Hard decision, but going all digital.

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by steedeel

people switching to digital just shows how easily human beings are exploited by marketing. not exploitation, stop over exaggerating. There are pros and cons for both, you pick and choose what meets your requirements. we now have a format that looks like it won’t last. format is lasting pretty good, your still reaching digital sales are only up by single digits which is very unhealthy at this early stage. its clear moving forward that streaming and buying digital content is the direction most if not all companies are focusing on but have not caught up to tech which is always upgrading, its slow because of the studios not the tech so, people have abandoned the best quality you can get, to invest in a clearly inferior format. For what? The ability to watch avengers on a 4 inch screen? Ummmmmm, great! :: clearly the best quality, yes...by a small margin, less than 10%. And your shot at watching content on different devices was weak, no one has 4inch phones anymore anyways

we also have a situation where control is about to be handed to the studios, so don’t be surprised to see films you own, censored and cut. Its happened to very few and the benefits have more than out weighed the studios mishaps

It is my opinion, that people who have switched to digital, are not true film fans.
you having an opinion is ok, but everyone knows...true films fans will definitely not be decided by you...or me. So lets not go there

i can’t say i’m sorry that digital hd growth seems to be grinding to a halt. well I’m sure you perceive your self to be much more than a “true” film fan so sorry your perception that digital is going bad is satisfying, im sure thats good for someone like you

You should be happy someone is watching the movie and enjoying their experience, doesn't matter the format or screen, its about being happy watching the movie with the people you love, Mr. True Film Fan

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Blu-ray and 4K movies were meant to be seen on a big screen, not on a 9" cellphones, laptops, iPads and so forth.

I watch digital HD and 4K on my phone, ipad, laptop, desktop, and 65inch Oled 4k, so maybe for you its meant to be on just one screen, but for others it meant to be on multiple.

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by Algonquin Native

For big action packed, sci-fi, or horror movies that are good I try to pick up the 4K but for cartoons and comedy and such I go digital. Also movies have gotten really really bad lately and I am buying less movies anyways. Just rent them first and buy only the good ones, that will save you a ton right there, since they're not many good ones nowadays. Also with blu-ray.com price history and price watch being gone a lot of people buy less I would say.

I notice I buy older movies now more, so maybe movies have gotten worse lately.
Renting before you buy and buying on sale is how I grew my collection, my secret sauce

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

I went all digital about 5 years ago and never looked back, can watch my content on all of my devices, free 4K upgrades, all stored on the cloud which makes it safer than my physical copy being damaged/lost/stolen. Physical sales haven’t been doing well for several years now, most people are shifting to digital & streaming. You still get people who want physical but all depends on what you want. I will say that some people on this site have a very old man “get off my lawn” approach when it comes to digital, don’t pay them any mind.

As for buying digital vs. streaming...I knew when Netflix came out that everyone else would jump on board and there would eventually be dozens of networks offering subscriptions. I just left cable and didn’t want to get into another monthly bill, also I don’t like shelling out money for content I don’t watch, and I cant afford subscriptions to 5 different services for the content I want so I ended up buying all of my content through itunes. Anything I want I just buy when its a good price. No subscriptions/advertisements, etc. You can price track it and pick it up when its on sale.

No one has ever stolen any of my discs and I have never lost any, either. I handle them carefully and I have never damaged any; they are pretty resilient. I have had less than 0.5% of my discs fail and they were all replaced free of charge by contacting either the retailer that sold them or by writing to the studio directly. I have been collecting movies on physical media for over 30 years and I have not lost anything to any cause whatsoever.

Again, I do not care what most people do nor should anyone else. Most people are fat in the U.S.; does that make being overweight desirable? People are shifting to subscription streaming; you know, one of those recurring monthly bills that you seem to dislike so much. Digital sales are essentially flat despite being accessible with every device from every location with internet service; it should be a sensation with all that going for it, but it still sells less than physical media does after several years of being on the market.

Subscription streaming is where the strong double digit growth lies, not with purchases. Subscription streaming is up 21.93% while purchases overall are down 11.82% as of the 2nd quarter of this year. Your "most people" just want cheap access to a lot of stuff; they do not want to buy much, if any, of it.

