The future of iTunes and Digital Copies

[Walter-S_NC]

This is a topic on other forums. Should I keep buying packaged media to have physical discs for backup, or should I just buy EST (electronic sell through)?

I am an EST guy.

The only packaged media I have bought in the last two years are Bluray Disc titles from the WalMart $7.88 bin. Even those I will only buy if they have complementary UV redemptions and after I get the title loaded into my UV library, the physical discs go into a box in my garage.

I have made many hundreds dollars of purchases in EST though. I have no hesitation in doing so.

Tomorrow, I am going to purchase the TV Series LEGO: Legends of Chima for my children to enjoy in 1080p HDX.

The trend is to do EST sales much earlier then packaged media. This series is one such example where I am buying a season pass and getting each new episode the day after it airs. Some movies get released EST the same time it is in theaters. Others are released EST three weeks before packaged media. It is a new trend of late.

I personally feel the purchase of packaged media to be unnecessary when I have the titles loaded into a vendor agnostic platform kept in pristine quality for perpetuity.

The national archives rate optical disc storage at seven years. After that, the reflectivity begins to fail.

A redundant storage array is the gold standard for long term storage of digital content, but it is simply out of the price range of consumers. A streaming provider can offer this to consumers via ubiquitous broadband.

In my mind, this is a superior long term storage method for my family’s entertainment content then optical disc.

Plus, I have the advantage of access to my family's library with a few clicks of a remote.

I can pause a movie downstairs when I get tired. Go upstairs to the bedroom, and pick back up at my save point (al la whole home DVR) without hauling a physical disc and then after I load it on a player upstairs having to search for the point I left off.

Instead, a few clicks of a remote brings the title back up at the point I left off.

The advantages of this technology are too many to pass up. This is why so many people are adopting it so quickly.

[Blu-News]

Originally Posted by Walter-S_NC

This is a topic on other forums. Should I keep buying packaged media to have physical discs for backup, or should I just buy EST (electronic sell through)?

I am an EST guy.

The only packaged media I have bought in the last two years are Bluray Disc titles from the WalMart $7.88 bin. Even those I will only buy if they have complementary UV redemptions and after I get the title loaded into my UV library, the physical discs go into a box in my garage.

I have made many hundreds dollars of purchases in EST though. I have no hesitation in doing so.

Tomorrow, I am going to purchase the TV Series LEGO: Legends of Chima for my children to enjoy in 1080p HDX.

The trend is to do EST sales much earlier then packaged media. This series is one such example where I am buying a season pass and getting each new episode the day after it airs. Some movies get released EST the same time it is in theaters. Others are released EST three weeks before packaged media. It is a new trend of late.

I personally feel the purchase of packaged media to be unnecessary when I have the titles loaded into a vendor agnostic platform kept in pristine quality for perpetuity.

The national archives rate optical disc storage at seven years. After that, the reflectivity begins to fail.

A redundant storage array is the gold standard for long term storage of digital content, but it is simply out of the price range of consumers. A streaming provider can offer this to consumers via ubiquitous broadband.

In my mind, this is a superior long term storage method for my family’s entertainment content then optical disc.

Plus, I have the advantage of access to my family's library with a few clicks of a remote.

I can pause a movie downstairs when I get tired. Go upstairs to the bedroom, and pick back up at my save point (al la whole home DVR) without hauling a physical disc and then after I load it on a player upstairs having to search for the point I left off.

Instead, a few clicks of a remote brings the title back up at the point I left off.

The advantages of this technology are too many to pass up. This is why so many people are adopting it so quickly.

I agree, especially with so many titles that aren't even given Blu-ray releases (TV content especially). It's nice to have all your content all in one portable place, and being able to continue where you left off in a different room on a different day in a click is fantastic.

[Evil]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

How long does it take you to download a film from Vudu to your device you're watching it on? You can't be streaming all of your films all the time, can you?

I haven't had the need to download any movies from Vudu yet. I just stream my movies on my computer or directly to my blu-ray player in the living room.

[nj7]

Originally Posted by Evil

I haven't had the need to download any movies from Vudu yet. I just stream my movies on my computer or directly to my blu-ray player in the living room.

same as evil I just stream, don't download them...

