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

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

That's good. I just don't understand why you prefer to overreact most of the time. I get that you fear that the future of cinema is on the line, but nothing you've predicted has come true yet. There isn't much to truly indicate that things are headed down the dark path you portray. But if you believe things are going that direction, I'm happy you're trying to stop it in small ways.

Btw, I may be a big believer in digital, but I still buy physical sometimes. I bought Logan last month, Fate of the Furious today and I've preordered Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 & Spider-Man: Homecoming. All of them on UHD disc.

Of course, if they didn't include digital copies, I wouldn't touch them, but that's beside the point. I'm still supporting physical here and there, even though I almost always choose to watch the included digital copy. Tonight I watched Fate of the Furious (Extended) in 4K on VUDU. No complaints here. And if and when I get a 4K Blu-ray player, I'll check out those 4K discs to see what I've been missing.

Fair enough, but don't expect any sympathy from me when It all goes tits up. The power is in the studios hands now, you realise that? did you realise that extended copy of FOTF is unavailable on Bluray? When (it is a when) the studios all offer their films through a subscription service, they will try this again. Digital HD may suffer a drop in numbers and they may withhold extended cuts for a subscription service. I am convinced of it.

As for your purchase of 4K discs, that is baffling to me. You buy a 4K disc only to watch the inferior version?

[zorbonaut]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Fair enough, but don't expect any sympathy from me when It all goes tits up. The power is in the studios hands now, you realise that? did you realise that extended copy of FOTF is unavailable on Bluray? When (it is a when) the studios all offer their films through a subscription service, they will try this again. Digital HD may suffer a drop in numbers and they may withhold extended cuts for a subscription service. I am convinced of it.

As for your purchase of 4K discs, that is baffling to me. You buy a 4K disc only to watch the inferior version?

I get why he watches the digital version over the physical. I do it myself all of the time. I subscribe to Filmstruck, Netflix, Vudu, and Prime. I also own a good amount of iTunes/UV content. Often I'll be laying in bed and want to watch a film but instead of getting up, looking for the Blu-Ray, warning the kids to not come downstairs and then getting set up, I will just toss my headphones on and watch the film on my ipad pro. I've shifted much of my viewing from the TV to the ipad over the last 3-4 years. Ideally I prefer to watch on a big screen but with the advent of digital and ipads I'm able to watch a lot more films each year.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by zorbonaut

I get why he watches the digital version over the physical. I do it myself all of the time. I subscribe to Filmstruck, Netflix, Vudu, and Prime. I also own a good amount of iTunes/UV content. Often I'll be laying in bed and want to watch a film but instead of getting up, looking for the Blu-Ray, warning the kids to not come downstairs and then getting set up, I will just toss my headphones on and watch the film on my ipad pro. I've shifted much of my viewing from the TV to the ipad over the last 3-4 years. Ideally I prefer to watch on a big screen but with the advent of digital and ipads I'm able to watch a lot more films each year.

Watching a film on a iPad is not really watching a film to me. I could never do that. I would rather just wait until I CAN watch on the big screen. Watching something like The Revenant on a iPad or laptop would be criminal to me.

[veritas]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

That's good. I just don't understand why you prefer to overreact most of the time. I get that you fear that the future of cinema is on the line, but nothing you've predicted has come true yet. There isn't much to truly indicate that things are headed down the dark path you portray. But if you believe things are going that direction, I'm happy you're trying to stop it in small ways.

The thing is the prediction is greedy corporations will eventually do greedy things. its bearly even a prediction it is more just common sense that eventually somebody is going to get screwed with digital media. Some company won't be making enough money and they will decide to either charge people to stream the movies they own (which they are allowed to do since they put it in the terms of service but i don't feel is acting in good faith) or they will eventually have a company go belly up and then try to get people to rebuy stuff on a different service/ move to streaming.

I would feel much safer if these greedy corporations made the terms of service fair with guaranteed streaming, none expiring digital copy codes, removing the drm that stops me from downloading vudu movies to my iPad in hd, removing drm that stops me from downloading vudu movies to iTunes and allowing people to transfer or sell digital movies they don't want to other people (they could take a percentage as a middleman though).

