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

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by The_Donster

But it isn’t the same gang. I’m sure he’ll fire back with the same argument he did when I brought up cable

It’s not a argument, it’s a fact. The quality is exactly the same for gaming. I don’t know what is so hard to understand?

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It’s not a argument, it’s a fact. The quality is exactly the same for gaming. I don’t know what is so hard to understand?

But ‘Dey can take my games awayyyyyyy!!!!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Groot

But ‘Dey can take my games awayyyyyyy!!!!

Well they need players to actually participate in multiplayer so no they won’t. Completely different situation. Almost 90% games have multiplayer now.

[The_Donster]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It’s not a argument, it’s a fact. The quality is exactly the same for gaming. I don’t know what is so hard to understand?

Because it smells of hypocrisy. If you are such a proponent of physical why doesn’t it reflect in every aspect of your life?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Well they need players to actually participate in multiplayer so no they won’t. Completely different situation. Almost 90% games have multiplayer now.

What a cheery outlook you have.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by octagon

Not really. The point of the toaster analogy is that reasonable people don't expect everything they buy to last until the End of Days.

In fact, with relatively few exceptions (a house, maybe) reasonable people don't expect anything we buy to last until the End of Days.



Call me old-fashioned but I think that should be up to the seller. If the seller wants to sell me the product outright and completely transfer ownership that's up to him. If she only wants to license the product that's her call.

The seller is the one who actually owns the stuff, after all.

Now, of course the consumers get a say too. They can say 'thank you but no thank you' if they don't like the sellers terms.



If I buy one of those smart doorbells and the company goes belly up in a few years and stops supporting all the cool smart features or decides they want to raise their subscription fee by some ridiculous amount I suppose I could rage against the machine and go on and on about the injustice of it all.

Or I could just buy a new doorbell.

A product failing over time is entirely different than access being arbitrarily denied to a purchased product.

I have different expectations about how long different types of items should last based primarily on my experience with that item. I have no expectation that items I purchase will last until "the end of days." I do expect to have unfettered access until when, and if, they do fail.

I recognize that when I buy a disc that I do not own the movie, but rather I have a license to access the copyrighted content on that disc. The disc is mine; the content on it is not.

I have full control over access to that content for the life of the disc. The restrictions are very few and succinctly summarized in the FBI warning on most every disc. My experience has shown me that discs, generally, have a very, very long lifespan. No seller is ever going to revoke this access.

With digital, the license conferred upon purchase is a very tenuous one. The seller can revoke access at will, change the resolution at will, edit the content at will, change the terms at will, and many state that you waive your rights to sue them. Would all of this hold up in court? I don't know, but I will not agree to such one-sided terms regardless. If others do so knowingly, then, yes, that's their informed choice. Caveat emptor.

I decide on a case by case basis if the premature demise of a product, or lack of support for it, warrants any action on my part or whether I am better served by simply replacing that item. Having my access to something I purchased suddenly revoked on a whim of the seller is not something I would accept lightly.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by The_Donster

Because it smells of hypocrisy. If you are such a proponent of physical why doesn’t it reflect in every aspect of your life?

Because that’s a daft statement. Banking is digital for the most part now, video chat with family friends in different city or country is digital, renewing car insurance, ordering groceries etc.. They are all good things.

You guys are just being awkward. When I say digital it’s in the context of this discussion and this thread, but this thread is so full of (imo) smart arses, apparently I have to explain and spell out every post now.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Well they need players to actually participate in multiplayer so no they won’t. Completely different situation. Almost 90% games have multiplayer now.

Servers have shut down, people have been banned and lost their purchases, games can die off, some leave the digital stores... but since it’s not movies it’s cool?

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Because that’s a daft statement. Banking is digital for the most part now, video chat with family friends in different city or country is digital, renewing car insurance, ordering groceries etc.. They are all good things.

You guys are just being awkward. When I say digital it’s in the context of this discussion and this thread, but this thread is so full of (imo) smart arses, apparently I have to explain and spell out every post now.

Well I’m not going to deny being a smartass, but the point is to show it’s hypocritical. You’re generally bent out of a shape over digital movies but give no shit about games. That’s hilarious when the exact same scenario of ownership can apply on both sides.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Groot

Servers have shut down, people have been banned and lost their purchases, games can die off, some leave the digital stores... but since it’s not movies it’s cool?

Film is my concern.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Groot

Well I’m not going to deny being a smartass, but the point is to show it’s hypocritical. You’re generally bent out of a shape over digital movies but give no shit about games. That’s hilarious when the exact same scenario of ownership can apply on both sides.

It’s not the exact same though is it? As I have explained.

[Vilya]

Speaking of games, I am very late at playing mine.

I feel conflicted about digital games and I have admitted to feeling a bit of a hypocrite. I always submit these two rationalizations regarding them: one is that about 75-80% of my digital games were gifts and the other is simply that I am not as passionate about them as I am about movies. Notice that I said these were rationalizations, not justifications.

I replay extremely few of them and many have never been played at all. I have Steam games, gog games, Blizzard games, and the free to pay Path Of Exile. I realize the terms of service on these are just as one-sided as those of the digital movie providers and I don't like them one bit, but yet I agreed to them, the games being gifts notwithstanding, and therein lies that foul hypocrisy. I bear this shame as best I can.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Film is my concern.

Right. Because it’s convenient for you and your concern - digital is bad. You don’t see how your posts calling us digital people a problem isn’t hypocritical when you can support it when it fits your narrative?

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It’s not the exact same though is it? As I have explained.

It is the same thing. There’s also hundreds of games every year that are single player only. The multiplayer argument is silly.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Groot

Right. Because it’s convenient for you and your concern - digital is bad. You don’t see how your posts calling us digital people a problem isn’t hypocritical when you can support it when it fits your narrative?



It is the same thing. There’s also hundreds of games every year that are single player only. The multiplayer argument is silly.

The nature of games is people play them then move on. Once they are complete there is usually little appeal to playing again. Disposable, if you like. I dint see films in the same light.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Speaking of games, I am very late at playing mine.

I feel conflicted about digital games and I have admitted to feeling a bit of a hypocrite. I always submit these two rationalizations regarding them: one is that about 75-80% of my digital games were gifts and the other is simply that I am not as passionate about them as I am about movies. Notice that I said these were rationalizations, not justifications.

I replay extremely few of them and many have never been played at all. I have Steam games, gog games, Blizzard games, and the free to pay Path Of Exile. I realize the terms of service on these are just as one-sided as those of the digital movie providers and I don't like them one bit, but yet I agreed to them, the games being gifts notwithstanding, and therein lies that foul hypocrisy. I bear this shame as best I can.

Dont worry, you will get a pass.

[flyry]

The facebook comments on these stories are even more hyperbolic than this thread.

Someone saying they'd opt for VHS over any quality of digital.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by flyry

The facebook comments on these stories are even more hyperbolic than this thread.

Someone saying they'd opt for VHS over any quality of digital.

Sometimes it’s the same thing. Or worse! 240p

[octagon]

Originally Posted by flyry

The facebook comments on these stories are even more hyperbolic than this thread.

Someone saying they'd opt for VHS over any quality of digital.

Way to stick it to The Man

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

The nature of games is people play them then move on. Once they are complete there is usually little appeal to playing again. Disposable, if you like. I dint see films in the same light.

Right. That’s why classic consoles are selling out from Nintendo and people are buying remastered and upgraded games now.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Dont worry, you will get a pass.

I wasn't exactly seeking absolution, just marveling at how the human mind, mine in particular, rationalizes such conflicts of interest.