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by Walter-S_NC

This is a topic on other forums. Should I keep buying packaged media to have physical discs for backup, or should I just buy EST (electronic sell through)?

I am an EST guy.

The only packaged media I have bought in the last two years are Bluray Disc titles from the WalMart $7.88 bin. Even those I will only buy if they have complementary UV redemptions and after I get the title loaded into my UV library, the physical discs go into a box in my garage.

I have made many hundreds dollars of purchases in EST though. I have no hesitation in doing so.

Tomorrow, I am going to purchase the TV Series LEGO: Legends of Chima for my children to enjoy in 1080p HDX.

The trend is to do EST sales much earlier then packaged media. This series is one such example where I am buying a season pass and getting each new episode the day after it airs. Some movies get released EST the same time it is in theaters. Others are released EST three weeks before packaged media. It is a new trend of late.

I personally feel the purchase of packaged media to be unnecessary when I have the titles loaded into a vendor agnostic platform kept in pristine quality for perpetuity.

The national archives rate optical disc storage at seven years. After that, the reflectivity begins to fail.

A redundant storage array is the gold standard for long term storage of digital content, but it is simply out of the price range of consumers. A streaming provider can offer this to consumers via ubiquitous broadband.

In my mind, this is a superior long term storage method for my family’s entertainment content then optical disc.

Plus, I have the advantage of access to my family's library with a few clicks of a remote.

I can pause a movie downstairs when I get tired. Go upstairs to the bedroom, and pick back up at my save point (al la whole home DVR) without hauling a physical disc and then after I load it on a player upstairs having to search for the point I left off.

Instead, a few clicks of a remote brings the title back up at the point I left off.

The advantages of this technology are too many to pass up. This is why so many people are adopting it so quickly.

This is one of the many reasons as to why I buy more digital copies through iTunes than packaged media. I mean, I can't tell you how many independent films I've seen this year through iTunes that I normally would've missed because my town doesn't get many independent films. And with money being tight, you have to pick and choose when to go to the theatres and a lot of the times, I just want to make sure I get my money's worth when I go so it tends to be a tentpole film more than anything else.

With VOD this year, I've seen tons of different types of films and it's been fantastic. This has been the best year for watching all types of films, for me, since my oldest son was born five years ago.

And this three week early release on EST is the real kicker. I struggle with the decision sometime but I seem to always end up going the three week earlier route. And with iTunes Extras being what they are now in comparison to what's on the BD, how could you pass it up? Like right now, I'm debating about Star Trek Into Darkness. The EST hits on August 20th and the BD doesn't hit until September 10th. More than likely, the extras will be enough. Plus, I don't have any of the other Trek films on BD at this time because I'm in a holding pattern to see what Paramount does on the 50th Anniversary in 3 years so I've just got them digitally. But, considering I'm not that big a fan of Trek, I'm starting to think having them digitally is enough.

I use to be an "extras/supplements" ***** but not anymore. With iTunes Extras, you tend to get a good amount to watch once and be done.

And yes, being able to resume a film where you last played it from any room in the house is really, really nice.

Again, I do see the advantages of digital. I guess my only truly worry about it is our "digital rights" with these companies in the long term. If one or more of these companies goes bye, bye, what happens to our purchases? It's the only thing that gives me pause about digital.

[Walter-S_NC]

Food for thought.

DECE is not a single company. It is an entertainment consortium.

Not too long in the past, Apple Corp. HQ was being ridiculed for their employees playing basketball in the parking lot.

So many people had been laid off, there was a lot of space to play and also they did not have much to do. The end seemed eminent.

Then the iPhone revolution.

Today, iOS is in retreat in the cell phone market.

If you are looking to put all your eggs in one basket, Apple Corp is the wrong place to do so, IMHO.

Much better is a consortium which is backed by all the major motion picture studios (save Walt Disney Studios for the time being, but even they seem to be coming around).

[Walter-S_NC]

I would like to add...

Standing up the interfaces of the three big players (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu) it could be argued usability or artistic rendering is superior in one over the other.

Only Vudu will let you take your existing physical media, and for a nominal fee, load the into their platform.

That is an AMAZING feature the other two do not offer.

To me artistic rendering or the look/feel of the given ecosystem is moot and eclipsed by being able to load my existing physical media for long term storage.