The way the terms of service are laid out currently for digital even the corporations don't think it will last as they wrote it so they could cut their losses if they wanted to.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Fair enough, but don't expect any sympathy from me when It all goes tits up. The power is in the studios hands now, you realise that? did you realise that extended copy of FOTF is unavailable on Bluray? When (it is a when) the studios all offer their films through a subscription service, they will try this again. Digital HD may suffer a drop in numbers and they may withhold extended cuts for a subscription service. I am convinced of it.

As for your purchase of 4K discs, that is baffling to me. You buy a 4K disc only to watch the inferior version?

It's called future-proofing. I'm sure you've done something like that before. If you haven't, you should still understand the meaning of future-proofing. I will someday have a 4K TV with HDR (and Dolby Vision), but until then I don't need a 4K Blu-ray player. It doesn't stop me from being prepared, though.

And yes, I realize the extended cut of F8 is digital-only (that's why I felt it was relevant to share that I watched the extended cut on VUDU in 4K). That's another reason for me to have bought the 4K BD, which came with a 4K digital copy that allows me to watch it in its highest quality.

Btw, I would never expect sympathy from you. I'd expect you to say "I told you so," if even one of your predictions comes true. Good thing most of your predictions are so extreme, it really would be amazing if they came true. Who knows, maybe subscription will be the main focus someday, and discs and Digital HD will be largely ignored. I sorta doubt that, since discs and Digital HD makes the studios more money than a flat subscription fee. But what do I know...

[flyry]

Since space is so limited I'm probably going to get Spider-man Homecoming digitally.

I need that physical room for 4K versions Apes and Dunkirk (not to mention Mummy 99, Wonder Woman and Last Jedi)

[sirdizzy]

Its a scary thought that someday someone could change their mind and wham all my digital movies would be gone.

But how many times have you had to rebuy your favorite movies first vhs, then dvd, then bluray and now them pushing 4k. So its a little bit of an irrational fear but the ability to downsize my life is amazing.

At one time I was approaching over 1700 dvds in my collection, then I started to replace my favorites with blurays.

Honestly if I didn't collect steelbooks I wouldn't buy a single physical copy anymore. Plus since most digital copies I can buy here for $3-5 my investment is a lot smaller than it was in building my dvd collection with almost all of them running me $15-20 a pop.

I'd love to get my collection down to just steelbooks and my favorite movies I don't wanna lose in physical, but its taking time to replace them all on digital. But at least I no longer have to keep purchasing bookcases to keep up with my collection.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by sirdizzy

Its a scary thought that someday someone could change their mind and wham all my digital movies would be gone.

But how many times have you had to rebuy your favorite movies first vhs, then dvd, then bluray and now them pushing 4k. So its a little bit of an irrational fear but the ability to downsize my life is amazing.

At one time I was approaching over 1700 dvds in my collection, then I started to replace my favorites with blurays.

Honestly if I didn't collect steelbooks I wouldn't buy a single physical copy anymore. Plus since most digital copies I can buy here for $3-5 my investment is a lot smaller than it was in building my dvd collection with almost all of them running me $15-20 a pop.

I'd love to get my collection down to just steelbooks and my favorite movies I don't wanna lose in physical, but its taking time to replace them all on digital. But at least I no longer have to keep purchasing bookcases to keep up with my collection.

It is a scary thought but not as scary as Hollywood making every film U rated or (I believe it's G rated in U.S). We are seeing the first signs of this with Sony's cleaned up versions. They may be scrapped but it will only come again weeks or months doen the line. Censorship and sanitised films are to me a stake through the heart for film. How long before Netflix, Amazon and HBO are loaded with kid friendly fare and adult drama is no more?

[Gamma_Winstead]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It is a scary thought but not as scary as Hollywood making every film U rated or (I believe it's G rated in U.S). We are seeing the first signs of this with Sony's cleaned up versions. They may be scrapped but it will only come again weeks or months doen the line. Censorship and sanitised films are to me a stake through the heart for film. How long before Netflix, Amazon and HBO are loaded with kid friendly fare and adult drama is no more?

It's not happening dude. It'll never happen. If that were to happen, the filmmakers and story tellers would rebel, and the studios would collapse without their support.

