Crunchyroll is currently testing a new video player and a controversial change to the subtitles, which is causing strong criticism from fans. We summarize.
Test run with criticism
As several Reddit users report, the new desktop video player is currently being tested in individual countries, including Germany – but with little success, judging by the predominantly negative response in countless posts.
Longer loading times and the user interface were particularly criticized – because numerous setting options were eliminated and the progress bar was positioned so that it covers the subtitles when paused.
In addition, in full screen mode on the computer it should now take up to seven seconds until the user interface disappears again after an input.
Fixed subtitles in the image
But that’s not all: In addition to the much-discussed player, there is another technical change. The content is now provided with so-called “hard subs”, in which the subtitles are permanently integrated into the image.
The resulting limited customization options – for example in terms of font size, color or contrast – are likely to have significant disadvantages, especially in the area of accessibility. In addition, the video stream has to be reloaded every time you change the language, and if the internet connection is poor, the subtitle quality also suffers.
But there are also likely to be some disadvantages for Crunchyroll, for example when correcting subtitles. Instead of simply adjusting a separate subtitle file, the entire video must now be changed.
It is not yet known whether the player will remain in this form and what improvements are planned. If you have already tested the new player, please let us know your opinion in the comments!
More on the topic:
Via X, Reddit
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