Inference Regarding Planned Future Digital Downloads

[JJ]

I was mulling over the subject whilst stuck on my commute home yesterday, and I got to thinking - exactly how does the plan for Digital Downloads work? I mean, there are a few points I was going over that didn't register upstairs, and I thought to myself I need them answered, so let's give it a try here.

How big would a movie download file be? If eventually all that is available are downloads, then for those enthusiasts of films - those of us with hundreds and thousands invested in Sound and Video equipment, will the quality still be there? The prospect of downloading a 50 GB file from the internet seems a bit folly - wouldn't it require massive hard drive space to store them? Space that not everybody would have?

And if what I have read that they are temporary, and that you pay, say $10 for a 14-day period as in XBox Live - is true, then that is incredulous. How could that be justified?

I don't see a future in which downloads could work, unless I've horribly missed something - I mean, with such enormous files, servers would crash, ISPs would be backed up, deer would roam the streets, and the world would come to an end. Not everyone has high speed internet too.

Did I miss something?

[Snowgod]

Now, Imagine everyone starts downloading the next Harry Potter film at the moment it is released. The internet would come to a screeching halt. No amount of load balancing would be enough.

[JJ]

Originally Posted by Snowgod

Now, Imagine everyone starts downloading the next Harry Potter film at the moment it is released. The internet would come to a screeching halt. No amount of load balancing would be enough.

Heck, when a highly anticipated trailer comes out, its bad enough.

[NutsAboutPS3]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

exactly how does the plan for Digital Downloads work?

It doesn't work, the whole thing is a non-starter, it's too expensive, too poor quality, and too inconvenient compared to other ways to view movies.

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

Did I miss something?

No

[JJ]

Originally Posted by NutsAboutPS3

It doesn't work, the whole thing is a non-starter, it's too expensive, too poor quality, and too inconvenient compared to other ways to view movies.


No

Good. That's what I thought. Then how did MS ever conjure up with this half-baked scheme?! Oy. I need a drink.

[181]

I think the problem is that you are assuming Microsoft comes up with good ideas. If you throw that assumption out, you have your answer.

[JJ]

Silly Microsoft. I need to learn from Windows Me and this silly Vista Im running.

[Kayne314]

I really don't think this kind of thing would work for High Definition. I have Video on demand for Standard definition, and even that is highly compressed video quality. I truly don't think the bandwidth exists to handle a 3 hour HD movie like POTC-AWE. And I cannot imagine people putting up with a 50Gb download. Even on high speed internet it would take 12 hours to download, if the connection doesn't choke.

Downloading compressed SD content for portable devices is already active, and I can see that expanding to TV use, but not for Home Theater Quality, and High Def. We'd need an entirely new internet infrastructure, and some new technology considerably faster than existing internet speeds. The costs would be so astronomical, I cannot see it being feasible for at least 15 to 20 years.

Of course, "640k should be enough for anybody".