Most of my disc purchases include the digital copy, so I have the best of everything. I can watch 2.35 aspect ratio movies on my 5.6" screen phone and my 10" tablet whenever I choose. I have never done so because watching a movie on such tiny screens ruins the experience in my opinion. The only reason that I have begun to redeem any of my many digital codes is to have access to my content when visiting the homes of my friends or my family. I do not watch movies on small screens; I spent a large part of my life stuck with TVs no larger than 25" and I am not nostalgic to relive the tiny screen experience ever again.

Digital terms of service allow for your digital content to be deleted, edited, and censored at any time without any compensation. While this may not happen often, it does happen, it has happened, and even one such occurrence is enough of a reason for me to reject digital. What I buy on disc remains mine; no one can alter it for any reason. I expect everything that I purchase to be under my full control; I would never agree, even just in theory, to the terms that digital customers agree to with blind faith; I will not consent to a digital provider being able to delete or modify my purchases at their whim, no matter how often they actually do it.

[crackedknee]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

I watch digital HD and 4K on my phone, ipad, laptop, desktop, and 65inch Oled 4k, so maybe for you its meant to be on just one screen, but for others it meant to be on multiple.

I will dispute that you can watch 4K (or even HD) on your phone or even laptop. Unless you've got tech that exceeds what anyone else has (possibly on your desktop). Because the content will downconvert (usually to SD on a phone) to accommodate the signal, the processor, and the size of the screen (UHD not even necessary on a tiny screen). I'm not saying you can't stream there, but it's not UHD as the OLED (from your list I assume the only device that actually delivers UHD).

I agree these threads have the usual gang of "get off my lawn" proclamations that do and do not match reality of the tech. But steeldeel has a point in his post, especially with regards to editing/censorship (or worse, bungled scans) that can be applied at any time to a copy you don't control.

Also, these physical vs digital threads devolve into shouting matches between people with differing motives (I am paraphrasing Roger Ebert here):
1. people for whom movies are a way pass the time
2. people who care about the art of cinema

There may be varying degrees of the above, but I know people who are (usually) definitely one or the other. If only to pass the time, you're not going to care about how you watch it, just access (naturally going to want something like digital). If an art form, you are going to care about presentation, and naturally going to argue against downgrading the product. Because "quality" does not begin and end with simply accessing the film in whatever form you can get it (especially with movies, with emphasis on image and sound in many movies).

I submit that few people have infinite space to store multi-thousands of movies. I went to one of the house of an "old man" I know (a cinephile); his apartment was chockablock with DVDs (also some VHS and Betamax(!)) piled to the ceiling, in every available space.

The point being, if you view my collection next to me icon, you see I am more fully digital. I am on the move and could not store or bring with me a huge number of discs. I don't care for the average mainstream titles if they are digital or not, even if they get deleted or altered (I just won't watch if altered against my will). But I also buy physical discs when the art of the movie is important to me, and I want a more long-term version of the movie. I would never watch even my digital movies on a phone or laptop, but I treat cinema as an art, even if I do watch other items to pass the time.

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by Vilya

No one has ever stolen any of my discs and I have never lost any, either. I handle them carefully and I have never damaged any; they are pretty resilient. I have had less than 0.5% of my discs fail and they were all replaced free of charge by contacting either the retailer that sold them or by writing to the studio directly. I have been collecting movies on physical media for over 30 years and I have not lost anything to any cause whatsoever.

Again, I do not care what most people do nor should anyone else. Most people are fat in the U.S.; does that make being overweight desirable? People are shifting to subscription streaming; you know, one of those recurring monthly bills that you seem to dislike so much. Digital sales are essentially flat despite being accessible with every device from every location with internet service; it should be a sensation with all that going for it, but it still sells less than physical media does after several years of being on the market.

Most of my disc purchases include the digital copy, so I have the best of everything. I can watch 2.35 aspect ratio movies on my 5.6" screen phone and my 10" tablet whenever I choose. I have never done so because watching a movie on such tiny screens ruins the experience in my opinion. The only reason that I have begun to redeem any of my many digital codes is to have access to my content when visiting the homes of my friends or my family. I do not watch movies on small screens; I spent a large part of my life stuck with TVs no larger than 25" and I am not nostalgic to relive the tiny screen experience ever again.

