingly, or 42 euro per year), which by my standards is acceptable, as it is comparable to season pass prices for other sports. + There's an option called "Featured bouts" which has a selection of presumably the most interesting bouts of a day. - No option for streaming video of the basho - Video is the classic one-camera, no replay one of the stream - The editing of the bouts is a bit too close for my taste. Most videos I saw start a second before the tachi-ai and end a second after. That means that there are videos 2 or 3 seconds long, which combined with the necessary loading time means its quite easy for the video to be over before you noticed it started playing. - There is no way to watch the current basho spoiler-free. To watch a video, you need to go to the torikumi page, and that means you are forced to see the result before you even get to the video. - Would have liked it if there was a Kintamayama-style compilation of the day's action Overall I don't think I wasted my money, and will probably renew at the next basho. I still think however the Kyokai could and should have offered a lot more coverage and options... Edited January 13, 2015 by krindel 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akinomaki 41,856 Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) I installed it on my android tablet. Nice database - results of all divisions, but the videos are only for makuuchi. I won't become tanimachi. The original first version was announced as with live streaming of makuuchi bouts for free - I wonder where that has gone. I don't know yet what to make of this: http://japan.cnet.com/entertainment/35045074/ Apparently a free app for Android smart phones, maybe for dwango mobile users only, which allows you to watch real time all makuuchi torikumi, as a tanimachi member for 500 Yen a month you have a database of the bouts back 4 years ago to watch as much as you like. And several extras. Edited January 13, 2015 by Akinomaki Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kotoviki 16 Posted January 13, 2015 Yes, the only videos available are makuuchi. ¥500 yen a month is pricey but that is what I used to pay for the phone service website before my smartphone. Getting alerts when your picked rikishi win is nice. Having all your favs in one place and all your fav heya. So I've been paying. Also people in Japan can get free gifts during the basho by showing they have the paid version of the app. However I've already informed them in my comment form I will not be renewing my subscription from next month because as of Saturday you can only see the app in English if your phone has iOS being used in English. I didn't study kanji for my sumo life to start using English now. Plus it's too confusing when I want to confirm the kanji or Hiragana or something and it is only in English. Also there is some stupid information like the list of Shikona changes. When the reading is the same and just the kanji is different it looks pretty stupid. I pointed that out today to the app staff and they said I was right. Another lady was there with the opposite problem. She is using Japanese iOS and wants to see the app in English because she brings groups of foreigners to sumo and wants to show them. There is no function to change the language in the app which sucks! Today I changed my phone to Japanese iOS and now some of my fitness and other apps are only in Japanese and too omplicated to enjoy! What a pain in the arse! Also it seems really stupid to have an app available only in the Japanese apple and android stores and have it in English. Total strangeness! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shimodahito 336 Posted January 14, 2015 Keep the reviews coming. And thanks for giving them some feedback. Some day they will get it right. - live streaming for the lower divisions. delayed streaming for prime-time makuuchi is OK. spoiler-free. language choices. acceptable price. And then some day I will buy a smart phone and check it out. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asameshimae 220 Posted January 16, 2015 Of the ones you said above I really want: video coverage below makuuchi (tall order) spoiler-free (or at least the ability to turn it off) The first choice would take a lot of work, but the second one should be easy peesy Japaneesy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asameshimae 220 Posted January 16, 2015 Because it is in English I was sure it would be available outside Japan but it looks like it IS NOT. Shucks This may be the first time the word "shucks" has been used in the forum... not sure the translation in non-English languages.... :-) Aw, shucks. You have me blushing now. (no blush smiley readily available) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mukonoso 273 Posted January 16, 2015 I've put it on my Android tablet and smartphone. Any idea if I can have the same account for both without paying twice? American price point? Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
takuyaf 7 Posted January 16, 2015 (edited) I've put it on my Android tablet and smartphone. Any idea if I can have the same account for both without paying twice? American price point? Thanks. If you use same primary google account on both devices and you paid once with that account, you'll become Tanimachi automatically on both devices ;-) Edited January 16, 2015 by takuyaf 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mukonoso 273 Posted January 17, 2015 I've put it on my Android tablet and smartphone. Any idea if I can have the same account for both without paying twice? American price point? Thanks. If you use same primary google account on both devices and you paid once with that account, you'll become Tanimachi automatically on both devices ;-) Arigato. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akinomaki 41,856 Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) as of Saturday you can only see the app in English if your phone has iOS being used in English. I didn't study kanji for my sumo life to start using English now. Plus it's too confusing when I want to confirm the kanji or Hiragana or something and it is only in English. Also there is some stupid information like the list of Shikona changes. When the reading is the same and just the kanji is different it looks pretty stupid. I pointed that out today to the app staff and they said I was right. For Andoid, I you want to see the app display all in Japanese, especially the shikona, you just have to switch your display language with Local More Pro. Careful, just one touch on some exotic language while you scroll to Japanese way down and you can't read anything on your device anymore. Local More Pro has the flag of the country displayed, so you can find one setting you can read again while completely in the dark otherwise. I'd advise against any other app of this kind without flags, it can induce panic when you are thrown to Arabic (unless you can read it), which is what you accidentally tap on the most. Edited January 17, 2015 by Akinomaki Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
