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

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

It may be "treated" as yours but it isn't. It's clearly stated in the terms of service of all digital services that you're content can be removed at any time for any reason.

"Any time for any reason"? Which service has that in their terms?

Anyway, just download and backup your stuff and they can't remove it even if they want to.

Also even if they never remove anyone's collection since there is no used market once a title is removed from sale no one who doesn't already have a copy can ever get one. With physical media I can buy a used copy from one of the thousands of people who owns one long after all support has dropped from the studio.

I bet there are a lot more OOP discs that are near impossible to find or extremely expensive than there are digital titles that have been permanently removed from all stores. Physical discs can run out, and if the studio sees no profit they will not be re-released. Digital versions never run out and will only be removed from stores under special circumstances (and usually only temporarily, e.g. because the rights are transferred to another studio).

[PenguinMaster]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

"Any time for any reason"? Which service has that in their terms?
Anyway, just download and backup your stuff and they can't remove it even if they want to.

Here's a few examples, it obviously isn't worded exactly like that.

Originally Posted by iTunes Terms and Conditions

Some iTunes Eligible Content that you previously acquired may not be available for subsequent download at any given time, and Apple shall have no liability to you in such event.

Originally Posted by VUDU Terms of Service

These Content Providers may designate limited periods of time when VUDU is prohibited from renting, selling and/or streaming certain Content to you, including Content that you have previously purchased.

Originally Posted by Amazon Video Terms of Use

Purchased Digital Content will generally continue to be available to you for download or streaming from the Service, as applicable, but may become unavailable due to potential content provider licensing restrictions and for other reasons, and Amazon will not be liable to you if Purchased Digital Content becomes unavailable for further download or streaming.

As for as backing it up, that would require removing DRM and the law is unfortunately on the studio's side in that case.

Originally Posted by Fiffy

I bet there are a lot more OOP discs that are near impossible to find or extremely expensive than there are digital titles that have been permanently removed from all stores. Physical discs can run out, and if the studio sees no profit they will not be re-released. Digital versions never run out and will only be removed from stores under special circumstances (and usually only temporarily, e.g. because the rights are transferred to another studio).

While certain editions may become rare and expensive, it's highly unusual that a specific title does. As long as someone is willing to sell a copy than each title will remain available for purchase. With digital the studios have full control: if the studio doesn't want one of their titles to be available for purchase than it won't be. Plus more sales for a physical title means it is less likely to be rare in the future and digital sales cut into physical sales. Even if a title is available on both digital and physical the digital sales make it less likely the title will be available in the future. So titles potentially becoming difficult to find is another reason to support physical media, to help prevent that from happening.

Digital content is still in its relative infancy so not a lot of content has been removed yet, but it's foolish to think the majority of content will continue to be available for many decades.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

Here's a few examples, it obviously isn't worded exactly like that.







As for as backing it up, that would require removing DRM and the law is unfortunately on the studio's side in that case.



While certain editions may become rare and expensive, it's highly unusual that a specific title does. As long as someone is willing to sell a copy than each title will remain available for purchase. With digital the studios have full control: if the studio doesn't want one of their titles to be available for purchase than it won't be. Plus more sales for a physical title means it is less likely to be rare in the future and digital sales cut into physical sales. Even if a title is available on both digital and physical the digital sales make it less likely the title will be available in the future. So titles potentially becoming difficult to find is another reason to support physical media, to help prevent that from happening.

Digital content is still in its relative infancy so not a lot of content has been removed yet, but it's foolish to think the majority of content will continue to be available for many decades.

This information should be a sticky on top of this forum or I don't know what. Anyone thinking they really should convert from having a copy of stuff to being allowed to watch a internet copy should really know that access to the programming can be taken away at any time.

People will step in and say well Walmart owns Vudu and it wouldn't make sense for them to take away access. Such people should look at Target's version of this service which disappeared over night.

But in the end there's just no way to convince some people. The quality is less... so... the service is bad ... so ... it's new and seems neat so some people jump right in.

It's terrible... but ... there's no convincing some people digital and streaming is a wrong turn.

The worst part is the better physical media gets the more pressure there is to make it go away.

