My views on digital downloads (it is not the answer)

[nails]

I don't like the idea of HD downloads because then I have to worry about storage. I don't need to have all of this local media. If I can pay a subscription, or service fee and just stream pretty much everything on the netflix list to my TV over the net or another service I'm cool with that. I don't think local storage will ever be the answer. You can only fit 20 Blu-ray movies on a 1tb hard drive. That's reality. If big companies can just create gigantic storage arrays with googleplexs of data and then stream all of this active content on demand (not pay per, but stream all you want) then I'll be ready to move over. I honestly don't care about buying all these DVDs and Blu-ray disks. I already have a room in my house completely packed full wall to wall with them. They take up too much space, and they clash.

I really like how mp3s have killed the need for compact disc collections (yet more stuff that takes up space), however the quality loss does not satisfy me all that much. I can rip an mp3 at a higher quality or use FLAC for better quality audio.. However if I download an mp3 from iTunes it's not at the compression level I'm satisfied with. Plus I have to worry about storing all of it localy. For MP3s storage is not a problem obviously. However for Video this is a completely different concept.

Getting Blu-ray quality media with the same level of compression (no more) streamed through a service is what I'm waiting for. Why should I have to buy any movie or tv show or anything, if all I have to do is browse through a list of every movie, tv show, documentary etc.. ever made, and just push play on it. I'll let the big companies pay for all the storage and streaming. I will never have to buy a piece of video media ever again. I just want to make sure if we go this road it's done right.

Pay once downloads like iTunes is not cool in my book. It should be a monthly subscription service most likely with it's on set top box. However It will have all content in exsistance at the touch of my fingers. People can not, and will not be able to store a massive collection of blu-ray size HD video media in their local home, even with a big case full of 1tb drives in a RAID 1 array, it's still not enough.

These are my views. Digital Downloads are not the answer. Subscription streaming is. The problem is, if everyone has it, there won't be anymore bandwith. I think they have to change the entire infastructure before this will be possible.

[Dragonraine]

Its not the answer for people like us who want to own movies and collect them. But for people who ONLY rent, its an answer for them. I know tons of people who rent every movie that comes out, yet own none. They are the ones who would like the convenience of downloads...I for one want to have a physical copy in my own hands on my own shelf though. I dont know why, I just feel it has more value to me that way.

[nails]

Originally Posted by Dragonraine

Its not the answer for people like us who want to own movies and collect them. But for people who ONLY rent, its an answer for them. I know tons of people who rent every movie that comes out, yet own none. They are the ones who would like the convenience of downloads...I for one want to have a physical copy in my own hands on my own shelf though. I dont know why, I just feel it has more value to me that way.

Honestly I think over time this way of thinking will change. I own over 2,000 DVDs, and I honestly hate it. It's cool for showing off, but I'm finding myself wishing they were in boxes in the basement and I had them all dumped onto drive storage. However even the fact that I have to create an array large enough to hold over 2,000 DVDs does not sit well with me or my wallet. In the long term I think people will change the thought of "owning it in a physical sense" and will be more open to just watch exactly what they want when they want it. Even with 2,000 dvds I don't have the largest collection in the world. There are millions and millions of movies/tv shows out there. Nobody on this planet could ever collect all of them. However if you had a collection that size at the touch of a button. That kind of thinking is what will change people's minds in the long run. Since the concept of digital video streaming takes up such a massive amount of bandwith, again I feel this will never come to par until the entire infastructure is changed/upgraded.

[zMadMonk]

I think it really is up to the user. I have over 3000 CDs (I'm a music *****) and I still purchase CDs, and throw them onto my computer. I like having the physical CD. The only time I download from Itunes is in those rare occurances that the CD is not available, or hasn't been released. The first thing I do? Make a backup CD, print out the artwork, and file it in with the purchased ones.

The other thing about downloads in regards to movies? Technology is going to have to come a LONG way to convince me that they are even good enough. I've watched HD VOD on Comcast, and it's fragment central. Perhaps all of those YouTube videos that look like ass has made people forget what good really looks like. Sure, these downloads may look better than YouTube, but compared to Blu-Ray - it's pretty much crap.

[CptGreedle]

Although I agree, digital downloads suck imo... some people do prefer them for portability and convenience. I think that both formats, digital downloads and Blu-ray, can live peacefully for many years. There is no need to assume downloads will take over. They have a lot of hype, but not many takers as is.
I am sure people will use it, but I think more people would be willing to spend a little more for the higher quality disc they can watch on their tv than just a lower quality file on their computer.

