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

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by wolfpackTri

I have someone agreeing to buy 48 Steelbooks and a bunch more movies from me. I used Vudu Disc to Digital and put a bunch of them in my UV account for $1 a movie. Vudu is amazing

It's like giving away your luxury apartment to buy a camper van. (Second hand)

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PCFan

I sold most of my blu-ray collection recently due to space issues. I just don't have the space to store hundreds of blu-rays with their cases, I tried the binder route, and I found storing most of them in binders and getting rid of the cases unacceptable as part of blu-ray collecting is the packaging and taking pride in displaying blu-rays with their cases on the shelf.

I prefer iTunes over UV but since UV is how I started out my digital movie collection and most of my digital movie collection is on Vudu I'm sticking with UV for now. Also most codes are UV, so I can build a digital movie collection cheaper through UV than iTunes. Now if I started over again with digital, I would pick iTunes. I like how you can download to the PC and still have HD in all movies you bought in HD in iTunes. My internet sometimes cuts out for about 3 minutes on the weekends for some reason and it's annoying when I'm streaming a movie through Vudu and all of a sudden the movie stops streaming I get a message saying network unavailable. Sometimes when I stream through Vudu I only get 3 bars HDX even though I'm on a 45 Mb connection plan through my ISP. However most of my digital movie collection is UV and more codes are in UV format than iTunes so it would be cheaper for me just to stay with UV.

I think it will nag away at you if you don't go the iTunes route. I get a strong impression you want to.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

It's funny, because I endorse digital left and right these days without having to resort to complete bs. Those who are saying that digital is already caught up to Blu-ray in quality are not thinking/seeing straight.

Is digital acceptable quality? In my eyes, yes. But let's not kid ourselves and others by claiming that there is now zero difference between Blu-ray and Digital HD in terms of quality. It could easily get there, but it's not here yet. Enjoy it all you want, but don't declare it to be better than Blu-ray in each and every way, or even it's equal.

That is, unless we're talking about that Sony download service. But few of us have that service, nor do we use it. We're talking about Amazon, iTunes and Vudu mainly, when it comes to America. I've used all three and I've grown to like all three, but I'm not confusing it for Blu-ray. I haven't lost my eye for detail.

Let's not forget, it could go the other way for large families with data caps. SD or 720p anyone?

[Krizzle1]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I think it will nag away at you if you don't go the iTunes route. I get a strong impression you want to.

He's right you know, makes me glad I chose iTunes over UV


Im locked in the Apple ecosystem so it makes perfect sense

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

He's right you know, makes me glad I chose iTunes over UV


Im locked in the Apple ecosystem so it makes perfect sense

It makes sense if they continue with the Apple TV. No reason why they shouldn't.

[wolfpackTri]

Vudu has plans to release an app for Apple TV. Hopefully Apple will let it happen

[zorbonaut]

Originally Posted by PCFan View Post

I sold most of my blu-ray collection recently due to space issues. I just don't have the space to store hundreds of blu-rays with their cases, I tried the binder route, and I found storing most of them in binders and getting rid of the cases unacceptable as part of blu-ray collecting is the packaging and taking pride in displaying blu-rays with their cases on the shelf.

I prefer iTunes over UV but since UV is how I started out my digital movie collection and most of my digital movie collection is on Vudu I'm sticking with UV for now. Also most codes are UV, so I can build a digital movie collection cheaper through UV than iTunes. Now if I started over again with digital, I would pick iTunes. I like how you can download to the PC and still have HD in all movies you bought in HD in iTunes. My internet sometimes cuts out for about 3 minutes on the weekends for some reason and it's annoying when I'm streaming a movie through Vudu and all of a sudden the movie stops streaming I get a message saying network unavailable. Sometimes when I stream through Vudu I only get 3 bars HDX even though I'm on a 45 Mb connection plan through my ISP. However most of my digital movie collection is UV and more codes are in UV format than iTunes so it would be cheaper for me just to stay with UV.

I have had just the opposite experience with UV and iTunes. Because I am invested in the Apple Eco System I went with iTunes from the start. I have picked up a few UV titles here and there but within the last year I'm really starting to like UV quite a bit more than iTunes. The biggest difference is the amount of time it takes to stream iTunes vs UV. I almost never have problems with loading times with UV but I would say at least half of the time I get some sort of delay with iTunes. Same goes for movies on my ipad. It will also freeze the image but audio will continue to play. The image then plays in fast forward to catch up. Downloads are extremely slow when I want to move a title out of the cloud to my ipad in iTunes but Vudu is probably twice as fast for me.

[wolfpackTri]

Disc to Digital is why I love Vudu more than iTunes.

After 10 titles, it's 50% off. I added 30 or more titles last night to UV last night for cheap!

[Steedeel]

Just curious, what will happen to the likes of playstation store, Google play and Xbox video if they start losing out drastically more than they are now. Will they maintain a storefront for rentals or be forced to join Ultraviolet? Some of those guys are simply a 'me too' business at the moment.