-Brian

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by bhampton

This information should be a sticky on top of this forum or I don't know what. Anyone thinking they really should convert from having a copy of stuff to being allowed to watch a internet copy should really know that access to the programming can be taken away at any time.

People will step in and say well Walmart owns Vudu and it wouldn't make sense for them to take away access. Such people should look at Target's version of this service which disappeared over night.

But in the end there's just no way to convince some people. The quality is less... so... the service is bad ... so ... it's new and seems neat so some people jump right in.

It's terrible... but ... there's no convincing some people digital and streaming is a wrong turn.

The worst part is the better physical media gets the more pressure there is to make it go away.

-Brian

Crazy isn't it? The government needs to step in IMO. What if someone spent thousands on Digital HD? It's like buying a car and then been told it may be taken away overnight and never returned to you!
Like we keep saying, that's exactly what they want. Full control. Thankfully, Digital HD just isn't showing the growth inecessary IMO. We are heading for a rental market and once disc dies, ownership will be no more. for those of us who want to watch great films more than once? Tough!

Anyway Blu-Ray keeps getting more and more popular in my house.

[master gandhi]

Nothing is forever. And even if it does last your lifetime, will you even care twenty to thirty years from now? As collectors, we all have been through the process of upgrading media to a new format.

I suppose the point many are making is that Blu-ray is the last format they will collect because the quality is as good as they think home media should be, and that 4K is overkill.

I will likely collect movies all my life, well beyond Blu-ray (2D/3D), Digital HD/UHD and UHD Blu-ray. Technology changes in many ways over time. Many of the people who are speaking out against digital could very well be right that it could turn into something bad for home cinema.

I suppose I'm an optimist when it comes to digital. I appreciate its benefits and I do see it becoming more popular than physical media at some point. Physical media should be around for a very long time. Just look at CDs and Vinyl. Many probably expected them to be gone by now, but they're still here.

People are less and less patient these days, so they want things NOW! That could lead to a certain lack of appreciation for the arts, when people demand it to be quick and easy. Digital isn't the cause of this, but it is growing in popularity as a result of this development in the modern world. People avoiding movies because they're too long. Wanting a movie digitally 2-3 weeks ahead of physical.

Many more people are ordering everything online. The next logical step for many of those people is to just get it digitally instead. Cut out the delivery man. Instant gratification. Very little noticeable loss in quality.

It's easy to judge people who've succumbed to digital, but it goes deeper than laziness. It's a cultural shift. People are becoming more anti-social, agoraphobic, etc. You hardly have to leave the house anymore. More people work from home thanks to the internet. Digital is a very modern luxury. It's an extension of who we are now.

I wonder who we will be in the future. As long as I can always retreat into movieland, I'll be fine. However, I do recognize the concerns about digital. There are things about it to give you pause.

Thanks for reading.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

Nothing is forever. And even if it does last your lifetime, will you even care twenty to thirty years from now? As collectors, we all have been through the process of upgrading media to a new format.

I suppose the point many are making is that Blu-ray is the last format they will collect because the quality is as good as they think home media should be, and that 4K is overkill.

I will likely collect movies all my life, well beyond Blu-ray (2D/3D), Digital HD/UHD and UHD Blu-ray. Technology changes in many ways over time. Many of the people who are speaking out against digital could very well be right that it could turn into something bad for home cinema.

I suppose I'm an optimist when it comes to digital. I appreciate its benefits and I do see it becoming more popular than physical media at some point. Physical media should be around for a very long time. Just look at CDs and Vinyl. Many probably expected them to be gone by now, but they're still here.

People are less and less patient these days, so they want things NOW! That could lead to a certain lack of appreciation for the arts, when people demand it to be quick and easy. Digital isn't the cause of this, but it is growing in popularity as a result of this development in the modern world. People avoiding movies because they're too long. Wanting a movie digitally 2-3 weeks ahead of physical.

Many more people are ordering everything online. The next logical step for many of those people is to just get it digitally instead. Cut out the delivery man. Instant gratification. Very little noticeable loss in quality.

