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

[bhampton]

Happy Father's Day





My youngest made awesome dad tribute to wake up to.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Big picture with tiny tinny sound; I will never get why so many people settle for that.

I think you may have found the exact moment when the shift began. Who wants to think a $200 sound bar or even better a couple of old book shelf speakers is an upgrade to a $4000 TV? Soon as the settling starts it takes root.

[stonesfan129]

Originally Posted by Vilya

People that are easily satisfied with video quality are often more so with audio.

It always amazes me that many people will spend big bucks on a nice TV only to listen through its crappy built-in speakers or maybe a cheap soundbar.

Big picture with tiny tinny sound; I will never get why so many people settle for that.

I totally agree. My 5.1 system sounds so much better than a soundbar, it's like a night and day difference. I think for a lot of people, maybe they just don't realize you can get a 5.1 system for a relatively affordable price. I think it's a space/room design thing. The receiver and speakers take up more room vs a soundbar. And I don't think big box stores where people go to try out or buy this stuff are advertising surround sound systems anymore really. At least at my local Best Buy, they have a few soundbars you can try out. But receivers and speakers (separates systems) are relegated to a small area off to the side.

[stonesfan129]

A bit of digital vs. physical news. I find this kind of surprising -

https://cordcuttersnews.com/disneys-...andor-creator/

Disney Says Streaming is Dead & That It Doesn’t Have The Money It Once Did For Shows According to “Andor” Creator

I know quite a lot of people who subscribe to Disney+ either because they wanted to watch the Star Wars shows, or because it hosts content that their kids watch. I thought I read somewhere that Disney+ was profitable in Q4 2024. I guess they're starting to realize you have to keep budgets reasonable.

[Vilya]

I think that the streaming market has too many competing services and that a market correction is overdue.

Each of these studios that decided to offer their own streaming service seemed to think that their extensive catalogs would be enough to attract subscribers while failing to realize that a streaming service has to continually provide all-new content in order to keep their customers. Supplying subscribers with a steady stream of new content has proven to be hugely expensive.

Streaming customers like to "binge and bail" bouncing from one service to the next. Subscriber retention is a big challenge in an overcrowded streaming marketplace.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I think that the streaming market has too many competing services and that a market correction is overdue.

Each of these studios that decided to offer their own streaming service seemed to think that their extensive catalogs would be enough to attract subscribers while failing to realize that a streaming service has to continually provide all-new content in order to keep their customers. Supplying subscribers with a steady stream of new content has proven to be hugely expensive.

Streaming customers like to "binge and bail" bouncing from one service to the next. Subscriber retention is a big challenge in an overcrowded streaming marketplace.

Minimum contracts will be coming down the line. Netflix, Amazon and Disney will be the major three, I fully expect Amazon or Disney to acquire DC and Warner content in the future. The likes of Shudder will be swallowed up.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by gotmule

... will there still be enough interest to support not only physical media, but the equipment that makes it all come to life.

I think that there will be at least enough interest to support immersive audio equipment despite the limited number of stores that offer and demonstrate such equipment. High quality audio appeals to more than just cinephiles.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by the-pi-guy

But I worry about the future of this relatively new hobby of mine. It doesn't feel like it is trending in the right direction.

In trhe sghort term do I feel physical media will continue declining? yes
Do I feel at some point that will stop and it will plateau? yes
Do I think Music kind of shows that? yes
Does it mean that if new releases are stopped that I won't be able to buy new releases? yes, if it happens does it mean old releases will magically stop working? no, this is not digital. When HMV Canada shut down all the physical media did not stop working, it is not like digital that when cinema now shut down people lost their collections.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by CV19

Not only your VHS player but also the tapes themselves of course. I speak from experience.....my first video recorder, a Philips, used to chew up tapes for fun. Thankfully my later Sony machines were brilliant.

tapes do degrade with use but they also degrade with time. BDs don't degrade with use so there is that. As for VHS players one can easily find a player to buy even though they have not been manufactured for many years (I same talking about used, don't know why someone would want to buy a new sealed in box 20 year old player with no warranty)

[Wendell R. Breland]

Have this one and tried to watch this one but hit eject after 25 minutes.


