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In _Shirobako_ , the studio has to deliver the tapes to broadcasters
physically. I'm not surprised that this is a process, but I am surprised that
there's nothing more _modern_ in place.

Early on, we learn that Musani Animation has an FTP server to store their
files - So why don't they just send the file over the internet?

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8W6iT.jpg)

I've heard some arguments that physical deliver is still faster, but I'm not
sure I buy that - Japan's internet speeds are quite good and the file sizes
shouldn't be overly huge as it should be the compiled product rather than
files with image layers, audio tracks, cg models, etc all seperate.

Are anime really still submitted by tape? If so - why?


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anime-production shirobako
Are anime still submitted to broadcasters in tape form?


Justim Sevakis, who is a cohost of the ANNcast, day job is DVD authoring; from
listening to him (they even did a show where Justin was a guest and not host)
it is all digital. I would be really curious to see if anyone has ever made a
non-digital medium (tape) that can hold 1080p video. I have friends who work
in US TV stations and everything is stored on a server and I don't see why the
Japanese would do it differently. You also have to remember that if you are
producing TV for 1080p you need to shoot at a higher resolution. This is the
problem with 4K video. In order to produce professional content you need to
shoot at 8K the problem is getting a monitor that can view this resolution.


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No, tapes are no longer used. The tape appearing in Shirobako is just a joke
in reference to old times. DVD-R are used nowadays, and maybe sometime in the
future, blu-ray will replace them. It seems like the trend of using DVD-R
began [at least in
2007](http://blog.livedoor.jp/eniqma_k/archives/50708458.html). On a side
note, shirobako are not necessarily white either [in
reality](https://twitter.com/g1_bari/status/525673642424676352).

As to possible reasons regarding why they have to give it physically:

  1. They are late so they don't have the time to send it by post.
  2. The FTP server was down in the anime so they had no other choice.
  3. Mark of respect and seriousness for the broadcasters.
  4. No problem of "timestamp" proof (if the broadcasters refused to accept the shirobako because of lateness) since a person goes directly to give it.
  5. Reduced risk of leaking the episode if it was given by another mean.

Sources:

  * moto-neta.com/anime/shirobako/
  * detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1185176891 
  * img.animeanime.jp/imgs/thumb_h/44928.jpg
  * the anime Shirobako itself
  * Lots of other pages on Google when searching for "白箱"


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So I went back to research following Ross Ridge's comment, and my answer is
now:

**Yes, they are still used** (but a bit less since 2011-2012).

* * *

Basically, as networks and high-speed bandwidths are becoming more
competitive, **the transfer solution over internet is now the state-of-the-
art** regarding sending data to broadcasters. [Dedicated
solutions](http://www.toshiba.co.jp/tech/review/2011/04/66_04pdf/a08.pdf)
started appearing around 2011, and are being adopted progressively.

However, **professional tapes are still the most popular means** (as of 2016)
to use as a **master tape** to give physically to broadcasters.

Effectively, animation software, such as RETAS STUDIO, takes care of network
needs for in-house file circulation, then a professional tape recorder is used
for the last steps of the post-production to "compile" everything, as you
said.

As for possible reasons regarding why they have to give it physically in the
anime:

  * They are late so they don't have the time to send it by post.
  * The FTP server was down in the anime so they had no other choice.
  * Mark of respect and seriousness for the broadcasters.
  * Reduced risk of leaking the episode if it was given by another means.

* * *

**More details on the tape formats**

Historically, anime studios mostly used D2-VTR tapes in the 90s-00s (SD
quality), then progressively transitioned to newer formats.

Nowadays, [the preference from the broadcasters'
side](https://www.actzero.jp/communication/report-689.html) basically dictates
the expected format. Notably, the standard in the industry is **HDCAM**
(1440x1080), whereas NHK is pretty much the only broadcaster to prefer having
the master sent to them as a more recent and better HDCAM-SR tape.

[![a HDCAM-SR
tape](https://i.stack.imgur.com/D3EO6.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/D3EO6.jpg)

Most anime studios, on the other hand, already upgraded to **HDCAM-SR** ,
which boasts compatibility with HDCAM, and so they can also be used to be sent
to broadcasters regardless of whether the broadcasters use HDCAM or HDCAM-SR.
However, a minority of studios cannot afford paying for a [HDCAM-SR
recorder](http://www.sony.jp/pro/products/SRW-5800/), so they may prefer
outsourcing the encoding to external companies such as IMAGICA or Sony PCL.

* * *

**Regarding overseas broadcasters**

The preferred solution is for the studio to edit out the black screen parts
normally left for TV commercials, then capture the output content directly
into HD data to be put onto **a simple HDD with USB 3.0**.

This is mainly due to HDCAM-SR being very costly, to the point of making it
not worthwhile financially if it were to be used as a medium to send overseas.
In addition, the great earthquake in Japan in 2011 destroyed the Sony factory
where HDCAM-SR tapes were being manufactured, causing a shortage of tapes
around the world. This event shaped the cost of the tapes, and so the process
of how to send anime overseas at the time.

**Nowadays, when there are requirements of simulcast, like for Crunchyroll or
Funimation, the direct transfer solution is preferred** , with software such
as Aspera being the standard in the industry for fast file transfer (a normal
anime episode may be around 37GB to send, whereas a special episode can easily
go over 100GB).

* * *

**More about shirobako**

My previous answer revolved essentially around shirobako. I had some confusion
(I give my thanks to Ross Ridge for pointing it out), so I will give a few
more details about it to correct myself, but nevertheless leave the contents
of my previous answer here.

As told in the anime, "shirobako" is historically a tape inside a white box.
This medium is given to the **studio staff** so they can do a final check for
errors before the master tape (the HDCAM-SR I previously talked about) is sent
to the broadcaster. However, **the term shirobako is also sometimes used to
talk about the master tape**.

This actually comes from the fact that shirobako are generally HDCAM-SR tapes,
which usually come in white-ish grey boxes (like the picture above), the same
as the tapes used to send to the broadcaster!

However, a trend of using DVD-R for shirobako seem to have started somewhere
[around 2007](http://blog.livedoor.jp/eniqma_k/archives/50708458.html), and so
the "white box" characteristic was no longer relevant.

[A shirobako nowadays](https://twitter.com/g1_bari/status/525673642424676352)

On a final side note: boxes for HDCAM are typically black-ish grey, so the
tape in the screenshot from the question is most likely a HDCAM tape.

* * *

Sources:

  * <http://tonarino-kawauso.com/wordpress/column01/>
  * [moto-neta.com/anime/shirobako/](http://moto-neta.com/anime/shirobako/)
  * [detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1185176891](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1185176891)
  * [img.animeanime.jp/imgs/thumb_h/44928.jpg](http://img.animeanime.jp/imgs/thumb_h/44928.jpg)


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