It's easy to judge people who've succumbed to digital, but it goes deeper than laziness. It's a cultural shift. People are becoming more anti-social, agoraphobic, etc. You hardly have to leave the house anymore. More people work from home thanks to the internet. Digital is a very modern luxury. It's an extension of who we are now.

I wonder who we will be in the future. As long as I can always retreat into movieland, I'll be fine. However, I do recognize the concerns about digital. There are things about it to give you pause.

Thanks for reading.

But it doesn't even have to be long term. You could lose th right within 5-10 years! At least with discs there are players out there that should allow us to carry on enjoying our Bluray for a good few yards (probably decades)

As for Digital, I'm starting to wonder if film night in the future will mean laying on one's sofa with a mobile phone held in front of them.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

But it doesn't even have to be long term. You could lose th right within 5-10 years! At least with discs there are players out there that should allow us to carry on enjoying our Bluray for a good few yards (probably decades)

As for Digital, I'm starting to wonder if film night in the future will mean laying on one's sofa with a mobile phone held in front of them.

One won't have to watch movies that way, but they have that choice. It's about choices, right?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

One won't have to watch movies that way, but they have that choice. It's about choices, right?

It's a silly choice. I'm not pro-silly choices.

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It's a silly choice. I'm not pro-silly choices.

To you.....this falls under that silly thing called opinions again. People used to watch TV on a 13 inch TV and be happy. If some kid wants to watch a movie on their 10 inch iPad more power to them. You do realize you don't speak for everyone right?

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It's a silly choice. I'm not pro-silly choices.

Yes, I agree that it's a silly choice. Some people make silly choices. It's not the choice of a whole generation, though. Not everyone is quite so silly.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by ArmyOfDarknessAW

To you.....this falls under that silly thing called opinions again. People used to watch TV on a 13 inch TV and be happy. If some kid wants to watch a movie on their 10 inch iPad more power to them. You do realize you don't speak for everyone right?

I'm not talking about a iPad. I'm talking about a phone.

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I'm not talking about a iPad. I'm talking about a phone.

So you're ok with a 10 inch iPad and not a 6 inch phone? Those 4 inches are the make or break point for you?

[tob]

Originally Posted by ArmyOfDarknessAW

So you're ok with a 10 inch iPad and not a 6 inch phone? Those 4 inches are the make or break point for you?

That's what she said.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by ArmyOfDarknessAW

So you're ok with a 10 inch iPad and not a 6 inch phone? Those 4 inches are the make it break point for you?

No, I think they are both stupid but at least you don't have to squint at a 10 inch screen.

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

No, I think they are both stupid but at least you don't have to squint at a 10 inch screen.

Not that I watch movies on my phone, but I don't have to squint at 6 inches. Maybe you need an upgrade on your prescription?

I watch plenty of YouTube on my phone and see it perfectly fine.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by ArmyOfDarknessAW

Not that I watch movies on my phone, but I don't have to squint at 6 inches. Maybe you need an upgrade on your prescription?

I watch plenty of YouTube on my phone and see it perfectly fine.

Pleased for you. Looking forward to smartwatch viewing are we? I suppose you will be able to see fine fabrics when watching clips on your wrist?

[darkknightman]

I just sold the remainder of my blu ray collection. I am content with digital ownership. For me it was the fact that I wasn't using discs at all anymore. Some of my blu rays were over two years old and still sealed. I plan on picking up a few 4k titles for whenever I get the equipment for it. I just don't have the patience to accumulate another collection of media. Different strokes for different folks.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by darkknightman

I just sold the remainder of my blu ray collection. I am content with digital ownership. For me it was the fact that I wasn't using discs at all anymore. Some of my blu rays were over two years old and still sealed. I plan on picking up a few 4k titles for whenever I get the equipment for it. I just don't have the patience to accumulate another collection of media. Different strokes for different folks.

No such thing as digital ownership IMO.

[darkknightman]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

No such thing as digital ownership IMO.

That may be but I am not going to stress out about it. What I would like to see is a unification of all services similar to what Disney Movies Anywhere does. No matter what service you buy the film, it shows up on several other services. So if one service shuts down, your films will remain on other apps and what not.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

No such thing as digital ownership IMO.

Agree.