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

[Anthony P]

what happened with Vilya?

(just PM don't want to get anyone in trouble)

[veritas]

If this thing goes for a couple of months restaurants and theaters may never recover as people get used to simply not going to those sorts of things.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by veritas

If this thing goes for a couple of months restaurants and theaters may never recover as people get used to simply not going to those sorts of things.

By that logic nobody would have returned to normal after the 2nd World War. People would have been living on suet pudding and egg powder. People will return to what they love, be it food, film, music, clubs etc.

So for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays etc.. people are going to stay home?
People are going to stop going to music concerts? You are acting like this thing is going to go on for five years and people forget what they used to gain pleasure from.
It’s not healthy to be stuck indoors all the time, people will be desperate to get back to normal.

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by veritas

If this thing goes for a couple of months restaurants and theaters may never recover as people get used to simply not going to those sorts of things.

Can’t see that happening. I bet when things return to “Normal”, people are going to be itching to go back to doing the things they enjoy. Movie theaters will see robust attendance along as any threat of the virus has been eliminated.

I can’t speak for other countries, but America is known for being a society of consumers, and us hitting a pause button on things as a nation is not going to change that.

[Vilya]

I dun been sprung!

[Vilya]

Everything will return to normal.

For some perspective, the great pandemic of 1918-1919 was estimated to have killed 50 million people worldwide. From the U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention:

"The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States."

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-res...emic-h1n1.html

As of 3 days ago, the World Health Organization has reported that the 5 month old COVID-19 pandemic had killed 4,613 people worldwide.

https://www.who.int/docs/default-sou...rsn=e2bfc9c0_2

See the difference in scale between the two pandemics?

After the great pandemic of 1918-1919, life resumed. People did all of the things that they had done before; they returned to public venues like concerts, plays, sporting events, and even movie theaters. The Roaring Twenties soon followed and people were doing the Charleston at clubs, and later speakeasies, as if nothing had ever happened.



As for the COVID-19 pandemic, this too shall pass. People will once again be doing all of the things that they enjoy.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I dun been sprung!

That was fast! Was it a Mistake?

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

That was fast! Was it a Mistake?

Leniency for 1st offense.

The only mistakes made were mine.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by vilya

leniency for 1st offense. :d

:d

I would have pulled some strings if not, I’m a Archduke after all!

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by cgpublic

[Show spoiler]I don't know about you, but when I read about things remaining the way as they were after a major disruption, e.g., a global pandemic and the associated changes to societal perceptions and related behavior, the skeptic in me always treats such statements as wishful thinking.

Which is perfectly understandable. All of us wish things could go back to the way we were, before a cough or sneeze in a movie theater was a potential harbinger of illness or death.

That said, there are going to be winners and losers after COVID-19 shakes out and creates a 'new normal.'

While it is true that studios derive revenue from multiple channels, not only are all channels not created equal relative to profit and risk, not every channel offers the benefit of increasing and maximizing shareholder value for the 'new normal.'

The question one needs to ask in the context of the present pandemic is simply which channels are the least dependent on external variables which lead to greater risk, e.g., theater chains, brick and mortar POS, etc., and which are not, e.g., streaming.

So, now would be a good time to consider the 'new normal' as we self quarantine, practice our social distancing skills and movie theaters begin to close.

The current pandemic will change nothing regarding how humans choose to entertain themselves. When this is over, we will all be back to doing everything that we enjoyed doing before this outbreak.

Attending movie theaters, Broadway plays, concerts, operas, sporting events, circuses, nightclubs, conventions, carnivals, public protests, parades, revivals, Black Friday sales, and more will resume. History has shown time and again that people bounce back and humanity has overcome far, far greater challenges than COVID-19.

[Vilya]

As it is now evening here, I have a home theater to enjoy and thousands of titles on disc to choose from. Stay healthy, stay sane, and remember how to have fun!

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Here again you guys are very narrow minded, some people's Home Theater are equal to or better than Theaters. So the Studios could charge appropriately for First Run Movies, and Distribute them for Home Theaters over the Fiber Network. I think this day could come soon and the Studios will be in the chips again making their Billions!

I, and many others, watch content from every source that you do and from some that you do not, namely 4K discs. I would say that we are more open minded than you are by far.

Many of us have very nice home theaters, but I doubt that any of us can match the quality of a good commercial movie theater. We do not have anything even close to the screen sizes found there nor do the vast majority of us have surround sound systems anywhere near as immersive or powerful as what they use. None of our homes are even wired for the amount of power needed to operate a commercial theater.

Tickets for the cinema typically cost $10-$20 per person per movie per viewing. It would be impossible for the studios to offer video on demand that charged per person as they have no way of knowing how many people would be watching such a streamed presentation. First run movies are the most desirable of pirated video content; the studios would not want to expose their massive investments in new movies to the theft that would certainly occur were they to stream their newest properties.

The main advantages that people like about streaming are convenience and economy. Paying movie theater prices to stream video on demand content would not be appealing to people accustomed to paying approx. $5 to rent movies from places like Vudu or from paying $7 per month for a subscription streaming service like Disney+.

