Oh noes teh sky is falling!

[H.E. Pennypacker]

I think my wife and I have paid money to watch a film I didn't own and that wasn't streaming on Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime once. I'm not big on paying to watch a thing I won't get to personally keep (except theater experience).

I'm physical all the way.

[Cranston37]

Looking at the weekly disc sales numbers that came out yesterday, we have hit the lowest level since the early days of the format.

As I've said a few times on this board, the future of consuming movies at home will be the same way we consume music through Apple Music/Spotify/Google Play, etc. where you pay one monthly fee and have access to an entire catalog. You would pay say $19.99 a month to iTunes or Vudu or Amazon and just hit play on whatever you want.

[78deluxe]

Originally Posted by eiknarf

So perhaps the home video market is where the movie business will suffer.
Less people buying discs, less people stream-renting...

It seems Hollywood is safe when it comes to "theater going" (going to the movies on a Friday or Saturday night). Whether you're 17 going on a first date, or 40 taking an evening to relax, going to the movies probably won't change. Especially because the theaters are making it more of an experience (IMAX, Xplus, vibrating seats, 3D, large reclining seats, food delivered to your chair, better sound, 4D... etc)

With the ease of being able to rent movies right from your home tv (not needing to run to the video store), I'm just surprised that it's not the other way around.

You might want to look up the stats on that as well.

Yes, the blockbusters are making tons of money, but when you look at the "whole" you will see a fairly different picture of the current state of moving going.

[Rich1631]

piracy is a huge cause to the fall of the home video market. I don't kno anybody who actually buys movies besides me. They all download stuff illegally.

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by Rich1631

piracy is a huge cause to the fall of the home video market. I don't kno anybody who actually buys movies besides me. They all download stuff illegally.

It's incredibly commonplace among young people where it's just seen as the way to go about watching movies/TV shows. Putlocker has become just as synonymous with viewing as Netflix tbh.

[eiknarf]

Originally Posted by Rich1631

piracy is a huge cause to the fall of the home video market. I don't kno anybody who actually buys movies besides me. They all download stuff illegally.

It's ironic that these movies cost so frikkin much money to make, and this generation of kids just watch it on their laptops after downloading em from bit torrents.

But maybe that's too simplistic a statement.

I just think there's so many ways to watch movies now, that every market is naturally thinner:
Renting Discs.
Renting via OnDemand through Cable.
Renting via Netflix.
Renting via Hulu.
Renting via Amazon.
Watching via iTunes.
On a laptop, tablet, computer, TV
..

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Arch Stanton

It's incredibly commonplace among young people where it's just seen as the way to go about watching movies/TV shows. Putlocker has become just as synonymous with viewing as Netflix tbh.

I think services like Crackle have really put a dent in it as well.

[Rich1631]

The piracy things sucks. My father, brother, girlfriend, her family, my colleagues, my friends...99% will do illegal downloads. And they don't even seem to care about quality. They look at me like I'm crazy when I buy a bluray. And all of them have the mentality of rather having it for free and the quality is just "ok" then paying for something and have it look great.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Rich1631

The piracy things sucks. My father, brother, girlfriend, her family, my colleagues, my friends...99% will do illegal downloads. And they don't even seem to care about quality. They look at me like I'm crazy when I buy a bluray. And all of them have the mentality of rather having it for free and the quality is just "ok" then paying for something and have it look great.

That's absolutely terrifying. I hope I never have to eat a meal they cook or ride in one of their vehicles.

[tenia]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Consumers just do not care much about this market.

Consumers indeed get Netflix or Hulu, Gfk should have specified the share of streaming subscriptions instead of only focusing on renting and buying. Maybe it's in the full study, but they just disclose the infographics instead, so who knows.

It would also be interesting to put this in front of the BD figures, since most likely 2/3 of the consumers never bought one BD.

‘Tis a pity market research companies don’t make / publish this type of figures, because THAT’s what’s interesting. Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of meaningless figures. For instance, in the US, do these companies take into account video consoles with BD-playback capabilities as part of the available households for BD market shares ? I know in France, they don’t. It’s unfortunate, since this actually doubles (in the worst case) the available households.

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

I hope I never have to eat a meal they cook or ride in one of their vehicles.

They probably eat regular stuff and drive a regular car. I don't see where the problem is.

[eiknarf]

For me, and the average person my age, putting in a physical disc (powering up the player... plopping a disc in) will always give me/us a sense of, "This is an event. We're about to experience a movie". It makes it feel special.
That's obviously because of our happy experience growing up with any of the physical formats from VHS through Blu-ray being "MOVIE NIGHT" in many a home.

