Quote:
Originally Posted by 50strat54
I wonder how much longer the Studios will include:
1. Slipcovers
2. Digital Copies [many packages are starting to remove Digital Copy from artwork underneath the slipcover]
3. DVD in Combo Packs [starting to be eliminated]
4. Bluray in Combo Packs [starting to be eliminated]
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1. Studios know the value of slipcovers to many collectors, as evidenced by all the re-releases with special slipcovers. That said, they clearly don't put as much into using them to sell the product anymore. I can't remember the last time I saw a lenticular cover.
2. Warner is the only studio that does this and they've done it for far too long to say they're just now starting the practice. They've dropped the dvd and digital from later pressings for over a decade.
3. Some studios, yes, some, no. It's often title specific even for studios that do. But again, you're at least a few years late to the party, if you think the practice is just "starting".
4. That one is relatively new, but as much as I personally HATE it - because we have one 4k display and 3 more 1080 sets, not to mention 4k discs have far more playback issues with different brands of player, so it's nice to know we can at least finish the movie in 1080p if the 4k disc messes up, especially when you have company - it was always inevitable, considering how most of corporate Hollywood thinks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by InuYashaCrusade
The only thing of any value is digital copies and even then I'm sure some users here would disagree. Combo packs are useless because who ever uses the DVD, slipcovers are unnecessary, etc.
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Do you have a problem chaining words together to express a completed thought or something? "
Combo packs are useless because who ever uses the dvd"? What does that even mean? It's like saying cars are useless because of whomever sits in the back seat. See how stupid that sounds? "
The only thing of any value is digital copies?" "and even then I'm sure some users here would disagree." That last part is an awfully arrogant statement considering where you are. The first part could not be more clueless about this industry, and that's as nice as I can put it. EVERY part of that combo pack has tangible resell value after it's been used, even the case. Parts might not be worth much now, but even old half-degraded VHS tapes appreciate in value when it's hard to come by, especially when there is no other alternative, and tape doesn't have but a fraction of the longevity of discs. Where a used digital copy code has absolutely no resell value whatsoever.
The courts have not yet been pressed to make any concise ruling on the legality of reselling new digital codes, but I know that all studio execs consider it illegal and have bullied a number of online marketplaces into censoring such, despite no legal basis to stand on. Past court rulings would indicate that the studios can not censor the resell of the paper the code is printed on, so studios may have not pressed legally as yet, knowing the end result might make them lose some leverage over ebay and other major online marketplaces.
Downloading the file to your own server is a stop-gap compromise to lure (fool) collectors to switch too, not just renters/streamers. But, you still have nothing to sell when a new and improved version comes out, and you shouldn't expect such "generosity" to last. As the industry has always and still does favor a paper-view model, and with global internet access surging, such may soon be feasible. That means, no more watching major Hollywood productions on netflix, itunes, vudu, hulu, prime video, etc. The only way those services can remain viable is by becoming their own self-contained production companies, which is why most are well on the way to doing just that. They know that licensing others properties will not last forever. Without discs to fall back on and with cinemas losing ground to streaming, except for some major markets where the cinema will survive as a nostalgic experience, offering a premium performance for $100+ a ticket, as already predicted by Spielberg and Lucas. By then the only way most will be able to enjoy Hollywood productions is direct from the studios themselves. That means separate monthly subscriptions to Sony, Warner, Universal, Paramount, Disney, etc. And that might be split up further if say NBC/Universal wants to keep their TV and movie sites separate, or like Fox, as most of its catalog clearly does not fit within Disney's more wholesome image. That's the future that every downloader or streamer is buying into. One without option or price competition. Where the consumer has a substantial say in an industry driven by physical sells, studios will hold all the power over the availability, price, and quality of their properties in a world without discs. And that's what digital distribution is all about
: taking back control of their properties, circumventing court rulings in favor of businesses and the consumer. No more costly recalls due to their own poor production testing. No more unrestricted resell of their properties on open markets (studios think it should be illegal to resell a dvd you bought at walmart, but the courts ruled in favor of the consumer, and later in favor of Blockbuster Video, which was the final straw for Hollywood). No more retailers or rental outlets leveraging their market dominance to force studios to sell them their films below what they want for them. No more having to liquidate surplus of films that haven't fully exhausted interest yet. How bout no virtually no overhead whatsoever? Digital offers an unending chain of cost effective benefits for the property owners. It's win, win, win, WIN!!! if they can con or force enough to buy into their dream. What real benefits do digital offer consumers outside convenience? Because, long term, the costs of supporting digital will be FAR greater than most can fathom. But it'll happen slow enough that few will know what hit them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by steve_dave
Paramount dropped the Blu-ray and still charges the same price for 4K. Their catalog BD releases without digital copies and DVDs also still have the same SRP as a regular “bargain” Blu-ray.
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That's all part of phasing out a technology: you make it more expensive and less and less desirable: FAR less advertising, delayed release, fewer features, lower quality (like no 4k option - they're not at all concerned about technical fine-points that fuel forum discussion among videophiles). Basically they're putting everything they can into promoting their Holy Grail above all other options. Most major studios have gone out of their way to avoid growing the physical market for over a decade now, and yet it's clearly still too profitable for them to abandon. But they're so committed to their cause it'll eventually happen. The only question is whether boutiques will still be allowed to license any of their properties at all. They definitely won't be getting whatever passes for the latest streaming blockbuster. But, I'm sure Criterion can sustain a steady stream of 4K updates of foreign cinema for possibly about as long as they want, even if their prices do have to return to the niche levels of laserdisc (plus inflation).
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