Digital terms of service allow for your digital content to be deleted, edited, and censored at any time without any compensation. While this may not happen often, it does happen, it has happened, and even one such occurrence is enough of a reason for me to reject digital. What I buy on disc remains mine; no one can alter it for any reason. I expect everything that I purchase to be under my full control; I would never agree, even just in theory, to the terms that digital customers agree to with blind faith; I will not consent to a digital provider being able to delete or modify my purchases at their whim, no matter how often they actually do it.

Nobodys on your lawn grandpa, enjoy collecting plastic

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

Nobodys on your lawn grandpa, enjoy collecting plastic

I wondered when you would be reduced to just lobbing insults; it is the last refuge of the intellectually challenged.

This "grandpa" is just 57 years-old and he was capable enough of an old codger to retire at age 44. Are you on track to do as well?

Enjoy buying things that you do not own and have zero control over. Enjoy needing an ever more costly high speed internet service to access that content. You like recurring bills so much afterall.

My "plastic" comes with your beloved ephemeral digital codes, so I have all that you have and so much more besides. I truly own my content in the highest possible quality on an unchanging physical format in my actual possession. All you have is remote access to files controlled by the studios and digital providers; files that can be modified at any time. You gullibly agree to allow both studio and provider to screw you over at anytime and you think that you're the smartest guy in the room. You think that their shafting you infrequently makes the act of being shafted in the first place somehow acceptable. You own nothing with digital.

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by crackedknee

I will dispute that you can watch 4K (or even HD) on your phone or even laptop. Unless you've got tech that exceeds what anyone else has (possibly on your desktop). Because the content will downconvert (usually to SD on a phone) to accommodate the signal, the processor, and the size of the screen (UHD not even necessary on a tiny screen). I'm not saying you can't stream there, but it's not UHD as the OLED (from your list I assume the only device that actually delivers UHD).

I agree these threads have the usual gang of "get off my lawn" proclamations that do and do not match reality of the tech. But steeldeel has a point in his post, especially with regards to editing/censorship (or worse, bungled scans) that can be applied at any time to a copy you don't control.

Also, these physical vs digital threads devolve into shouting matches between people with differing motives (I am paraphrasing Roger Ebert here):
1. people for whom movies are a way pass the time
2. people who care about the art of cinema

There may be varying degrees of the above, but I know people who are (usually) definitely one or the other. If only to pass the time, you're not going to care about how you watch it, just access (naturally going to want something like digital). If an art form, you are going to care about presentation, and naturally going to argue against downgrading the product. Because "quality" does not begin and end with simply accessing the film in whatever form you can get it (especially with movies, with emphasis on image and sound in many movies).

I submit that few people have infinite space to store multi-thousands of movies. I went to one of the house of one of an "old man" (a cinephile); his apartment was chockablock with DVDs (also some VHS and Betamax(!)) piled to the ceiling, in every available space.

The point being, if you view my collection next to me icon, you see I am more fully digital. I am on the move and could not store or bring with me a huge number of discs. I don't care for the average mainstream titles if they are digital or not, even if they get deleted or altered (I just won't watch if altered against my will). But I also buy physical discs when the art of the movie is important to me, and I want a more long-term version of the movie. I would never watch even my digital movies on a phone or laptop, but I treat cinema as an art, even if I do watch other items to pass the time.

Sony’s new flagship now had 4K OLED HDR 21:9 Cinema Wide UHDhttps://www.sonymobile.com/us/products/phones/xperia-1/

I do agree that 4K on tablets/phones doesn't really matter, you cant tell the difference in resolution at that size between 3K & 4K but the HDR is noticeable. Tech will eventually get better and more affordable where that may change.

As far as censorship/altering I honestly don’t know of any in my collection other than Star Wars that have been altered. As far as studios in control goes I’ve seen a good change with my upgrades to 4K. I do agree I don't like giving that power to studios but I don’t see signs that they will do anything crazy, it may hurt there future sales.

I like to watch my movies on my TV when I want to be immersed but sometimes I want to watch content on the go so it just works for me. Your digital collection is savage. How long since you started?

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I wondered when you would be reduced to just lobbing insults; it is the last refuge of the intellectually challenged.

This "grandpa" is just 57 years-old and he was capable enough of an old codger to retire at age 44. Are you on track to do as well?

Enjoy buying things that you do not own and have zero control over. Enjoy needing an ever more costly high speed internet service to access that content.