I don't feel that when clicking a title via Cable "On Demand" or when clicking a title to watch through Amazon Instant Video on our Smart TV. It's like, I don't take it as seriously.

So the lesson we take from it, is, it's our childhood and adolescence experiences that shaped our current love for physical.
Kids today won't grow up with that as much. They will grow up with clicking files and virtual titles on a screen to play a movie

[Crimson King]

I miss not being able to browse sections like I used to.
With the dedicated media stores pretty much gone, I miss the thrill of the hunt.
I miss the arcades as well.
Yes, some great media prices can be had online for sure, it's still just not the same as the good ol' days.

[balthazar_bee]

Originally Posted by tenia

They probably eat regular stuff and drive a regular car. I don't see where the problem is.

Well, you know how Wilde said that cynics know "the price of everything and the value of nothing"? I think the problem is that we've reached a point where the so-called "average digital consumer" knows not the cost, nor the price. Technology has an irresistible hold on people; they're as likely to willingly go back to paying as they are to using oil lanterns in their homes.

Moreover, unless feasible ways to conjure up money thru entertainment start to materialize in this here "sharing economy", we're going to see less professionally produced entertainment, period.

Basically, us buyers are subsidizing much of the illegal downloading going on. And the weird thing is that it's such a golden age for physical media. There's practically a deluge of awesome catalog titles being released. Just hope it's sustainable.

[GasmaskAvenger]

Originally Posted by Cranston37

Looking at the weekly disc sales numbers that came out yesterday, we have hit the lowest level since the early days of the format.

Did you see what came out in the last two weeks?

Absolutely nothing of importance.

Try again with next week's weekly disc sales numbers report.


As for pirating movies...I find absolutely no use of it unless its something super obscure, long out of print and/or not readily available on blu-ray anywhere in the world (like that Mario Van Peebles/Anthony Hickox movie "Full Eclipse").

[Majin Blu]

Originally Posted by GasmaskAvenger

Did you see what came out in the last two weeks?

Absolutely nothing of importance.

Try again with next week's weekly disc sales numbers report.

Yeah, it'll rise again once CA: Civil War drops.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by GasmaskAvenger

Did you see what came out in the last two weeks?

Absolutely nothing of importance.

Try again with next week's weekly disc sales numbers report.

Exactly. There have only been a couple titles released in the month of August that I have actually wanted.

[hariseldon]

Originally Posted by Cranston37

Looking at the weekly disc sales numbers that came out yesterday, we have hit the lowest level since the early days of the format.

And a couple of months ago they were at their highest level since Avatar. Weekly numbers are essentially meaningless. Even YTD numbers were actually above the last the last 2+ years.

Pretty much like Baseball statistics -- this pitcher's been dominant lately with a 1.5 ERA over his last 3 appearances.

[gates70]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Variety reports today on a rather devastating study about digital purchasing. While disc sales are falling the market isn't really switching to buying movies digitally, or even renting them. Two-thirds of consumers have never once bought or even rented a streaming film, and the same amount never even bother activating their digital copies sold with discs. Consumers just do not care much about this market.

I assumed people were renting quite a bit and we were going back to a VHS style culture where most just rent and the hardcore buy. However according to this my college students reflect the entire consumer market, where if something isn't on peoples' streaming services they don't really watch it (or they pirate it). Scary future coming down the pipe, if you ask me. Luckily this report gives hope that a disc-based niche market has a lot of support (even if most aren't buying catalog material again after DVD).

I have approximately 1200 Blus and I never once activated one of my Digital copies. Not interested in supporting it either.

Originally Posted by Rich1631

The piracy things sucks. My father, brother, girlfriend, her family, my colleagues, my friends...99% will do illegal downloads. And they don't even seem to care about quality. They look at me like I'm crazy when I buy a bluray. And all of them have the mentality of rather having it for free and the quality is just "ok" then paying for something and have it look great.

Yup. Most people I know just want to see it and don't care how. They don't want to spend the money on something that can be had for free is what they say. They sure like watching movies in my HT when the occasion prevents itself though! They just wouldn't want to spend the money to build something like mine.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by tenia

Consumers indeed get Netflix or Hulu, Gfk should have specified the share of streaming subscriptions instead of only focusing on renting and buying. Maybe it's in the full study, but they just disclose the infographics instead, so who knows.

Well the point of the study was to examine movie ownership and renting specifically, not subscription services. We all know Netflix and such are popular, the question is are people dropping DVD/BD for Vudu, iTunes and whatnot? The answer seems to be no, which is interesting. Everything will be a monthly sub eventually it seems.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by gates70

I never once activated one of my Digital copies. Not interested in supporting it either.

Me either.