Real 4k disks - what do you think the rollout timeline will be?

[vargo]

Originally Posted by yojoeski

If the new format is a modification of existing blu-ray technology, I'd say we'll see 4K discs by 2015. If it's an entirely new format, I'd say at least 2018 before they become available to the general public. Of course you could believe the buffoons as well who think streaming will take over and physical media will be gone in the next 5-7 years which I'm quite comfortable in saying is hogwash. Streaming is more than likely going to take over completely someday, but I think it will be 20-25 years before it ever happens.

Only a buffoon would think that it will take digital distribution 25 years to take over.

Digital delivery already accounts for more revenue than Bluray.

Digital was $3bn in revenue for first half of 2013 according to the most recent DEG report, which is 36% of all revenue. It was up 24% YOY so it is rapidly increasing. Meanwhile physical revenue goes down every year.

Im not interested in a physical media vs digital delivery debate but the relevance to the 4K disc format discussion is that by the time such a thing would be practical (most agree it is at least several years out), the physical market will be smaller than it is today.

There will simply be no point in launching a 4K disc format to capture perhaps 5-10% of a shrinking physical market. It is so much easer to do it via digital delivery.