My "plastic" comes with your beloved ephemeral digital codes, so I have all that you have and so much more besides. I truly own my content in the highest possible quality on an unchanging physical format in my actual possession. All you have is remote access to files controlled by the studios and digital providers; files that can be modified at any time. You gullibly agree to allow both studio and provider to screw you over at anytime and you think that you're the smartest guy in the room. You own nothing with digital.

I’m sure you have a lot of time to wonder, yes you do own it. I can see you in the corner holding on to it screaming”MINE!” But hey man, don’t worry. Your 100% right, anyone else is wrong. No one will go on your lawn 👍🏻

[crackedknee]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

Sony’s new flagship now had 4K OLED HDR 21:9 Cinema Wide UHDhttps://www.sonymobile.com/us/products/phones/xperia-1/

I do agree that 4K on tablets/phones doesn't really matter, you cant tell the difference in resolution at that size between 3K & 4K but the HDR is noticeable. Tech will eventually get better and more affordable where that may change.

As far as censorship/altering I honestly don’t know of any in my collection other than Star Wars that have been altered. As far as studios in control goes I’ve seen a good change with my upgrades to 4K. I do agree I don't like giving that power to studios but I don’t see signs that they will do anything crazy, it may hurt there future sales.

I like to watch my movies on my TV when I want to be immersed but sometimes I want to watch content on the go so it just works for me. Your digital collection is savage. How long since you started?

I can see HDR being something that might be helpful, though I am not totally convince by HD with HDR that I have seen (the UHD yes).

Yes, already the streaming tech is catching up, even in the last year give or take. Eventually delivered Mps speeds will equal disc, BUT: not every locale has that infrastructure (I am optimal in my set-up, with my speeds dropping at lowest to 140mps.

That doesn't mean there aren't problems. If the signal service DOES get slowed for a few hours, the various streaming services will use their adaptive features to downgrade my stream (in the case of Vudu, HDR drops out or if bad will crash, in the case of FN, video/audio drop-outs or if bad will crash).

Censorship/alteration is a definite thing, check this site for an idea of how it works (any people might buy a disc from another country):
https://www.movie-censorship.com/
Naturally you would be stuck with the version provided if digital, and could be changed after you bought it at studio whim.

My collection was started pretty shortly after joining this site, pretty much all of it comes from this site, about just under 5 years of putting it together.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

I’m sure you have a lot of time to wonder, yes you do own it. I can see you in the corner holding on to it screaming”MINE!” But hey man, don’t worry. Your 100% right, anyone else is wrong. No one will go on your lawn ����

I do not need to "scream" the obvious. If it is not in your possession, then you do not own it.

Your purchase choices do not impact mine, so I do not care what choice you make for yourself. I told the OP at the start of this thread to do what they deem to be best for them and that still stands.

Even I redeem some of the digital codes that come with my discs as I see the value in having access while away from home. I also subscribe to a couple of streaming services and I rent video on demand from Vudu. I use all of these because I see their benefits and I also see their limitations.

The only thing that I am not doing is making digital purchases by themselves as I see them as a bad deal. A disc purchase typically gives me two or three ways to watch the movie; the extra disc and the code are just limited use bonuses.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Blu-ray and 4K movies were meant to be seen on a big screen, not on a 9" cellphones, laptops, iPads and so forth.

I’m watching my digital movies on a 58” 4K Dolby Vision/HDR10 TV with an Onkyo Dolby Atmos/DTS X sound system through Apple TV 4K and XBox One S.

Dolby Vision is beautiful and coupled with Atmos is even sweeter. I wish the One S could output DV for discs so I could enjoy DTS X with DV.

[crackedknee]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Digital terms of service allow for your digital content to be deleted, edited, and censored at any time without any compensation. While this may not happen often, it does happen, it has happened, and even one such occurrence is enough of a reason for me to reject digital. What I buy on disc remains mine; no one can alter it for any reason. I expect everything that I purchase to be under my full control; I would never agree, even just in theory, to the terms that digital customers agree to with blind faith; I will not consent to a digital provider being able to delete or modify my purchases at their whim, no matter how often they actually do it.

He is right about the terms though. There is no codified law covering the digital content, except as pertains to terms of agreement linked to other laws. And in the case of Hollywood movie studio big business, they are going to revert to the terms whenever they think it will benefit themselves (not the customer).

