No offense, the Interceptor, but I can't imagine how you came to this conclusion.
Simple, really. Watch the GT-R legend movies in GT-TV on a HD-capable tv. Then watch them on Youtube. While in the game you think you're looking through a window and you simply are there with the action, the Youtube experience is a constant fight of trying to see details that are important.
Eh...not exactly your best analogy. YouTube is more like driving the Dodge Viper with dirty glasses and a bit of wax in your ears.
You missed the point of my example. "Getting from A to B no matter what" means that you just want to watch the video. You don't care about how, you just want to have seen the content. If that's your goal, you won't care how and where you get to see it.
Now, you as an E30 fan will agree that your experiences in a drive in your car from Madison to Appleton will differ from those you will get in a Smart CDI diesel. I take it you recognize the difference, and you'd rather use your car for it. You decision is based on the assumption that a drive in your car would be more enjoyable and more fun, simply because the quality of driving is a higher standard and suits your personal preferences better.
And it's just the same thing with those two ways of getting your video footage. They both work, and technically, the result is the same. But the process itself will be so much better with GT-TV that the overall experience differs big time.
Personally, I don't care much about the resolution or quality of full motion video, especially with something like Top Gear. I mean, the videography is fantastic and all, and it's nice to have the option of high-quality video, but it just doesn't matter to me if I can't see Jeremy's nose hairs or hear every click of an engine's tappets. The reviews, jokes, and spectacular shots (pixelated they may be) are all the same.
Not really. High quality video material always gives you a better experience in every way. It's not about seeting JCs nose hair or spotting the dirt on the not perfectly cleaned car in the studio. HQ material watched on a proper tv includes the viewer much more and therefore changes the way you watch and enjoy those videos by quite an extent. If you say you personally don't need that you're very welcome to do so, but still, you shouldn't think it's the same thing.
That being said, the concept of GT-TV doesn't sound so bad, but there will ALWAYS be alternatives. Even if someone doesn't like YouTube, there's always torrents. If you had made this topic "GT-TV: Why It's Worth The Money," you'd have a point.
But Youtube, just like Torrents, are illegal. Like I said in another thread, I am not trying to prosecute anyone for downloading Top Gear via Torrents. It's your life and your responsibility. I just want you to understand that even if everybody does it and it is widely regarded as the only way to get your hands on TG in good quality, it doesn't become legal. And more importantly, it is not even near a valid argument for Polyphony against the BBC to offer Top Gear without paying license fees.
I agree with most you wrote in the original post, but using the "Piracy equals stealing" card is just wrong. When you steal something the original owner looses it, that's not what happens when you copy something, even if you don't have the rights to do so.
Imho, copyright piracy can never equal stealing.
I understand your point, but in the end, it's still piracy. The fact that I'm not actually stealing a very object rather than making a copy simply is down to the nature of said object.