Should the DVD Format Be Abolished?

[livingproof73]

The only thing I think studios should stop doing in releasing blu ray/DVD combo packs, AND the same movie on DVD only. Just do the combo packs lol! That way if you get blu ray in the future you are set with some movies.

[The Fallen Deity]

No it shouldn't be abolished.

There should always be an option for people.

Especially considering that not everyone has upgraded to Blu-Ray and don't seem intent on doing so.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Redshaggydoo

All I see in stores is DVD. Why? People are not buying them. Stop producing what is not selling and move to the superior format.

The reason why DVDs are in stores is that people are buying them.

VCRs were still been manufactured in 2008, when JVC stopped making standalone machines. The last big movie shipped in VHS was A History of Violence.

[ZoetMB]

Don't be ridiculous. Formats get abolished when they stop selling. DVD, for better or worse, has not stopped selling, at least as compared to Blu-ray.

People who think that DVD should be abolished simply because Blu-ray is a technically better format and one that they love have absolutely no understanding of business.

It's like saying that McDonald's should shut down because Shake Shack serves far better food (and even though I personally would never eat in a McDonald's).

While DVD sales are falling substantially each year, they're still far better than BD sales.

This year, through 6/14 in the U.S., BD has only a 21% unit share (giving DVD a 79% share) and BD has a 31.5% dollar share (giving DVD a 68.5% share). As compared with last year, BD is up 1.93% in units, but down 1.19% in dollars.

For a medium that should still be growing quickly, that's lousy performance. Last year at this time, BD revenue was 18.37% ahead of 2012.

What's happened with BD vs. DVD is very different than what happened in the early 80s when cassettes dominated vinyl and in the 90s when CDs dominated cassettes. Cassettes became the dominant long-form media for audio in 1983, the same year CDs were introduced, when it achieved a 53% unit share for long-form audio media. CDs became the dominant long-form media for audio in 1993, when it achieved over 59% of long-form units (and 65% of all audio revenue) - that's 8 years after widespread introduction. It's now 8 years after BD introduction and it only has 21% of the units? Records stores began to phase out vinyl in early 1989. In 1988, vinyl had a 17% share of long-form media units. That's only 4% less than what BD has today. We're lucky they're not considering dropping BD.

Do you really think any executive is going to stop DVD production when it has a 79% unit share of physical media? Not happening. That would be professional suicide. About the most you could hope for is that everyone does what Criterion did and have one package that has both formats. But if they did that, it would probably kill the cheap ($8-$10) catalog titles as they'd have to raise the price. And killing DVD wouldn't necessarily move consumers to BD - it would probably move the majority to streaming where the studios generally make less per viewing than selling a DVD, with the possible exception of catalog titles where they might net slightly less with a DVD.

So you have to think about it from a business standpoint, not from the standpoint of "I can't stand the fact that this inferior format still exists."

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by Redshaggydoo

All I see in stores is DVD. Why? People are not buying them. People are buying combo packs.

If people were not buying them, they wouldn't keep them in stock. You don't continue to stock items that no one is buying and tie up your money, you bring in what sells so if you are seeing it and it isn't marked down to some insanely low price, it is selling. That's why lots of places still have more dvds than blu-rays. As for the combo packs, hate them and wish they would stop selling those already. If I am buying the blu-ray, really don't need the dvd and if I want the dvd, chances are I don't have a blu-ray player so what is the point of buying a set with both?

[camper]

Originally Posted by livingproof73

The only thing I think studios should stop doing in releasing blu ray/DVD combo packs, AND the same movie on DVD only. Just do the combo packs lol! That way if you get blu ray in the future you are set with some movies.

I would agree with this.

And even though I buy Blu instead of DVD when possible (only exception being South Park TV Boxed sets) I will always buy the BD/DVD combo pack, because I want options.

[Infernal King]

Originally Posted by Redshaggydoo

At some point VHS was no longer produced. Why? A superior product came along.

End DVD.

