Blu-rays are 8 years old and DVDs still cling to them like a cancerous tumor. Why?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Blu-Dog

That's not an indicator. You mentioned the two large successes so far this year, and both are for the younger demographic that isn't the same one that buys players, televisions, or are calling out for the movie in Blu, 4K, or anything else.

The problem is demographics. The content producers either have to have big sales across the spectrum of the full consumer base, or more very large sales within a specific demographic, week after week. Two hits don't make a trend, and we didn't see a trend with those two films.

They need more content, and since they've decided to make that seasonal (summer and the holiday season), there will be huge peaks and valleys. "Hit it out of the park" doesn't win the game. It has to be more steady, or the nervous types will be sweating for at least half of every year.

Win what game? I have already won my personal game. 60 blurays per year on my shelf ready to watch with the next 60 on order for the end of the year. All bluray, all pristine quality, all devoured within the next two years. Rinse and repeat. That's the only stat I'm interested in at the moment. Oh and a few select 4k titles will come in handy as well. Yummy!

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

It's that we'll see less of an investment in catalog material, restorations, extras, special features and deluxe packaging.

I think with restoration, given the push for 4K, this will continue.

[bruceames]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

Through 4/19 in the U.S. (cumulatively for the calendar year), Blu-ray is up 5.84% in units but only 1.66% in dollars. Last year at the same time, BD was up 24.88% in dollars. While it's natural for the rate of growth to decline as a business matures, this is too big a falloff.

You have to put the Q1 2013 growth in perspective before calling 2014 "too big a falloff". Growth was up 28% last year largely because the box office value of the releases were up 31%. In other words, it was a huge quarter because the releases in Q1 2012 sucked.

So given that Q1 2013 was especially strong, this year being up "only" 1.66% is really not that bad.

[Tok]

Blu-ray fans just need to learn to ignore the pessimists.

Most of them are still probably upset they backed HD DVD and are just looking for a way to make BD fans feel insecure.

Blu-ray isn't going anywhere. With the vast majority of big catalog titles already released, Blu is going to go up and down with the BO results that preceded it. It's the new releases that will drive its success and failure going forward.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Tok

Blu-ray fans just need to learn to ignore the pessimists.

In many cases BD fans are the pessimists.

Do people secure about the future of their preferred format piss and moan because distributors won't stop selling stuff on other formats? Seriously, how many times has something to the effect of 'studios need to kill DVD already' been posted here (and by 'here' I don't just mean in this thread)?

It's silly.

[Infernal King]

This thread was made to be trolled.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by octagon

Seriously, how many times has something to the effect of 'studios need to kill DVD already' been posted here (and by 'here' I don't just mean in this thread)?

It's silly.

People are still buying VHS tapes on Amazon

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by octagon

In many cases BD fans are the pessimists.

Do people secure about the future of their preferred format piss and moan because distributors won't stop selling stuff on other formats? Seriously, how many times has something to the effect of 'studios need to kill DVD already' been posted here (and by 'here' I don't just mean in this thread)?

It's silly.

Understand your point but sometimes it's justified. For example, not being able to buy a movie on bluray but the desired title being readily available in HD on some streaming service. That's just beyond frustrating.

I have no strong feelings in regards to making DVD obsolete. After all, I bought hundreds of movies on DVD and enjoyed such delights as The Wicker Man, Oldboy and Trick R Treat for the first time on the format. I'm all for progress though and that is why I have invested vast amounts of money into bluray and home cinema.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Understand your point but sometimes it's justified. For example, not being able to buy a movie on bluray but the desired title being readily available in HD on some streaming service. That's just beyond frustrating.

Readily available in HD on some streaming service? I'm confused.

I thought HD via streaming was a scam. I thought HD via streaming was pixelated crap plagued with compression artifacts and subject to random dropouts and interruptions. I thought HD via streaming was nothing more than cheap and nasty muppet food.

I'm quite certain I've read all that somewhere.

And if that's all true I can't imagine why a discerning videophile concerned with quality above all else would care at all about glorified DVD upconverts let alone find their existence 'beyond frustrating'.

[Penton-Man]

Are we still on this thing?

Sony has been talking about ‘contraction’ of the physical media market for years….at least since 2012 or 2011 (just google ‘Sony contraction of physical storage media’ and read some of their past SEC filings), so, this is really nothing new, just further tweaking of the corporations’ profit forecast in terms of fiscal guidance to shareholders and investors….yet Blu-ray keeps chugging along.

Worst case scenario, in the long-term future, consumers will be purchasing all of their Sony 1080p BD’s out of India - http://www.sonydadc.co.in/corporate-video.html and/or Shanghai -
http://www.sonydadc.com/en/news/pres...p-in-china-50/

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by octagon

Readily available in HD on some streaming service? I'm confused.

I thought HD via streaming was a scam. I thought HD via streaming was pixelated crap plagued with compression artifacts and subject to random dropouts and interruptions. I thought HD via streaming was nothing more than cheap and nasty muppet food.

I'm quite certain I've read all that somewhere.

And if that's all true I can't imagine why a discerning videophile concerned with quality above all else would care at all about glorified DVD upconverts let alone find their existence 'beyond frustrating'.

You have missed my point by looking for a confrontation. All I am saying is, why should a HD version of a movie be available via streaming/downloading and NOT bluray? Is that not a big kick in the teeth to videophiles?

