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

[iGlide]

I am just simply running out of space to store hard copies! With this in mind I only buy 4k physical disc now and redeem the digital. If its a HD blu movie with simple audio (5.1 DD etc...), I purchase the digital copy from iTunes. This could change in the future if and when Apple supports Atmos on the ATV4K, at which time I may just move everything to Digital. I am old but honestly have not noticed a difference, in my eyes, from hard disc to digital. I also have a 1Gb Pipe FTTH with unlimited data so I am covered either way!
* So I don't lose my man-card: Most digital purchases end up being the "Happy wife, Happy life" movies. LOL

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by QUINTISON

I used to buy dvd/bd disc however if you buy a uhd disc you get a 1080p digital copy of the same movie 🎥 which will require a separate 4k digital copy anyway so I simply get everything digitally in 4k from iTunes and vudu!

Originally Posted by veritas

If you redeem on iTunes then you will get a 4k digital copy with your physical copy. If you get a 4k blu ray then you can redeem a 4k digital copy also (with a few exceptions). If you buy physical then a blu ray has less compression then a 4k digital file making Blu ray approximately equal to 4k digital. It seems like you get more with physical purchases but its your choice.

I use to buy 4K Combo Packs for the Digital Copy, and then sell the Discs always at a loss because Discs have lost their appeal. Now more and more Studios are not including a Digital Copy, so it's not worth buying. I do see Digital Copies of Movies selling by themselves, at around $20. I shop for the best price in Digital HD, but with Studios not including a Digital Copy with their Discs I see Digital Copies going up in price. Let's see what the New Year brings.

[doctor_who]

Originally Posted by alchav21

I use to buy 4K Combo Packs for the Digital Copy, and then sell the Discs always at a loss because Discs have lost their appeal. Now more and more Studios are not including a Digital Copy, so it's not worth buying. I do see Digital Copies of Movies selling by themselves, at around $20. I shop for the best price in Digital HD, but with Studios not including a Digital Copy with their Discs I see Digital Copies going up in price. Let's see what the New Year brings.

Which major studios aren't including digital copies with disc?

They are specifically including them to help encourage sales.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by doctor_who

Which major studios aren't including digital copies with disc?

They are specifically including them to help encourage sales.

I guess you're right on major releases they still include Digital Copies, but I have noticed not all. Like Sony with Starship Troopers: Trader of Mars, an Independent Studio Jeepers Creepers 3, and the Series Blindspot Season 2 with no Digital Copies included with Discs.

[dublinbluray108]

The Digital Entertainment Group have published figures for overall sales of physical media & streaming subscriptions in the U.S. during 2017.

The figures do not look very favourable at all for physical sales.

Physical Media sales dropped by a massive 14% to $4.7 billion.

UHD Blu-ray registered sales of $147 million. There were 15 million UHD TVs sold in the U.S. in 2017.

Physical rental sales dropped 17% to just over $2 billion.

In comparison; Streaming was up sharply by 30% to $9.5 billion.

Total entertainment spending in the U.S. was at $20.5 billion. An increase of 5%.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/the-disc...urged-in-2017/

[Fiffy]

Electronic sell-through is also up (but not by as much as subscriptions):

"Electronic sell-through — that is, purchases of movie downloads — reached $2.2 billion for the year, up nearly 6% from the prior year."

https://deadline.com/2018/01/u-s-hom...on-1202239252/

[Zu Nim]

I updated my spreadsheet with the latest DEG numbers so you can see with the lovely graphs how physical is disappearing. You can click on each image for the interactive version (adds numbers).

Subscription growth is coming from outside the complex, probably representing cord cutters shifting revenue from traditional sources like cable. Last year's bump looks more ilke the beginning of a trend.



Physical revenue was $16.1B in 2010 and digital was $2.3B. Last year digital was $13.7B and physical was $6.8B.



This is why every content provider, like Disney, wants to go with subscriptions. Whether it's physical or digital, people want to own less. Red + green are killing blue.



Combined revenues excluding subs were $18.4B in 2010. That fell to $10.9B by last year while subs went up to $10.0B. Money has dramatically shifted out of traditional models and into subs.



If trends stay linear, physical sales will be an emaciated $2.2B in 2025. Likewise, EST will be more or less flat during the same time period, much like digital rental has stayed flat while physical rental has been shrinking in the past 8 years.

[Rich1631]

I’ll always prefer physical over digital. However, I’ve skipped UHD bluray and switched to iTunes for 4K. It’s cheaper, its the future, and I realized there is no point in fighting it. I do hate the loss of extras on some iTunes movies as well as the loss of switching IMAX ratios (Dunkirk, Dark Knight Trilogy), but digital will get better over time. It sucks, but it’s the truth, physical media will die.

[Vilya]

^I do not own a crystal ball, but my magic 8 ball agrees with your dire prediction.

I think physical media will continue to decline, but then eventually plateau and remain as a niche market. If the compact disc can survive this long, I think movies and TV shows on physical media will endure for the balance of my lifetime.