[wolfpackTri]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Just curious, what will happen to the likes of playstation store, Google play and Xbox video if they start losing out drastically more than they are now. Will they maintain a storefront for rentals or be forced to join Ultraviolet? Some of those guys are simply a 'me too' business at the moment.

Well, that is a good question. UV and iTunes is really the best possible way to get digital movies.

Google Play, Amazon, Xbox, etc. will lose market share because why buy movies through their storefront when you can get better quality through Vudu and redeem the codes that come with discs.

UV being supported by all of the movie studios is the safest bet.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by wolfpackTri

Well, that is a good question. UV and iTunes is really the best possible way to get digital movies.

Google Play, Amazon, Xbox, etc. will lose market share because why buy movies through their storefront when you can get better quality through Vudu and redeem the codes that come with discs.

UV being supported by all of the movie studios is the safest bet.

Yes but for rental use, it doesn't matter right? What I am wondering is will there be a storefront (completely removed from Ultraviolet) where I can simply rent a 4K or full HD movie if discs die in future? I couldn't possibly start redeeming codes with my Bluray because at the moment there isn't a suitable UV storefront to watch them on a large screen. It seems......pointless. I don't use phones for film content (and never will) and I only watch catch up tv and YouTube on my tablet

[wolfpackTri]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Yes but for rental use, it doesn't matter right? What I am wondering is will there be a storefront (completely removed from Ultraviolet) where I can simply rent a 4K or full HD movie if discs die in future? I couldn't possibly start redeeming codes with my Bluray because at the moment there isn't a suitable UV storefront to watch them on a large screen. It seems......pointless. I don't use phones for film content (and never will) and I only watch catch up tv and YouTube on my tablet

What do you mean there isn't a suitable UV storefront? Vudu is the BEST UV storefront out there.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by wolfpackTri

What do you mean there isn't a suitable UV storefront? Vudu is the BEST UV storefront out there.

No sorry. We don't have it in U.K. We don't have a means to buy UV titles and play them back on a tv or projector. Chromecast works with some but not all.

We have loads of Digital HD storefronts just not UV compatible. That's why, given the catastrophic day when discs die out, I will probably have no choice but to rent or go with ITunes.

[wolfpackTri]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

No sorry. We don't have it in U.K. We don't have a means to buy UV titles and play them back on a tv or projector. Chromecast works with some but not all.

We have loafs of Digital HD storefronts just not UV compatible. That's why, given the catastrophic day when discs die out, I will probably have no choice but to rent or go with ITunes.

Now it's making more sense why you UK guys seem to hate digital movies so much! If you had Vudu, you would probably not be hating it so much

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by wolfpackTri

Now it's making more sense why you UK guys seem to hate digital movies so much! If you had Vudu, you would probably not be hating it so much

I wouldn't be using it but I just want piece of mind. Hopefully by the time discs die out, something will be in place. If not, I'm guessing at least one of the dozen or so Digital options (Google, ITunes, Sony, Xbox, Sky, Now TV, Amazon, Talk talk etc.. Are still around. I would be beyond gutted if we go from 4K Bluray to not being able to even watch a (new release) film on my big screen.

[Cranston37]

I would love it for UV to just create their own app. One place to redeem, purchase, and watch. They already have a website, after all...

[wolfpackTri]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I wouldn't be using it but I just want piece of mind. Hopefully by the time discs die out, something will be in place. If not, I'm guessing at least one of the dozen or so Digital options (Google, ITunes, Sony, Xbox, Sky, Now TV, Amazon, Talk talk etc.. Are still around. I would be beyond gutted if we go from 4K Bluray to not being able to even watch a (new release) film on my big screen.

You will always be able to watch film on a big screen. It's not like TVs are going to go away.

Digital is here to stay and will only get better.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by wolfpackTri

You will always be able to watch film on a big screen. It's not like TVs are going to go away.

Digital is here to stay and will only get better.

I don't think Digital HD is here to stay. I do think Digital/streaming as a technology is though. The industry will look at the YOY figures for Digital HD and be worried that the numbers are in single digits for growth. However, with DVD fading, the slack needs to taken up somewhere. At the moment that's Netflix and Amazon, Hulu etc..

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I don't think Digital HD is here to stay. I do think Digital/streaming as a technology is though. The industry will look at the YOY figures for Digital HD and be worried that the numbers are in single digits for growth. However, with DVD fading, the slack needs to taken up somewhere. At the moment that's Netflix and Amazon, Hulu etc..

I don't think I follow. Who will decide that only Netflix, Amazon and Hulu get to stick around? Am I lost? Also, Amazon has a digital storefront, along with its subscription service, so they're a rare hybrid. I don't think subscription services will ever offer every movie, so there will still be storefronts for the movies you want all year round. HD isn't going anywhere either. We're not going to go backwards. If that happens, we've entered a bizarro world.

[Krizzle1]

I dont see iTunes going away anytime soon, but i'd have thought iTunes would be the go-to for people in the UK, because Netflix has a terrible movie selection, absolute abysmal