Your reply baffles me. Especially the first paragraph.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

You have missed my point by looking for a confrontation. All I am saying is, why should a HD version of a movie be available via streaming/downloading and NOT bluray? Is that not a big kick in the teeth to videophiles?

Your reply baffles me. Especially the first paragraph.

You and other self-styled quality mavens have gone and on and on about how HD streaming isn't really HD. HD streams are basically glorified upscales, right?

That's a pretty common refrain in these parts, isn't it?

So why should videophiles care whether some poor substitute for real HD is available via streaming or not?

What difference does that make to us? It's not like HBO making Carnivale available on Amazon Prime is going to have any effect whatsoever on a possible BD release.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by octagon

You and other self-styled quality mavens have gone and on and on about how HD streaming isn't really HD. HD streams are basically glorified upscales, right?

That's a pretty common refrain in these parts, isn't it?

So why should videophiles care whether some poor substitute for real HD is available via streaming or not?

What difference does that make to us?

Because it sends the wrong message out. What about people who have a bluray player but are not fanatics or as keen on high quality? Maybe they have a ps3 or ps4 and occasionally enjoy a bluray. Are they going to know that a HD download or whatever crap it's called now is not anywhere close to bluray quality? No, they are not. They will just see that a title is available in HD and not on bluray and go the streaming route. The more that happens, the more people will abandon the format. Many people will have a bluray player and a ipad etc.. If they see that a title available on itunes In HD that is not available on bluray we have a lost sale. I can give you several examples of films available on streaming that are not on bluray. It's wrong and it needs to be corrected IMO.

By the way, I am talking EST

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Because it sends the wrong message out. What about people who have a bluray player but are not fanatics or as keen on high quality? Maybe they have a ps3 or ps4 and occasionally enjoy a bluray. Are they going to know that a HD download or whatever crap it's called now is not anywhere close to bluray quality? No, they are not. They will just see that a title is available in HD and not on bluray and go the streaming route. The more that happens, the more people will abandon the format. Many people will have a bluray player and a ipad etc.. If they see that a title available on itunes In HD that is not available on bluray we have a lost sale. I can give you several examples of films available on streaming that are not on bluray. It's wrong and it needs to be corrected IMO.

Not sure why you get so upset at people who like quality so much? Does it offend you?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Because it sends the wrong message out. What about people who have a bluray player but are not fanatics or as keen on high quality? Maybe they have a ps3 or ps4 and occasionally enjoy a bluray. Are they going to know that a HD download or whatever crap it's called now is not anywhere close to bluray quality? No, they are not. They will just see that a title is available in HD and not on bluray and go the streaming route. The more that happens, the more people will abandon the format. Many people will have a bluray player and a ipad etc.. If they see that a title available on itunes In HD that is not available on bluray we have a lost sale. I can give you several examples of films available on streaming that are not on bluray. It's wrong and it needs to be corrected IMO.

By the way, I am talking EST

There are a lot of reasons films like Out of the Past or Murder, My Sweet might show up on Amazon Prime but not be available on BD. One obvious possibility is the available materials aren't quite up to BD standards. There are a lot of older masters floating around that wouldn't make for particularly good BDs but are perfectly adequate for broadcast or streaming.

Should studios just sit on those materials and refuse to make them available in any media? Or should they just slap whatever they have on BD and call it a day?

Do videophiles really come out ahead in either of those cases?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by octagon

There are a lot of reasons films like Out of the Past or Murder, My Sweet might show up on Amazon Prime but not be available on BD. One obvious possibility is the available materials aren't quite up to BD standards. There are a lot of older masters floating around that wouldn't make for particularly good BDs but are perfectly adequate for broadcast or streaming.

Should studios just sit on those materials and refuse to make them available in any media? Or should they just slap whatever they have on BD and call it a day?

Do videophiles really come out ahead in either of those cases?

But that would be ignoring the many recent movies that have received a dvd transfer but no Bluray release. The very same titles that are available to buy online in HD. Or are you disputing that fact as well?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

But that would be ignoring the many recent movies that have received a dvd transfer but no Bluray release. The very same titles that are available to buy online in HD. Or are you disputing that fact as well?

I don't pay that much attention to recent movies and the ones I do notice tend to be fairly high profile.

Is there some shortage of new movies on BD?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by octagon

I don't pay that much attention to recent movies and the ones I do notice tend to be fairly high profile.

Is there some shortage of new movies on BD?

A handful that I would like, yes. Absolutely.

[blonde_devil]

oh my god, this is mutating into a streaming vs physical media thread. People, it's all business - they are going to do whatever makes them the most cash for the least cost. If that means dvd, then it is dvd; if streaming is cheaper, they throw it on Netflix. Why do people want just one format with home video, especially in this day and age? The rest of the business world seems fine with having choices. I can't believe people hate a little round piece of plastic this much.

[pentatonic]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

A handful that I would like, yes. Absolutely.

I guess one common idea that is put forward by the "pro-BD" clan (though we all are pro-BD, but you get the point ) is that BD will live on as it makes the studios a huge wad of cash. By that logic it stands to reason that if some titles aren't on BD, I would assume is they don't think it would be a fruitful venture to release them on the format, otherwise it wouldn't make any sense wouldn't it?

Just a thought