Also, Vudu leads in the 1080p library, which when playing back on a modern flat screen, is important.

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by Walter-S_NC

Food for thought.

DECE is not a single company. It is an entertainment consortium.

Not too long in the past, Apple Corp. HQ was being ridiculed for their employees playing basketball in the parking lot.

So many people had been laid off, there was a lot of space to play and also they did not have much to do. The end seemed eminent.

Then the iPhone revolution.

Today, iOS is in retreat in the cell phone market.

If you are looking to put all your eggs in one basket, Apple Corp is the wrong place to do so, IMHO.

Much better is a consortium which is backed by all the major motion picture studios (save Walt Disney Studios for the time being, but even they seem to be coming around).

Not really gonna disagree. Let me put it this way, as much as I love EST in comparison to physical media, I'm at a point where buying in general has become a moot point.

Not saying I don't buy but I've been having long and hard conversations with myself about this hobby of ours and whether the investment is even worth it.

EST has made things easier, sure, but it's still the same problem you have with buying movies in general. And it's especially true in the age of Netflix, Hulu, Redbox, HBO GO, cable, and your local library. Access to our favorite films have become so much easier today to the point where buying is almost pointless.

Again, this is a daily, on going conversation I have about this particular topic.

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by Walter-S_NC

I would like to add...

Standing up the interfaces of the three big players (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu) it could be argued usability or artistic rendering is superior in one over the other.

Only Vudu will let you take your existing physical media, and for a nominal fee, load the into their platform.

That is an AMAZING feature the other two do not offer.

To me artistic rendering or the look/feel of the given ecosystem is moot and eclipsed by being able to load my existing physical media for long term storage.

Also, Vudu leads in the 1080p library, which when playing back on a modern flat screen, is important.

What's the fee for Vudu for their D2D program? It's something I've been thinking about.

[Walter-S_NC]

To turn a Blu-ray Disc into an 1080p HDX title costs $2.

However, they have a special running through the end of the month that cuts that price in half if you do ten at a time.

To convert a DVD into an 1080p HDX title cost $5, but that too has the half price offer through the end of the month.

You are right that the battle is not between packaged media and EST.

Everyone knows the sales of packaged media is in decline and EST is going up.

Instead, the real battle is between SVoD and iVoD.

Will consumers just want SVoD like Netflix and Amazon Prime like a buffet, or will they continue to want their own select content to be static via an iVoD service.

The jury is still out on this.

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

What's the fee for Vudu for their D2D program? It's something I've been thinking about.

These are the standard prices for both at home D2D and in-store D2D:

Blu-ray to HDX = $2
DVD to HDX = $5
DVD to SD = $2

On rare occasions, they may not have a HDX version of something you have on Blu-ray, but they will have a SD copy. That will cost $2. But that's rare.

Through the end of August, if you use the at home D2D, you can get as many as you want for half price if you buy 10 or more at a time, making it incredibly cheap:

Blu-ray to HDX = $1
DVD to HDX = $2.50
DVD to SD = $1

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

These are the standard prices for both at home D2D and in-store D2D:

Blu-ray to HDX = $2
DVD to HDX = $5
DVD to SD = $2

On rare occasions, they may not have a HDX version of something you have on Blu-ray, but they will have a SD copy. That will cost $2. But that's rare.

Through the end of August, if you use the at home D2D, you can get as many as you want for half price if you buy 10 or more at a time, making it incredibly cheap:

Blu-ray to HDX = $1
DVD to HDX = $2.50
DVD to SD = $1

Is the in home D2D difficult?

[Jumpman]

By the way, which is the best app for Vudu/ UV streaming of your films on mobile devices, Flixster or Vudu?

[Walter-S_NC]

I don't think so, but I go into the store.

I am not a rich man. I pay cash for my D2D conversion in small batches when I get paid every two weeks.

I enjoy going into the store. I spend my time in between visits plotting which ones I am going to do next.

"The Passion of the Christ" is due soon. That one is next on my snipe list.

I would like to do "Stargate", but currently Vudu only has it in SD, and I own the Blu-ray Disc. I am going to hold that one until it is an HDX title and I would also like to see the extended cut made available before I pull the trigger. The extended cut has several scenes which I like that are not in the theatrical cut.

