Physical & Digital EST: The Future of Home Video Discussion Thread

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Isn't it only a matter of time until Vudu either goes out of business or converts over to some sort of paid subscription service?

...some people are going to get seriously burned at some point.

They'll get burned like when Apple Music opened and iTunes stopped selling music after well over a decade and then denied access to everyone's prior purchases.

It's possible Walmart loses interest in VUDU but pretty unlikely that it goes out of business.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Isn't it only a matter of time until Vudu either goes out of business or converts over to some sort of paid subscription service?

...some people are going to get seriously burned at some point.

Vudu is doing just fine, and WalMart is going Head to Head with Amazon. I guess you don't follow Vudu, because their Digital Sales are doing outstanding. I think you should be looking at iTunes and Apple, if they have problems you only have one Provider.....We have many!

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Vudu is doing just fine, and WalMart is going Head to Head with Amazon. I guess you don't follow Vudu, because their Digital Sales are doing outstanding. I think you should be looking at iTunes and Apple, if they have problems you only have one Provider.....We have many!

I'm not saying I have any reason to believe it's going to happen in the near future.

Just seems unlikely that there won't a be a major change in the digital code streaming paradigm at some point. If you don't own a physical copy or haven't downloaded it to your hard drive, then it can ultimately be taken away at any time.

...Murphy's Law.

[PCFan]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Vudu is doing just fine, and WalMart is going Head to Head with Amazon. I guess you don't follow Vudu, because their Digital Sales are doing outstanding. I think you should be looking at iTunes and Apple, if they have problems you only have one Provider.....We have many!

What about the DMA movies? Vudu is the only UV provider that DMA movies get ported to. If you decide to stop using Vudu and switch to a different UV provider, you will be missing your DMA movies at the other UV provider. What about non-UV movies? If the other provider is not UV for a movie then the movie won't be on the account with the other UV provider, even if it's UV at Vudu.

[Cranston37]

Originally Posted by PCFan

What about the DMA movies? Vudu is the only UV provider that DMA movies get ported to. If you decide to stop using Vudu and switch to a different UV provider, you will be missing your DMA movies at the other UV provider. What about non-UV movies? If the other provider is not UV for a movie then the movie won't be on the account with the other UV provider, even if it's UV at Vudu.

I think the way the UV/DMA system is today isn't the way it's going to be tomorrow. And for my digital money, I'm much more comfortable spending it on the studio's official lockers, rather than an individual retailer. When things change, I have a hunch they won't be leaving 25 million accounts with billions of dollars worth of product in the lurch...

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Just seems unlikely that there won't a be a major change in the digital code streaming paradigm at some point. If you don't own a physical copy or haven't downloaded it to your hard drive, then it can ultimately be taken away at any time.

Nothing lasts forever. (Ask my laserdiscs, HD-DVDs, and VHS tapes.) At least with digital there's a good chance what you own will move with you to whatever the Next Great Service is. Target Ticket and Nook Video got moved. Disney's original movie store eventually transferred to DMA. And so on. There are counterpoints with some of the early, small music services but I believe customers for those got fully refunded when they lost their music.

Things will certainly change in the future and there will be unexpected bumps because there always are. But worrying about the big players - iTunes, VUDU, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Fandango - at some vague point in the future rendering your purchases void because reasons seems silly.

The studios aren't interested in killing the electronic sales market and they won't take your purchases away either. It would effectively end digital movie sales from the consumer perspective. Piracy would get a permanent, justifiable shot in the arm.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Well you have to change your name to AppleFan, because PC's and Apples don't get along. I think it has to do with your connection, because Vudu has always been very solid for me but then I have Fiber and Hard Wired.

No shit? You have fibre and it's hard wired?

Yeah, Apple have just appointed two Sony guys who were responsible for hits like Breaking Bad. They basically have a clean slate and I expect they may be involved with movies also. It's a huge move from Apple.

The only concern I have (I think Bluray will be fine for a few years) is the likes of Apple and Netflix have been throwing the term 'interactive' around a lot. I hope that Digital doesn't stand for interactive content in the future. I am still a little nervous that normal tv and film could be replaced by 'I want the story my way' people. Basically, that would be a horror story. Of course, where Apple goes, others follow. We may be getting hit with interactive 'choose your own adventure' film and tv from Netflix, Amazon, Vudu, BBC, Sky, HBO, Hulu etc.. in the very near future. If we do, I hope regular film exists along side it just fine.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Zu Nim

Nothing lasts forever. (Ask my laserdiscs, HD-DVDs, and VHS tapes.) At least with digital there's a good chance what you own will move with you to whatever the Next Great Service is. Target Ticket and Nook Video got moved. Disney's original movie store eventually transferred to DMA. And so on. There are counterpoints with some of the early, small music services but I believe customers for those got fully refunded when they lost their music.