People are willing to pay movie theater ticket prices because they like the experience that only a commercial theater can deliver. Cinema screens range from 30 feet to 90 feet wide and from 10 feet to 30 feet tall; you are not going to find screens like that in very many people's homes.

https://ourpastimes.com/how-big-is-a...-12377132.html

[Lee A Stewart]

As Hollywood postpones movies in theaters, that has a direct relationship to home video sales. No new movies in theaters - no new home videos released. I expect to see a drastic reduction in home video sales coming up soon.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

As Hollywood postpones movies in theaters, that has a direct relationship to home video sales. No new movies in theaters - no new home videos released. I expect to see a drastic reduction in home video sales coming up soon.

We'll still get new catalog releases and that alone is plenty to tide me over during the temporary delay in addition to what I already have.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Tickets for the cinema typically cost $10-$20 per person per movie per viewing. It would be impossible for the studios to offer video on demand that charged per person as they have no way of knowing how many people would be watching such a streamed presentation. First run movies are the most desirable of pirated video content; the studios would not want to expose their massive investments in new movies to the theft that would certainly occur were they to stream their newest properties.

People are willing to pay movie theater ticket prices because they like the experience that only a commercial theater can deliver. Cinema screens range from 30 feet to 90 feet wide and from 10 feet to 30 feet tall; you are not going to find screens like that in very many people's homes.

Welcome back Vilya, that was a short Ban. At first it felt nice, but then it was like something was missing. Anyway, never say never because that's when things change. You're right the Studios can't charge per person, but they can charge more for these First Run Movies. They will have Copy Protection Streaming from Secure Servers. As for Big Screens, you should know they are getting bigger all the time. At the CES they had The Wall, Modular Panels that can make Screens any size you want. Sound Systems and Power for people with very Deep Pockets. So never say it can't be done!

[Lee A Stewart]

Red Carpet Films offers first run movie rentals for $3,000

While the average person might debate buying a discounted movie ticket subscription, Red Carpet Films hopes the uber wealthy will consider spending $3,000 to rent first run films. The concept isn't entirely new: charge people hefty premiums to watch the newest movies in their homes. But the price tag is higher, the idea is being pushed by longtime Hollywood businessmen and major studios have signed on.

For $1,500 to $3,000, Red Carpet Films allows customers -- with a minimum credit card limit of $50,000 -- to watch movies like Shazam! and Godzilla: King of the Monsters as soon as they hit theaters. The rentals are good for two viewings in a 36-hour period. Though, customers have to clear a rigorous application process and buy a $15,000 box that connects to their home theater system and comes with piracy safeguards.

https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/08/...movie-rentals/

That is from April 2019. The latest I can find is Dec. 18, 2019. The price is now $2500 and you still need to buy the $15,000 box

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Welcome back Vilya, that was a short Ban. At first it felt nice, but then it was like something was missing. Anyway, never say never because that's when things change. You're right the Studios can't charge per person, but they can charge more for these First Run Movies. They will have Copy Protection Streaming from Secure Servers. As for Big Screens, you should know they are getting bigger all the time. At the CES they had The Wall, Modular Panels that can make Screens any size you want. Sound Systems and Power for people with very Deep Pockets. So never say it can't be done!

How could you not be happy to see me back when I'm so damn able?

Charging more and actually getting it are two different things; extremely few people would pay even existing theater prices to stream a first run movie at home. With so few people being willing to rent at these prices, the studios would never make anything remotely close to what they make at the box office.

Copy protection for streamed content is laughable. You can buy streaming capture software for about the cost of one blu-ray or digital movie. FTP sites and bootleggers would have a field day with streamed first run movies. The studios would be robbed blind of their most valuable intellectual properties.

None of those CES showboat TVs will be in very many homes; Samsung's The Wall is estimated to cost $100,000 for the 146" model. That's diagonal inches, too; theater screen width can be 30-90 feet. Then there's the theater audio system, too; that could easily run you another 6 figures plus an electrician to rewire your theater room. The commercial theater experience is not going to be truly replicated at home anytime soon for most of us mere mortals.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

The article talks about making $300 million in annual revenue. That's a pittance compared to annual box office revenue.

$300 million in revenue is a disappointing result for a single major studio movie.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

As Hollywood postpones movies in theaters, that has a direct relationship to home video sales. No new movies in theaters - no new home videos released. I expect to see a drastic reduction in home video sales coming up soon.

Obviously. It’s the same for all entertainment, businesses, etc..

On the plus side, there will be a truck load of blockbusters from October 2020 to September next year.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

Copy protection is never effective; everything is pirated almost immediately upon release. It's impossible to make a video that is easy to watch on standard TVs and monitors but difficult to copy.

The studios will never be able to get anywhere near box office revenue for streaming, they'd be foolish to try.

One of the reasons they are keen on ‘choose your own adventures’ as they are incredibly difficult to copy.