Hard decision, but going all digital.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I think their confidence in digital is misplaced, but I can not question their motivation and their love of film just because they choose a different format.

People who are buying digital fall into two categories:

A) People who trust that the studios and digital providers will always provide access to the movies they've bought.
B) People who don't care if some of their movies eventually disappear.

Type A may be just as passionate of film fans as people who are buying physical media, they're just gullible and overly trusting of giant corporations. No company has ever continued to support and spend money on products that haven't made a profit in years and they aren't going to start doing that now with streaming.

Type B clearly aren't as passionate about film. Anyone who doesn't mind if some of their favorite films disappear obviously doesn't care that much about them in the first place.

The vast majority of customers likely fall into category B. But most people posting on forums like this likely fall into category A.

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I only take exception to the part that I underlined. I can in no way pretend that I know how much of a film fan that someone else is, yet alone whether or not they are "true" film fans, whatever that even means.

I am inclined to believe that anyone who purchases movies is a significant fan of them. Digital customers likely buy their movies with the same enthusiasm and confidence that I do with my disc purchases.

I think their confidence in digital is misplaced, but I can not question their motivation and their love of film just because they choose a different format. They are doing what they feel is best for them, as am I, and our mutual love of movies is the one great thing that we all have in common despite all of the other differences and nuances that we debate here on these forums.

Well said Sir, I truly love movies, I do admit the physical copies at this point will still give you the best picture, but with my apple tv 4k I’m pretty happy and I’m sure eventually it will get better. Honestly every time I see a physical collection I am in aww, truly appreciate the time/effort/dedication/attention to detail thats involved. I just chose to go digital for my needs/requirements.

I’m actually going to go out and buy the 1992 Aladdin and 1994 Lion King physical copy steelbook 4k, I still have the VHS versions and I want to play them side by side to see the difference. I know it will be ages better but they were my favorite movies as a child and to see it remastered will be incredible.

Apologies if some comments were offensive, no hard feelings

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

Thank you for this post. I can’t believe the other insanity in this thread. I assumed the above was a philosophy that most if not all blu ray enthusiasts understood and subscribed to (especially as it’s all objectively true), but wow, I guess I was wrong.

I'm glad that you enjoyed my little speech delivered from atop my

I would not call the preference for digital "insanity"; it comes down to just valuing different things.

I like having access to my redeemed digital copies from almost anywhere, but that is all that digital offers me. My hill to die upon is first and foremost the ownership and control issue followed by the video and audio quality differences. Discs allow me genuine ownership and full control over my movies along with the best possible quality. Digital only offers me convenience and that can not replace real ownership and the best in quality. My discs usually include the digital copy, so I get it all with my purchases.

[The_Donster]

Having been where you are now a year and a half ago OP I wish all the luck in the move. I’ll also echo do what is good for you and your family. Good luck and keep us posted

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

Well said Sir, I truly love movies, I do admit the physical copies at this point will still give you the best picture, but with my apple tv 4k I’m pretty happy and I’m sure eventually it will get better. Honestly every time I see a physical collection I am in aww, truly appreciate the time/effort/dedication/attention to detail thats involved. I just chose to go digital for my needs/requirements.

I’m actually going to go out and buy the 1992 Aladdin and 1994 Lion King physical copy steelbook 4k, I still have the VHS versions and I want to play them side by side to see the difference. I know it will be ages better but they were my favorite movies as a child and to see it remastered will be incredible.

Apologies if some comments were offensive, no hard feelings

We are passionate about our movie hobby and passions sometimes overheat; no need to apologize, but a nice gesture all the same.

Both are great movies and contrasting the VHS releases with the 4K discs should be a revelation like going from blindness to sightedness.

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

People who are buying digital fall into two categories:

A) People who trust that the studios and digital providers will always provide access to the movies they've bought.
B) People who don't care if some of their movies eventually disappear.

Type A may be just as passionate of film fans as people who are buying physical media, they're just gullible and overly trusting of giant corporations. No company has ever continued to support and spend money on products that haven't made a profit in years and they aren't going to start doing that now with streaming.

Type B clearly aren't as passionate about film. Anyone who doesn't mind if some of their favorite films disappear obviously doesn't care that much about them in the first place.

The vast majority of customers likely fall into category B. But most people posting on forums like this likely fall into category A.

Yea I need more meat on that bone to buy it, most people don’t trust big companies regardless of the service/product that is provided, capitalism has 1 priority and its not to make its customers/consumers satisfied but to profit from them. That being said don't confuse someone being gullible for someone having confidence in a company to provide them with a service /product that will suit their needs.

Your type A/B is wrong, there is no “one size fits all” label that you can use against someone. There are multiple factors for someone feeling/doing something that caters to them. None of my movies have ever been lost or had any issues. I even own movies that are not available in the US store anymore any they are fine. I have only heard of movies going missing from an account for region issues where you would need to use a different account to access it. In that rare event itunes will work something out with you. Can it happen, I’m sure it can, just like someone loosing or damaging a disc. There are a lot of what if’s, I just care that people are watching movies digitally/physically and we as consumers work together to continue building this community so all sided can benefit. Even though I have gone all digital, I will always support our brothers/sisters who are/go physical because I would want there support in return.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

None of my movies have ever been lost or had any issues. I even own movies that are not available in the US store anymore any they are fine. I have only heard of movies going missing from an account for region issues where you would need to use a different account to access it. In that rare event itunes will work something out with you. Can it happen, I’m sure it can, just like someone loosing or damaging a disc.