Seriously, try telling Nicolas Winding Refn, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, etc that they can't make R rated films. They'd just laugh, take their millions, and make their movies on their own.

For what you're saying will happen to actually occur, it'd take EVERYONES support in the Hollywood system. It won't happen. Ever.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

It's not happening dude. It'll never happen. If that were to happen, the filmmakers and story tellers would rebel, and the studios would collapse without their support.

Seriously, try telling Nicolas Winding Refn, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, etc that they can't make R rated films. They'd just laugh, take their millions, and make their movies on their own.

For what you're saying will happen to actually occur, it'd take EVERYONES support in the Hollywood system. It won't happen. Ever.

Wel, partly it already has. Look at all the PG stuff in cinemas. Is it a huge step to expect G rated films to be the only films released?

[BlakkMajik3000]

Originally Posted by sirdizzy

Honestly if I didn't collect steelbooks I wouldn't buy a single physical copy anymore. Plus since most digital copies I can buy here for $3-5 my investment is a lot smaller than it was in building my dvd collection with almost all of them running me $15-20 a pop.

This kind of proves how fragile digital is.

People do not value digital media the way they do physical. Digital codes aren't just issued, they come from physical media. Without physical, there would be 0 market for codes.

Would you be willing to buy a digital movie for what it costs on BD? Be honest. Fact is, the perceived value of a digital copy is far below that of physical media.

I am a big supporter of digital (my collections are available for all to see), but I'm realistic. My collection, especially UV, would be about 1/4th the size without a combination of D2D, codes, and sales. My BD/DVD collection, on the other hand, would still be the same size, if not a couple hundred BDs larger.

[Texan26]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Wel, partly it already has. Look at all the PG stuff in cinemas. Is it a huge step to expect G rated films to be the only films released?

I thought it was going the opposite way. Comic book movies have been going Rated R. Deadpool, Logan, home release of Batman V Superman.

[twobelowpar]

Steedeel, you know I often side with you, but I have zero reason to believe this dystopian future of only G rated films is even a remote possibility. As for TV, it only gets edgier.


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[Gamma_Winstead]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Wel, partly it already has. Look at all the PG stuff in cinemas. Is it a huge step to expect G rated films to be the only films released?

95%, if not higher than that, of films released this ear have been pg-13 or above dude.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Wel, partly it already has. Look at all the PG stuff in cinemas. Is it a huge step to expect G rated films to be the only films released?

Yes.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

95%, if not higher than that, of films released this ear have been pg-13 or above dude.

That is what is angering some parents . There was a big article in a U.K paper last week from a film critic bemoaning the fact he can't take his young child to see Spiderman because if contains certain unsuitable scenes. It's that type of vocal protest that could kick things off. He mentioned that Marvel are selling merchandise to kids but those same kids can't see the films. His opinion is shared by many.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Texan26

I thought it was going the opposite way. Comic book movies have been going Rated R. Deadpool, Logan, home release of Batman V Superman.

They are the exception I think. Most films are PG or PG 13 (I consider them the same).

[SteelTac]

Hello, from my side I prefer to have the physical support in my hands, but it is my side collector who want it! Concerning the digital versions, it is true that this has some advantages, like the mobility of its mediatheque, but I remain despite all fix on the physical support.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

That is what is angering some parents . There was a big article in a U.K paper last week from a film critic bemoaning the fact he can't take his young child to see Spiderman because if contains certain unsuitable scenes. It's that type of vocal protest that could kick things off. He mentioned that Marvel are selling merchandise to kids but those same kids can't see the films. His opinion is shared by many.

It's been this way for decades. I argued with my mom about it back in the early '90s when Terminator 2 and Batman Returns came out and I was getting the toys. My mom thought those movies were inappropriate for me, but I was arguing that they make toys for me to buy, so I should be allowed to watch the movies (I ended up having to wait until they were on video). This is nothing new, but thanks again for making a mountain out of a mole hill.

[TheGuyWhoLovesMovies]

I am in the middle on this. I love buying digital movies like ultraviolet codes because you can buy new movies for a few dollars ,but I also like having tangible physical movies because digital movies don't always have all the bonus content or sometimes none at all. I also like some commentary which is rarely on digital movies.