PS: the Vudu To-Go app is much better then Flixster, IMHO. My two sons have kindle fires. There is no kindle fire version of the Vudu To-Go app, so on those they use Flixster.

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Is the in home D2D difficult?

Nope. It's a piece of cake. The software is still in beta, so it doesn't always recognize everything correctly. You just need to have a Blu-ray drive for your computer to convert Blu-rays.

Originally Posted by Jumpman

By the way, which is the best app for Vudu/ UV streaming of your films on mobile devices, Flixster or Vudu?

Most of the time, I use Vudu for pretty much everything. It's become my default UV service, and it's where I focus most of my attention. A big reason for this is, not only is Vudu the most consistently stable, but it also offers the best quality. Additionally, there are sometimes Vudu-only digital copies that are not UV. If they're not UV, Flixster and CinemaNow won't have access to them. Some Wal-Mart exclusives are Vudu only, and Disney's recently releases have had Vudu options that aren't UV. Very rarely, there are rights issues with some services not having access to all UV movies. This happens the most with Flixster in my experience (although it accounts for like 4 movies out of 200 in my collection), and the least with Vudu.

Flixster's mobile app isn't bad, and CinemaNow's is pretty good too. At this point, all three have about the same functionality on mobile devices. Flixster has a little more to it since it's linked with Rotten Tomatoes and allows you to search for theaters and movie times as well. I still use Vudu almost exclusively though.

As for at home use, Vudu is the only way I roll.

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

Nope. It's a piece of cake. The software is still in beta, so it doesn't always recognize everything correctly. You just need to have a Blu-ray drive for your computer to convert Blu-rays.



Most of the time, I use Vudu for pretty much everything. It's become my default UV service, and it's where I focus most of my attention. A big reason for this is, not only is Vudu the most consistently stable, but it also offers the best quality. Additionally, there are sometimes Vudu-only digital copies that are not UV. If they're not UV, Flixster and CinemaNow won't have access to them. Some Wal-Mart exclusives are Vudu only, and Disney's recently releases have had Vudu options that aren't UV. Very rarely, there are rights issues with some services not having access to all UV movies. This happens the most with Flixster in my experience (although it accounts for like 4 movies out of 200 in my collection), and the least with Vudu.

Flixster's mobile app isn't bad, and CinemaNow's is pretty good too. At this point, all three have about the same functionality on mobile devices. Flixster has a little more to it since it's linked with Rotten Tomatoes and allows you to search for theaters and movie times as well. When it comes to at home use, Vudu is the only way I roll.

I just redownloaded the Vudu Player for the iPad and it is better than the Flixster App by miles. It has the best quality.

I have about 10 BDs that I could technically be rid of but would at least like a digital copy of them that's not iTunes. I might head to Wal Mart today and convert them and see how things go.

[Jumpman]

You guys are making me rethink my stance on what type of digital copy collection I need to have.

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

I just redownloaded the Vudu Player for the iPad and it is better than the Flixster App by miles. It has the best quality.

I have about 10 BDs that I could technically be rid of but would at least like a digital copy of them that's not iTunes. I might head to Wal Mart today and convert them and see how things go.

Yep, Vudu is much better across the board.

Before you take them all to Wal-Mart, make sure to check and see if they're eligible for the D2D program. Not all titles are. Here's the page for the in-store program: Vudu - Disc to Digital

Also, if you do the in-store D2D, it's not eligible for the 50% off promotion when converting 10 or more at a time. It will be the full price.

[tkozuch]

I wish I could use iTunes movies, but it's not an option. Until I have an app on my Roku, ps3 or android to play iTunes digital content, I'll never use them. For now, VUDU is on all three of those devices, so that's what I use.

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

Yep, Vudu is much better across the board.

Before you take them all to Wal-Mart, make sure to check and see if they're eligible for the D2D program. Not all titles are. Here's the page for the in-store program: Vudu - Disc to Digital

Also, if you do the in-store D2D, it's not eligible for the 50% off promotion when converting 10 or more at a time. It will be the full price.

I checked to see if they have the ones I wanted in HDX and they do. Unfortunately, I don't have a BD Player on my computer so I have to go to the store because I want these BDs in HDX. I don't mind paying full price.