This is, then, where the censorship/alteration after the fact comes into play. A couple famous examples would Fantasia (correct me if I'm wrong, but a brief scene with the unicorns is zoomed to de-emphasis that one is white and the other is black, i.e. race) and Song of the South (obtainable in Europe, not obtainable in the US). Another example is Eyes Wide Shut, version I saw in Europe was uncut, apparently the US version has a digital figure inserted to obscure one naked female, so the movie could be rated R in the US instead of NC-17.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by crackedknee

Yes, already the streaming tech is catching up, even in the last year give or take. Eventually delivered Mps speeds will equal disc, BUT: not every locale has that infrastructure (I am optimal in my set-up, with my speeds dropping at lowest to 140mps.

Netflix streams 4K content at a bitrate of just 16 Mbps; Vudu at 15 Mbps. A 100gb 4K disc can offer a bitrate as high as 128 Mbps; the average is usually in the 80+ Mbps range. Thus, streaming would have to increase their bitrate more than five fold in order to match the bitrate average of a 4K disc. That's not likely to happen.

Increasing bitrates five fold would shatter the data caps that many people have to endure from their ISP. Streaming that much more data would cause both the streaming services and the internet service providers to increase their prices substantially.

There is also no real need for any of the streaming providers to increase their bitrates as their customers, by and large, are already content with the quality that they are receiving now.

Better codecs could benefit both streaming and physical media, but higher bitrates would still have to be a part of the equation and transmitting more data means spending more money.

[rui no onna]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

I watch digital HD and 4K on my phone, ipad, laptop, desktop, and 65inch Oled 4k, so maybe for you its meant to be on just one screen, but for others it meant to be on multiple.

Technically, iTunes only sends the 1080p version to iPhones. Same for most iPads except Pro 3rd gen, I think. However, I do believe the 1080p stream is in HDR (when available) on iOS devices which support wider color gamut.

I often watch on the iPad (during long car trips, overseas travel, blackouts, etc) so I do appreciate that new movies are Blu-ray+Digital. Also, the Vudu Disc 2 Digital program especially for titles that port to Movies Anywhere. I create my own 1:1 MKV rips, too, but the iTunes/Vudu/Amazon/Google Play versions are my offsite backup.

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

I do agree that 4K on tablets/phones doesn't really matter, you cant tell the difference in resolution at that size between 3K & 4K but the HDR is noticeable. Tech will eventually get better and more affordable where that may change.

I have an iPad Pro 12.9" (2732*2048) and the increase in resolution was surprisingly noticeable (sharper). Not as much as DVD to 1080p but it's still noticeable. 11" and below, I can't tell the difference between 2K and 4K. Mind, perceived size of the 12.9" iPad at 2 ft away is around the same as 70" 16:9 TV at 12 ft.

[crackedknee]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Netflix streams 4K content at a bitrate of just 16 Mbps; Vudu at 15 Mbps. A 100gb 4K disc can offer a bitrate as high as 128 Mbps; the average is usually in the 80+ Mbps range. Thus, streaming would have to increase their bitrate more than five fold in order to match the bitrate average of a 4K disc. That's not likely to happen.

Increasing bitrates five fold would shatter the data caps that many people have to endure from their ISP. Streaming that much more data would cause both the streaming services and the internet service providers to increase their prices substantially.

There is also no real need for any of the streaming providers to increase their bitrates as their customers, by and large, are already content with the quality that they are receiving now.

Better codecs could benefit both streaming and physical media, but higher bitrates would still have to be a part of the equation and transmitting more data means spending more money.

Headed out the door so a quick post only, but didn't we already cover some of this? You're referencing the minimums, which have already changed from 1 year ago (when the minimum was 8MPS for 4K)

Also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbKCZpQN72c[/ame]"]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbKCZpQN72c

Where we were discussing where do we get the info about the tech in this thead:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=320087

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by crackedknee

Headed out the door so a quick post only, but didn't we already cover some of this? You're referencing the minimums, which have already changed from 1 year ago (when the minimum was 8MPS for 4K)

Also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbKCZpQN72c"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbKCZpQN72c[/URL]

Where we were discussing where do we get the info about the tech in this thead:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=320087

The video that you embedded only applies to Apple 4K TV and their bitrates are the best among streaming, approaching 30 Mbps, but that is still a far cry from that of a 4K disc. Vincent Teoh does point out a number of instances where compression artifacts are visible even with Apple 4K TV.