If one of my discs gets lost or damaged I can always buy a replacement. Long after a title goes out of print there will still be thousands of used copies in circulation. I can still easily replace a lost or damaged VHS tape, Laserdisc, or HD DVD even though those formats were all discontinued years ago. Every single person who owns a copy has the ability to redistribute that copy to anyone else.

But if a title gets removed from a digital provider and is no longer available then no one can possibly replace their lost copy and no new customers can buy a copy either. The studios and digital providers have absolute control over all distribution, there is no secondary market.

[-Gonzo-]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

But if a title gets removed from a digital provider and is no longer available then no one can possibly replace their lost copy and no new customers can buy a copy either. The studios and digital providers have absolute control over all distribution, there is no secondary market.

It’s a good job Apple allows you to download and store your movies to a storage device, but then so far I’ve still got access to any movies that are no longer available to buy via iTunes.
Hopefully one day the studios will see sense and allow 4K movies to be downloaded for storage too.

[rui no onna]

Originally Posted by -Gonzo-

It’s a good job Apple allows you to download and store your movies to a storage device, but then so far I’ve still got access to any movies that are no longer available to buy via iTunes.
Hopefully one day the studios will see sense and allow 4K movies to be downloaded for storage too.

DRM means those downloaded movies are only playable on the device it was downloaded to. If that device ever breaks, then whatever "OOP" titles you have downloaded on your old device is gone right along with it.

Mind, both Vudu and Amazon allow downloads as well.

There are movies where I don't care if that happens and I consider the risk low enough and the price cheap enough (when they're on sale at rental prices) that I'm willing to go digital-only. Movies Anywhere also partially mitigates the risk of complete loss (e.g. one distributor might lose a certain movie but it could still be available on other platforms).

For movies I don't want to lose, I buy on optical media (with digital copy).

[blackwidowavenger1964]

Thank you all for the responses. Didn't want to further the debate of digital vs. physical. As for now, I will be going all digital to save money in hopes to move out of state and better myself off in life at the moment. Maybe one day I will be able to afford to go back and maybe the ease of turning on the TV and pressing a button will suit me just fine. I love all collectors whether they be digital, physical etc. Hopefully everyone here is an agreement no matter what collection style you own, that we all love movies. Long live movies!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

You should be happy someone is watching the movie and enjoying their experience, doesn't matter the format or screen, its about being happy watching the movie with the people you love, Mr. True Film Fan

I never argued that subscription streaming has a big future. The problem with that is you will need several subscriptions to have the same access that disc lovers enjoy at the moment. That’s a fact.

Digital HD is dead in the water. Look at all the devices you can watch it on, yet single digit sales. There is a very good reason the industry isn’t raving about Digital HD. Surely you have noticed the lack of enthusiasm? Ownership is dying and it has become more vital than ever to own all your beloved films on disc. In the near future, you will learn why.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

That's only true if it was the distributor's choice to remove the movie. If a studio removes one of their movies then it will disappear from all digital distributors simultaneously. That also applies to all censorship and other modifications.

Exactly, a point I brought up earlier.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

Yea I need more meat on that bone to buy it, most people don’t trust big companies regardless of the service/product that is provided, capitalism has 1 priority and its not to make its customers/consumers satisfied but to profit from them. That being said don't confuse someone being gullible for someone having confidence in a company to provide them with a service /product that will suit their needs.

Your type A/B is wrong, there is no “one size fits all” label that you can use against someone. There are multiple factors for someone feeling/doing something that caters to them. None of my movies have ever been lost or had any issues. I even own movies that are not available in the US store anymore any they are fine. I have only heard of movies going missing from an account for region issues where you would need to use a different account to access it. In that rare event itunes will work something out with you. Can it happen, I’m sure it can, just like someone loosing or damaging a disc. There are a lot of what if’s, I just care that people are watching movies digitally/physically and we as consumers work together to continue building this community so all sided can benefit. Even though I have gone all digital, I will always support our brothers/sisters who are/go physical because I would want there support in return.

By switching to digital, you are damaging the HT market. You guys will see this in time.

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by rui no onna

DRM means those downloaded movies are only playable on the device it was downloaded to. If that device ever breaks, then whatever "OOP" titles you have downloaded on your old device is gone right along with it.

Mind, both Vudu and Amazon allow downloads as well.

There are movies where I don't care if that happens and I consider the risk low enough and the price cheap enough (when they're on sale at rental prices) that I'm willing to go digital-only. Movies Anywhere also partially mitigates the risk of complete loss (e.g. one distributor might lose a certain movie but it could still be available on other platforms).

For movies I don't want to lose, I buy on optical media (with digital copy).

