Oh noes teh sky is falling!

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Well, I purchased a Roku 2 XS but then again I must not be in my right mind to do so.

well I guess realizing that is a good first step

I didn't need another BD player taking up more space.

I don't get your point. is the issue the BD logo, or t6he few inches or fraction of inches differences between the two devices? I could understand someone saying I want a smart TV because it looks neater then having a player on a shelf/piece of furniture and cable going from it to the TV, but once you have one stand alone device or an other, does it make a difference, would the room really become very crowded with a device that is much less then 1/12th of a cubic foot difference?

By the way, did you noticed the reviews for most of the links you posted?

yes except for some stupid ones (like the guy POed that he has to pay for Netflix because he thought it would be free with the device) they tend to be positive.

Let me guess, you've never even tried a Roku. The Roku interface is snappier than a lot of streaming interfaces on other systems. Not to mention it's been around much longer than most other systems. I can't speak for systems which were released within the last year or so though.

no, I have used and seen the Roku, Unlike you(since you admit you have not tried any BD systems for over a year) , I don't make comments based on ignorant fan boy loyalty

As for Roku existing for a long time, I know, I agree and I did not say that when it came out it did not make sense. In early 2008 there were not a lot of choices for people that wanted to stream video without a PC. But we are not 2008 but at the end of 2012 when every console can be used to stream video (360 - end of 2008, PS3 - 2009, Wii -2010) most new TVs are connected (I think the first ones came out in 2010) and many inexpensive BD players (much cheaper then the Roku). If you don't want to admit the reality of today and that the guy making a purchasing decision for watching streaming video does not care about early 2008 but does care about today’s options, then keep sticking your fanboy head in the sand but don't act as if others don't know what they are talking about.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by steve1971

Smart tv's aint going to flop and neither is 3D. Whether people like it or not both are here to stay. Manufacturer's are incorperating both features in their tv's more and more and I doubt it is going to stop anytime soon.

agree, they add little to cost and a manufacturer can't afford to lose a sale on a cheap feature.

[KRW1]

I still buy 90% of my music on vinyl. I don't have any problems buying recent releases. I imagine blurays and DVDs will still be around long after I'm gone.

I didn't know what a Roku was until I read this thread but I've got netflix on my PS3 so can't imagine what I'd need one for. It has a terrible, terrible name. I can imagine the meeting.

'Roku', see, it's like 'Rock You' like that Queen song, yeah? Only without the 'we will' but, but its implied. How does that idea feel sliding down your mind chute?'

[steve1971]

I would rather stream movies through my smart tv or Blu ray player but I have considered a Roku just for doing the streaming duties alone. But right now I aint in no hurry to get one.

[nycomet]

Can you post a lonk to the article in which the statement from the Roku CEO was made?

I use Vudu often and its HDX streaming files do indeed look very good. Sound is good too. But the PQ and AQ is still not the same as a blu-ray.

[Blu Titan]

Roku, Hulu, ect...they will promote their own interests. Digital delivery is a mess as you never actually own anything...and that is what they want believe me. There will always be a strong market for customers who desired to actually own movies (disc media). Of course the studios and other content providers would rather sell "rights".

[prerich]

Without lossless audio...streaming video is useless to me. Hooray Blu-ray!!!!

[krazeyeyez]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Roku, Hulu, ect...they will promote their own interests. Digital delivery is a mess as you never actually own anything...and that is what they want believe me. There will always be a strong market for customers who desired to actually own movies (disc media). Of course the studios and other content providers would rather sell "rights".

Granted this makes it sound as if roku competes with bluray but if you have ever used it.... it seems more a competition/replacement to cable rather then owning. The only people this might sway away from ownership are those that don't collect of buy much anyways.
If they ever get hbo go.... see yah later cable.
Now i can't iimagine life without my roku and blu-ray player.

[sinister184]

I have subscriptions to netflix, hulu, XBL, Amazon Prime, etc. As someone who watches A LOT of digital media. Mainly just cause its really convenient, especially for tv shows; no busting out multiple season sets and looking through disc menu's to find that one episode i wanna watch. However, when i can afford to, i always buy physical media. I love my tangible collections.

[Steedeel]

in future, we may have situation where for the first time, film fans can no longer watch films at home. streaming relies on Wi-fi, if someone cannot get a solid connection and suffers drop outs and connection problems, that leaves them without the means to watch a movie without stutters or problems.

[Blu Titan]

Disc sales (Blu-ray & DVD) in the first 3 quarters of 2012 are up 1% over 2011, while Blu-ray continues overtake DVD. Blu-ray will be here long after Roku disappears.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by morriscroy

If this scenario ever comes to pass, most likely I'll just find something else to do than watch tv shows or movies.

Having loved films all my life, that would be almost unbearable for me. But that is the future we face with cloud/streaming. Everyone can buy a dvd player or bluray player, not everyone can rely on solid Internet connection. That will still be the case many years from now.

[steve1971]

The only interest I have in Roku is Vudu and until Sony includes it on my tv's streaming apps it may be the only way to go. Yea I could buy a new Blu ray player that has Vudu but it aint enough justification to replace my S570 for just one streaming app.