All I see in stores is DVD. Why? People are not buying them. People are buying combo packs. I understand people still use DVD. But that is why blu ray players also play DVD format. Stop producing what is not selling and move to the superior format. The sale of standard definition TV has ended and so to should the standard definition home video release. People can still stream or buy the blu ray. Any collector I come in contact with has stopped purchasing DVD. Not all are upgrading their collection disc by disc, but they will not purchase a DVD release.

The movie studios can save some cash by cutting down on overhead. The collectors are still buying the better product. The streamers still stream, the parents have a combo pack and everyone else will pirate a copy off the internet, like they have for the last 6 years.

Just a week or so ago I purchased 2046 on DVD because there are no Blu-ray releases of it anywhere in the world and I'd rather watch the movie upscaled than not at all. Same with some of the as-yet-unreleased earlier Godzilla flicks.

I only buy DVD if I don't have confidence that a movie I like won't be upgraded to Blu in the foreseeable future.

[Redshaggydoo]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

If people were not buying them, they wouldn't keep them in stock. You don't continue to stock items that no one is buying and tie up your money, you bring in what sells so if you are seeing it and it isn't marked down to some insanely low price, it is selling. That's why lots of places still have more dvds than blu-rays. As for the combo packs, hate them and wish they would stop selling those already. If I am buying the blu-ray, really don't need the dvd and if I want the dvd, chances are I don't have a blu-ray player so what is the point of buying a set with both?

Or perhaps they are using a flawed ordering system, over ordering single DVD releases. These stores order by computers. If DVD is always ordered at 1,000 blu ray at 3 then of course sales of that DVD will be higher. The next time a movie is released they use the same model. And what is left on the shelf is DVD. Example: today at a twp separate stores I saw literally 100's of DVD only versions of the Lego movie. No blu ray at all and 3 everything is awesome editions. The same happened with Frozen. No one could find a blu ray in stores but they had 100,s of DVD single disc available.

Nothing happens over night. In time 4k will be the only thing available.

[nikita70]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

Don't be ridiculous. Formats get abolished when they stop selling. DVD, for better or worse, has not stopped selling, at least as compared to Blu-ray.

People who think that DVD should be abolished simply because Blu-ray is a technically better format and one that they love have absolutely no understanding of business.

It's like saying that McDonald's should shut down because Shake Shack serves far better food (and even though I personally would never eat in a McDonald's).

While DVD sales are falling substantially each year, they're still far better than BD sales.

This year, through 6/14 in the U.S., BD has only a 21% unit share (giving DVD a 79% share) and BD has a 31.5% dollar share (giving DVD a 68.5% share). As compared with last year, BD is up 1.93% in units, but down 1.19% in dollars.

For a medium that should still be growing quickly, that's lousy performance. Last year at this time, BD revenue was 18.37% ahead of 2012.

What's happened with BD vs. DVD is very different than what happened in the early 80s when cassettes dominated vinyl and in the 90s when CDs dominated cassettes. Cassettes became the dominant long-form media for audio in 1983, the same year CDs were introduced, when it achieved a 53% unit share for long-form audio media. CDs became the dominant long-form media for audio in 1993, when it achieved over 59% of long-form units (and 65% of all audio revenue) - that's 8 years after widespread introduction. It's now 8 years after BD introduction and it only has 21% of the units? Records stores began to phase out vinyl in early 1989. In 1988, vinyl had a 17% share of long-form media units. That's only 4% less than what BD has today. We're lucky they're not considering dropping BD.

Do you really think any executive is going to stop DVD production when it has a 79% unit share of physical media? Not happening. That would be professional suicide. About the most you could hope for is that everyone does what Criterion did and have one package that has both formats. But if they did that, it would probably kill the cheap ($8-$10) catalog titles as they'd have to raise the price. And killing DVD wouldn't necessarily move consumers to BD - it would probably move the majority to streaming where the studios generally make less per viewing than selling a DVD, with the possible exception of catalog titles where they might net slightly less with a DVD.

So you have to think about it from a business standpoint, not from the standpoint of "I can't stand the fact that this inferior format still exists."

Wow, whoever thought of actually using facts to bolster their opinion! Well said.