This is something I have a question about, I know I can download movies locally if I wanted to download, but lets say I wanted to download or rip movies to an external hard drive so I can plug it into anywhere like another PC or tablet open the file and watch. I once had when I was young a USB drive with 3 or 4 movies stored on there, I’m thinking now getting like a 2TB external hard drive and downloading my collection there, can I do that and/how.

[rui no onna]

Originally Posted by Night*Wolf

This is something I have a question about, I know I can download movies locally if I wanted to download, but lets say I wanted to download or rip movies to an external hard drive so I can plug it into anywhere like another PC or tablet open the file and watch. I once had when I was young a USB drive with 3 or 4 movies stored on there, I’m thinking now getting like a 2TB external hard drive and downloading my collection there, can I do that and/how.

iTunes downloads used to be tied to the account so as long as you were logged in to the same account on iTunes on the other device, you could play videos copied to USB or NAS.

They changed their policy at one point so downloads are now tied to devices. If you download a movie on PC 1, and say, you only have a small HDD on PC 1, you can offload the video to external USB or NAS and it will still be playable on PC 1. However, you won't be able to play those same downloads on PC 2 even if PC 2 is logged in to the same iTunes account. You need to re-download directly from PC 2 if you want the video playable there.

Same goes for Amazon downloads. Haven't really tried with Vudu since I don't like their interface.

I believe there are software available that can record DRM iTunes videos VHS-style to get DRM-free copies but then you're recompressing a relatively highly compressed source.

Meanwhile, your average pirate doesn't have to worry about DRM, device activations and transferability.

[rui no onna]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

By switching to digital, you are damaging the HT market. You guys will see this in time.

It's really Netflix and streaming that's doing that, not digital purchases.

[rui no onna]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

That's only true if it was the distributor's choice to remove the movie. If a studio removes one of their movies then it will disappear from all digital distributors simultaneously. That also applies to all censorship and other modifications.

Could be distributor's choice. Could also be studio and distributor stuck on a stalemate renewing licensing/distribution. That's why I specifically mentioned partially.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by blackwidowavenger1964

Thank you all for the responses. Didn't want to further the debate of digital vs. physical. As for now, I will be going all digital to save money in hopes to move out of state and better myself off in life at the moment. Maybe one day I will be able to afford to go back and maybe the ease of turning on the TV and pressing a button will suit me just fine. I love all collectors whether they be digital, physical etc. Hopefully everyone here is an agreement no matter what collection style you own, that we all love movies. Long live movies!

It's easy to let a genie out of a bottle, but once you have you're not going to get him back into it. Your thread has now been hijacked as the latest front in the digital vs. physical media war. Just sit back and marvel at your Frankenstein creation.

Hopefully, after nearly 100 comments, you have received the moral support that you first sought in your original post. Most people who have commented here clearly agree that you should do what is best for you.

We will, however, keep arguing back and forth; this is an internet forum and that's what we do here. Despite all the noise we will each keep doing what we prefer.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I never argued that subscription streaming has a big future. The problem with that is you will need several subscriptions to have the same access that disc lovers enjoy at the moment. That’s a fact.

Digital HD is dead in the water. Look at all the devices you can watch it on, yet single digit sales. There is a very good reason the industry isn’t raving about Digital HD. Surely you have noticed the lack of enthusiasm? Ownership is dying and it has become more vital than ever to own all your beloved films on disc. In the near future, you will learn why.

Ownership is not dying; it is just declining and thankfully that is all that is happening as your very longevity is dependent upon it.

[Night*Wolf]

Originally Posted by rui no onna

iTunes downloads used to be tied to the account so as long as you were logged in to the same account on iTunes on the other device, you could play videos copied to USB or NAS.

They changed their policy at one point so downloads are now tied to devices. If you download a movie on PC 1, and say, you only have a small HDD on PC 1, you can offload the video to external USB or NAS and it will still be playable on PC 1. However, you won't be able to play those same downloads on PC 2 even if PC 2 is logged in to the same iTunes account. You need to re-download directly from PC 2 if you want the video playable there.

Same goes for Amazon downloads. Haven't really tried with Vudu since I don't like their interface.

I believe there are software available that can record DRM iTunes videos VHS-style to get DRM-free copies but then you're recompressing a relatively highly compressed source.

Meanwhile, your average pirate doesn't have to worry about DRM, device activations and transferability.

From what I heard there is a way to download the content while bypassing the DRM all together. An I.T. Guy @ work was telling me you need a certain type of software where you can bypass any DRM from any studio music or video. He said thats how you find good quality movies on tor and such. That was my question to see if you were familiar with that process because I’m not that familiar with this type of DRM removal. He said the quality is really good if you find the right one, I dont use tor but I wanted a plug n’ play like an old usb stick so he was telling me to get like a 2TB drive and download all my movies to it but I have to understand it more.

Do physical copies have a similar type of restriction, I don't want to sound like I pirate movie lol. I buy all my content and support the industry, but I always look for a different way to watch my collection. Like Movies Anywhere, I never used it but made an account because its free and its another avenue for me to view my content. Only about 80% of my movies transferred but still pretty cool.