The bitrates for Netflix and Vudu still stand at 16 and 15 Mbps respectively; these are not minimums- this is as good as it gets with either of them. Remember, Netflix still only recommends a 25 Mbps internet connection for their 4K content and Vudu still recommends just 11 Mbps- these recommendations have not changed in years.

"The max I could ever get Netflix to pull down was 16000 kbps."

https://www.howtogeek.com/338983/how...s-netflix-use/

^The article is from Jan. 2018, but I have found nothing to suggest that anything has changed since then. Netflix's, and Vudu's, streaming recommendations were the same then as they are right now, which also suggests that nothing has changed.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

People switching to digital just shows how easily human beings are exploited by marketing. We now have a format that looks like it won’t last. Digital sales are only up by single digits which is very unhealthy at this early stage. So, people have abandoned the best quality you can get, to invest in a clearly inferior format. For what? The ability to watch Avengers on a 4 inch screen? Ummmmmm, great! ::

We also have a situation where control is about to be handed to the studios, so don’t be surprised to see films you own, censored and cut.

It is my opinion, that people who have switched to digital, are not true film fans.

I can’t say I’m sorry that Digital HD growth seems to be grinding to a halt.

I only take exception to the part that I underlined. I can in no way pretend that I know how much of a film fan that someone else is, yet alone whether or not they are "true" film fans, whatever that even means.

I am inclined to believe that anyone who purchases movies is a significant fan of them. Digital customers likely buy their movies with the same enthusiasm and confidence that I do with my disc purchases.

I think their confidence in digital is misplaced, but I can not question their motivation and their love of film just because they choose a different format. They are doing what they feel is best for them, as am I, and our mutual love of movies is the one great thing that we all have in common despite all of the other differences and nuances that we debate here on these forums.

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by rui no onna

Technically, iTunes only sends the 1080p version to iPhones. Same for most iPads except Pro 3rd gen, I think. However, I do believe the 1080p stream is in HDR (when available) on iOS devices which support wider color gamut.

I often watch on the iPad (during long car trips, overseas travel, blackouts, etc) so I do appreciate that new movies are Blu-ray+Digital. Also, the Vudu Disc 2 Digital program especially for titles that port to Movies Anywhere. I create my own 1:1 MKV rips, too, but the iTunes/Vudu/Amazon/Google Play versions are my offsite backup.


I have an iPad Pro 12.9" (2732*2048) and the increase in resolution was surprisingly noticeable (sharper). Not as much as DVD to 1080p but it's still noticeable. 11" and below, I can't tell the difference between 2K and 4K. Mind, perceived size of the 12.9" iPad at 2 ft away is around the same as 70" 16:9 TV at 12 ft.

I have the iphone X and 2018 ipad pro 11inch which support HDR and it is noticeable, but yes 1080p is max res for now. I heard the 12.9 has noticeable res improvement, when the ipads finally get oled I might trade in for the 12.9, really enjoy the size of the 11inch though. It really is perfect for me

[BobSimms]

Originally Posted by Vilya

The masses can have their lower quality streaming and its convenience. I will continue to enjoy the best quality that only disc offers; my content will never be deleted or edited, and I will really have something to show for the money that I spend. I will also get the digital code like the cheap toy prize found in a box of kiddie cereal, which I can keep or sell to the likes of you. You rely on disc customers for most of your cheap digital codes, so you might not want to wish for the demise of discs so quickly.

Highly compressed streaming and not really owning anything is your future, but it is not mine. When I buy something, I not only want the best possible quality, I want to really own it. I would never buy something and then trust the seller to both keep the item and to take care of it for me.

The versions that digital providers let you download are as highly compressed, or worse, than the streaming version making them no better to watch. You need their proprietary software to view them also and a lot of hard drive space if you have a collection of any size. Except for the insanely expensive Kaleidescape system, digital downloads are compressed to hell crap that requires the provider's special software to view. No thank you; I'm not clogging up my hard drives for lesser quality and the requirement of using their software for viewing.

Thank you for this post. I can’t believe the other insanity in this thread. I assumed the above was a philosophy that most if not all blu ray enthusiasts understood and subscribed to (especially as it’s all objectively true), but wow, I guess I was wrong.