Things will certainly change in the future and there will be unexpected bumps because there always are. But worrying about the big players - iTunes, VUDU, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Fandango - at some vague point in the future rendering your purchases void because reasons seems silly.

The studios aren't interested in killing the electronic sales market and they won't take your purchases away either. It would effectively end digital movie sales from the consumer perspective. Piracy would get a permanent, justifiable shot in the arm.

It would just go to subscription with far less profit. Just like the music industry.

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It would just go to subscription with far less profit. Just like the music industry.

Would? It has. It's like you never even looked at my charts. But I can buy music now and in the future and never lost access to my prior purchases. If you're suggesting electronic sales of movies are going to go away I don't think using the music industry as an example supports your point.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Zu Nim

Would? It has. It's like you never even looked at my charts. But I can buy music now and in the future and never lost access to my prior purchases. If you're suggesting electronic sales of movies are going to go away I don't think using the music industry as an example supports your point.

How so? Apple could shut down the download option tomorrow. Where would the option of purchasing digital music be then?

[SarahS]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Vudu is doing just fine, and WalMart is going Head to Head with Amazon. I guess you don't follow Vudu, because their Digital Sales are doing outstanding. I think you should be looking at iTunes and Apple, if they have problems you only have one Provider.....We have many!

38 million Vudu accounts in the US and it just keeps going up and up!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by SarahS

38 million Vudu accounts in the US and it just keeps going up and up!

What goes up, must come down. . Vudu haven't got other countries to fall back on. If it starts diving n U.S, its gone. Like I said, the test will be when codes are gone.

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

How so? Apple could shut down the download option tomorrow. Where would the option of purchasing digital music be then?

Why don't you ever imagine that digital prices might drop to zero and labels and studios give away their catalogs for free? If you're going to speculate nonsense, try something positive next time. Maybe you'll win the lottery tomorrow. And I hope you do!

[echopulse]

I don't think Vudu has 38 million accounts. I would bet they have close to 20 million accounts though.

As for digital movie lockers, I think UV and DMA will get together in the near future. Then your UV/DMA movies will be available in iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.

[darkknightman]

Originally Posted by echopulse

I don't think Vudu has 38 million accounts. I would bet they have close to 20 million accounts though.

As for digital movie lockers, I think UV and DMA will get together in the near future. Then your UV/DMA movies will be available in iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.

They already are. DMA syncs with Itunes,Microsoft, Amazon, Vudu and Google Play. You just have to check those services off on your DMA account.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Zu Nim

Why don't you ever imagine that digital prices might drop to zero and labels and studios give away their catalogs for free? If you're going to speculate nonsense, try something positive next time. Maybe you'll win the lottery tomorrow. And I hope you do!

Because I don't think Digital is good for film. I think films as we know them now are under threat. As film is my beloved hobby and very important to me, I don't want to lose that option. That would be unimaginable to me.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Because I don't think Digital is good for film. I think films as we know them now are under threat. As film is my beloved hobby and very important to me, I don't want to lose that option. That would be unimaginable to me.

Seems like you imagine it everyday.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

Seems like you imagine it everyday.

Hardly, I haven't even posted here much in the last month.

[SarahS]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

What goes up, must come down. . Vudu haven't got other countries to fall back on. If it starts diving n U.S, its gone. Like I said, the test will be when codes are gone.

Dude give up your inccent crying over physical vs digital. It's not going anywhere. 38 Million and growing is one hell of a lot of accounts and that's in the US alone. Nobody here gives a bleep about what happens in the UK or anywhere else. UK, Canada or anywhere else has never and will never set the standard for the US.

[Greyman]

Originally Posted by SarahS

38 million Vudu accounts in the US and it just keeps going up and up!

This article says 28 million UV accounts which is probably world wide, so 38 million Vudu accounts is not likely.

Originally Posted by echopulse

I found this article about UV account numbers and the Ultraviolet system

http://www.crossroadstoday.com/story...ystem-for-dece

castLabs is keen to support and improve the infrastructure, which currently handles more than 28 million accounts with nearly 250 million movies and TV shows, and facilitated a peak of 1.7 million transaction per hour in late December.