[MrJoeKalel]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Roku, Hulu, ect...they will promote their own interests. Digital delivery is a mess as you never actually own anything...and that is what they want believe me. There will always be a strong market for customers who desired to actually own movies (disc media). Of course the studios and other content providers would rather sell "rights".

I still find it odd that Americans will be OK with not owning the 'physical' movie, and that they will be OK with not having even a digital copy in their computers.

As for me? Well, I like collecting, plus, blu-ray (we can assume) is the medium that gives us the best quality for a film. We don't have to worry about bandwidth or connections being slow, which dampens quality.

[Flatnate]

It will be interesting to see if some current court rulings in regards to DRM, and issues over your owning the content stored on devices will help bolster physical media sales as well. I find it alarming that Amazon can wipe my Kindle, or that I can purchase a movie on Amazon, only to find myself unable to watch it if licensing agreements go south. I don't mind streaming television but I will continue to buy physical media on multiple formats for a long time.

[krazeyeyez]

Originally Posted by Flatnate

It will be interesting to see if some current court rulings in regards to DRM, and issues over your owning the content stored on devices will help bolster physical media sales as well. I find it alarming that Amazon can wipe my Kindle, or that I can purchase a movie on Amazon, only to find myself unable to watch it if licensing agreements go south. I don't mind streaming television but I will continue to buy physical media on multiple formats for a long time.

Thats why you stream not purchase digitally. I would never buy anything digitally but as far as a vod/cable alternative roku makes it easy to access everything from netflix to hulu to play on, vudu etc... its a great addition to any media center and very affordable. I have got to watch a ton of stuff i would never have bought, would have cost me thousands if i had, and would not watch again but it was nice to check out once. Mostly tv shows... not to mention the foteign flicks etc... i didnt wanna import as blind buys

[menaceuk]

This kind of thing gets said all the time and about many different entertainment mediums.

Anybody remember the more recent "Cloud gaming will kill next gen gaming systems" and all because of the new Onlive service which failed, big time and got sold.

Any body remember all the "Music CD's are dead" cause of MP3 Digitial distribution and yet they're still here same as Vinyl and how long after DVD did the VHS stop getting made ? Was like a decade.

Blu-ray will be here for a while. Not only is it currently the best Picture and Audio you can buy but Prices are falling on both Discs and Hardware.

4K is also right around the corner and Blu-ray already have discs for that increased Movie Size. How well do you think Streaming will do 4K .LOL.

[vargo]

Originally Posted by MrJoeKalel

I still find it odd that Americans will be OK with not owning the 'physical' movie, and that they will be OK with not having even a digital copy in their computers.

This is an enthusiast site. When you talk about the average consumer being OK with not owning physical media - most of the people you're talking about are not enthusiasts.

The average person doesnt care about building up a movie collection, it quickly becomes a waste of space. They just want to watch movies, one or two per week at most. And they prefer to watch new movies rather than rewatch old ones.

[menaceuk]

Originally Posted by vargo

This is an enthusiast site. When you talk about the average consumer being OK with not owning physical media - most of the people you're talking about are not enthusiasts.

The average person doesnt care about building up a movie collection, it quickly becomes a waste of space. They just want to watch movies, one or two per week at most. And they prefer to watch new movies rather than rewatch old ones.

Only 1 difference between "Regular" Folk & Enthusiasts and that is the size of the collection.

[Zeus Pater]

Originally Posted by vargo

This is an enthusiast site. When you talk about the average consumer being OK with not owning physical media - most of the people you're talking about are not enthusiasts.

The average person doesnt care about building up a movie collection, it quickly becomes a waste of space. They just want to watch movies, one or two per week at most. And they prefer to watch new movies rather than rewatch old ones.

I agree with menaceuk, only the size of the collection is different. The average person doesn't necessarily intend to build a movie collection but they still buy movies and TV show seasons.

There are different kinds of average people too beyond enthusiast, pretty diverse bunch and not just a collective consumerist group. There are people who watch the SD channel instead of the HD one because they don't know, don't care, or are too lazy to find it. Usually the older mom and dad types and the occasional spouse.

Then there are people who can't stand SD which is actually a lot of people. Especially sports, even among the older mom and dad types. Most of the people who buy blu rays are not enthusiasts either. Enthusiasts are a niche minority. Normal people are buying blu ray and blu ray players and the ones who do (normal people here) are usually very pleased with the image quality. I've also noticed normal people complain about how hollow and 'washy' their old mp3s sound. Something they didn't notice back in the 90s when we did but due to better speakers they now do.

Normal people do care about owning their favorite movies. Streaming will probably kill the TV market. And even though streaming has gotten better, not everybody has the bandwidth for the best quality. Even then it's significantly more compressed than a blu ray, both in video and audio. Normal people won't care as much, but they do care when movies disappear which is a huge problem for netflix. Digital is going to have to offer some sort of peace-of-mind against the principles of DRM. I wouldn't be surprised if most 'digital copies' downloaded are pirated rips and ironically often by the more tech-savvy who sometimes are considered enthusiasts.

The way I see it is blu ray will never 'kill' dvd. They will coexist and die together and are likely the last physical distribution format of films. I'm building a collection in confidence. Most of these films never looked this good especially old release prints. The 2k DI post films of the past decade can never really look much better. Diminishing returns. They look and sound about as good as they will ever.