Streaming 4K is impossible for many of us; it eats a lot of bandwidth that is outright non-existent in many places and if your ISP has data caps (mine does) it will devour that, too. Plus, I am told that current 4K streaming is heavily compressed and does not equal the 4K UHD disc viewing experience.

I have amassed over 7,000 titles in my collection across all formats and I will add many more. I think I am well stocked whatever the outcome.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Rich1631

I’ll always prefer physical over digital. However, I’ve skipped UHD bluray and switched to iTunes for 4K. It’s cheaper, its the future, and I realized there is no point in fighting it. I do hate the loss of extras on some iTunes movies as well as the loss of switching IMAX ratios (Dunkirk, Dark Knight Trilogy), but digital will get better over time. It sucks, but it’s the truth, physical media will die.

Originally Posted by Vilya

^I do not own a crystal ball, but my magic 8 ball agrees with your dire prediction.

I think physical media will continue to decline, but then eventually plateau and remain as a niche market. If the compact disc can survive this long, I think movies and TV shows on physical media will endure for the balance of my lifetime.

Streaming 4K is impossible for many of us; it eats a lot of bandwidth that is outright non-existent in many places and if your ISP has data caps (mine does) it will devour that, too. Plus, I am told that current 4K streaming is heavily compressed and does not equal the 4K UHD disc viewing experience.

Well you Disc Lovers are coming around, and starting to see the light. Solid Bandwidth is needed for 4K Streaming, but with enough of it the results are Amazing. You're right, Disc will be around for a while but for immediate gratification there is nothing like Streaming HD.

[TROLLY]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Well you Disc Lovers are coming around, and starting to see the light. Solid Bandwidth is needed for 4K Streaming, but with enough of it the results are Amazing. You're right, Disc will be around for a while but for immediate gratification there is nothing like Streaming HD.

Streaming is the future. They won’t be making discs in 30 years time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WestMan]

Discs are never going away in the next 30 years. They still make CD's and Vinyl records. There will always be a fraction of the audience who wants the highest quality that a hard copy can provide.

I say that as somebody who has future proofed himself and has both physical and digital copies of my top 100+ movies.

[dublinbluray108]

This guy has done a great job with explaining the topic of Collecting Physical Media in a Digital world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YseieSgm_wo

[maverick22]

I'm wondering, owning an OLED, will 4k with DV (itunes or Vudu) show better picture quality vs. the actual UHD HDR disc with no DV?

For example: Pacific Rim in Vudu/itunes 4k with DV vs. the UHD discs where neither have DV?

Thanks!

[veritas]

Originally Posted by maverick22

I'm wondering, owning an OLED, will 4k with DV (itunes or Vudu) show better picture quality vs. the actual UHD HDR disc with no DV?

For example: Pacific Rim in Vudu/itunes 4k with DV vs. the UHD discs where neither have DV?

Thanks!

The disc should look better, if for nothing else just the fact that 4k stream is capped at less then 20 mb/s while 4k blu rays are like 80-90 mb/s. Also dolby vision has some picture problems https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnarc.../#587669e62906 which don't happen with hdr10.

In my own experience it comes down somewhere between I cant tell the difference between the 2 and the disc looks better. Which is about the same scale i would give when comparing 4k digital and blu ray discs.

[maverick22]

Originally Posted by veritas

The disc should look better, if for nothing else just the fact that 4k stream is capped at less then 20 mb/s while 4k blu rays are like 80-90 mb/s. Also dolby vision has some picture problems https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnarc.../#587669e62906 which don't happen with hdr10.

In my own experience it comes down somewhere between I cant tell the difference between the 2 and the disc looks better. Which is about the same scale i would give when comparing 4k digital and blu ray discs.

Good stuff - thanks! I just know some people who have OLEDs have mentioned with particular movies they thought streaming in DV looked better than the actual UHD disc that had no DV. Just wanted more opinions, and with overall titles.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by dublinbluray108

This guy has done a great job with explaining the topic of Collecting Physical Media in a Digital world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YseieSgm_wo

This guy is my hero!

[Veronica Mars]

Digital rules!

Can’t wait to sell off most of my blus!

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Veronica Mars

Digital rules!

Can’t wait to sell off most of my blus!

It can rule you all you want it to, but I will not allow myself to become dependent upon the internet to watch movies I allegedly "own" even if reliable internet was offered where I live, even if there was never any buffering or fluctuations in image quality, and even if data caps were of no concern.

All I need to enjoy my library is reliable electricity. My internet provider does not even have the word "reliable" in their vocabulary.

[Steedeel]

Digital HD is basically going to hit the tarmac in a couple of years as I predicted. Very little growth and it is now obvious that it isn’t going to be a hit. Subscription on the other hand, I always insisted that was the future.

Disc wise, nothing to worry about. Should be good for another ten years. Might even outlast Digital HD. At this point, Digital HD seems a bit pointless to me.

The CD will outlast MP3 downloads, the same will happen with discs and Digital HD. Waste of money for a format that we don’t even own properly and has poorer quality by far. No thanks, disc to the end.

We are Blu-Ray!