[Tok]

I have no problem with downloads as long as they only exist as an alternative delivery method. It scares that some companies want to control all media through digital distribution.

HD downloads for the time being will be highly compressed overly filtered garbage. IE. CRAP.

Everyone thought PPV and VOD were going to kill physical media. The bigger problem is the premium the content companies want to charge for that convenience especially on the HD variants.

In the last two months my BD collection went from roughly 10 discs to 50. Why? Good deals in the form of BOGOs. I really like BD, but if it to truly take off the everyday price should not be more than $25 for new releases and a max of $20 on catalog titles. The last two months reminds of the beginning of the dot com store craze and the incredible deals that could be found on DVD. I don't these think BOGOs will continue much longer if HD DVD dies, but my point is that my purchases increased as cost was more reasonable.

[blu-backer]

If you listen to the Seagate CEO (who obviously has a vested interest in digital downloads), storage is going to be so cheap that everyone will have the capacity to store all the HD content they want. Yeah, right.

The companies and people that tout digital downloading as the next thing need to back up and take a breath. We're not talking about downloading music to an iPod here. We're talking about full length, HD video and audio, movies for viewing on a proper HDTV.

There are a number of things so different between the two that trying to make the seemingly logical progression from one to the other is faulty:

1. The experience - listening to songs on headphones is not the same as watching a movie on a proper home theater system.
2. The size - the amount of data needed to properly reproduce the HD movie is so much more than what is needed to adequately reproduce a 4 minute song.
3. The bandwidth - who has adequate bandwidth to download these things? Not just the end users, but will the providers have adequate bandwidth to support hundreds of thousands of users downloading movies at the same time?
4. The home network - expecting the average consumer to know how to set up a home network so that they can download the content and then stream it to their HDTV is a stretch.
5. The technology - if people need to have these large storage devices, is the average consumer going to be expected to be an IT expert to ensure that they are set up and run properly? How about back up in case devices fail?

IMHO, the people who think that HD movies are going to be easily available and downloaded through the net in the near future are smoking some serious crack that they should share with the rest of us.

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Originally Posted by nails

I don't like the idea of HD downloads because then I have to worry about storage. I don't need to have all of this local media. If I can pay a subscription, or service fee and just stream pretty much everything on the netflix list to my TV over the net or another service I'm cool with that. I don't think local storage will ever be the answer. You can only fit 20 Blu-ray movies on a 1tb hard drive. That's reality. If big companies can just create gigantic storage arrays with googleplexs of data and then stream all of this active content on demand (not pay per, but stream all you want) then I'll be ready to move over. I honestly don't care about buying all these DVDs and Blu-ray disks. I already have a room in my house completely packed full wall to wall with them. They take up too much space, and they clash.

I really like how mp3s have killed the need for compact disc collections (yet more stuff that takes up space), however the quality loss does not satisfy me all that much. I can rip an mp3 at a higher quality or use FLAC for better quality audio.. However if I download an mp3 from iTunes it's not at the compression level I'm satisfied with. Plus I have to worry about storing all of it localy. For MP3s storage is not a problem obviously. However for Video this is a completely different concept.

Getting Blu-ray quality media with the same level of compression (no more) streamed through a service is what I'm waiting for. Why should I have to buy any movie or tv show or anything, if all I have to do is browse through a list of every movie, tv show, documentary etc.. ever made, and just push play on it. I'll let the big companies pay for all the storage and streaming. I will never have to buy a piece of video media ever again. I just want to make sure if we go this road it's done right.

Pay once downloads like iTunes is not cool in my book. It should be a monthly subscription service most likely with it's on set top box. However It will have all content in exsistance at the touch of my fingers. People can not, and will not be able to store a massive collection of blu-ray size HD video media in their local home, even with a big case full of 1tb drives in a RAID 1 array, it's still not enough.

These are my views. Digital Downloads are not the answer. Subscription streaming is. The problem is, if everyone has it, there won't be anymore bandwith. I think they have to change the entire infastructure before this will be possible.

Get ready to wait 10+ years for that one. At least for the kind of quality and content selection you are talking about. If you want garbage, Vongo is already up & running.

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

Although I agree, digital downloads suck imo... some people do prefer them for portability and convenience. I think that both formats, digital downloads and Blu-ray, can live peacefully for many years. There is no need to assume downloads will take over. They have a lot of hype, but not many takers as is.
I am sure people will use it, but I think more people would be willing to spend a little more for the higher quality disc they can watch on their tv than just a lower quality file on their computer.

I think you just connected the dots with the 2 bolded statements.