Put this one in the player and it was pretty good.

Noted the A Working Man did not have a FBI warning, the spouse said, “who would want pirate that movie.”

The above is nothing more than our opinions about the movies, no statement of facts made.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Vilya

People that are easily satisfied with video quality are often more so with audio.

It always amazes me that many people will spend big bucks on a nice TV only to listen through its crappy built-in speakers or maybe a cheap soundbar.

Big picture with tiny tinny sound; I will never get why so many people settle for that.

For me it was always the people that buy ultra expensive designer headphones to listen to over compressed streaming music.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by gotmule

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there!

happy fathers day.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

I totally agree. My 5.1 system sounds so much better than a soundbar, it's like a night and day difference. I think for a lot of people, maybe they just don't realize you can get a 5.1 system for a relatively affordable price. I think it's a space/room design thing. The receiver and speakers take up more room vs a soundbar. And I don't think big box stores where people go to try out or buy this stuff are advertising surround sound systems anymore really. At least at my local Best Buy, they have a few soundbars you can try out. But receivers and speakers (separates systems) are relegated to a small area off to the side.

I agree but will
kind of add
Complexity: like you said many rooms are not set up for great listening anyways, but even if that is not a big issue, you either need to have cables running on the ground/walls or do it properly and pass them in the wall and it is not DIY for everyone.

and will add
lack of understanding: IMHO speakers are the best "investment", I tell people if you need to scrimp don't do it on the speakers. The same 5 speakers in my original setup are in the same location they were originally (with some more speakers added with time) but my original SD projector got replaced with HD then 3D and then UHD, my DVD player got replaced by a BD and then 3d an then UHD BD player.....

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

A bit of digital vs. physical news. I find this kind of surprising -



I know quite a lot of people who subscribe to Disney+ either because they wanted to watch the Star Wars shows, or because it hosts content that their kids watch. I thought I read somewhere that Disney+ was profitable in Q4 2024. I guess they're starting to realize you have to keep budgets reasonable.

I think the title is click bait (i.e. doubt Disney at this point is dropping +) but it is one of the huge issues with streaming. Spending enough on content to keep people subscribed but not so much that it bankrupts you.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I think that the streaming market has too many competing services and that a market correction is overdue.

Each of these studios that decided to offer their own streaming service seemed to think that their extensive catalogs would be enough to attract subscribers while failing to realize that a streaming service has to continually provide all-new content in order to keep their customers. Supplying subscribers with a steady stream of new content has proven to be hugely expensive.

Streaming customers like to "binge and bail" bouncing from one service to the next. Subscriber retention is a big challenge in an overcrowded streaming marketplace.

The issue is, like we can see from streaming fanboys here, many see it as easy. A content owner makes 0$ if content is just sitting around not being watched/bought. There will always be companies that that think "I will have the golden touch" and launch sites going after content they can get for cheap.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

I guess they're starting to realize you have to keep budgets reasonable.

That’s not at all what happened, and FWIW, while the total amount of Disney’s content budget has decreased somewhat, IIRC it only did so by a relatively small percentage.

[veritas]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I think that the streaming market has too many competing services and that a market correction is overdue.

Each of these studios that decided to offer their own streaming service seemed to think that their extensive catalogs would be enough to attract subscribers while failing to realize that a streaming service has to continually provide all-new content in order to keep their customers. Supplying subscribers with a steady stream of new content has proven to be hugely expensive.

Streaming customers like to "binge and bail" bouncing from one service to the next. Subscriber retention is a big challenge in an overcrowded streaming marketplace.

Ya streaming is going to have to have a correction eventually as its basically sold at a loss especially if you count the drain to theaters and media sales.

I expect it will go something like you tube and music subscriptions where instead of paying somebody money to offer content you pay them a percentage of profits based on views. That lets you have massive catalogs less popular stuff.

Though I suppose it could also just become cable costing 60 or 100 dollars a month and they stop caring that those people don't go to theaters.

Basically right now everything is being cannibalized for streaming and they have to stop eventually or let theaters and all other revenue streams die similar to most revenue streams for the music industry.

[veritas]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

A bit of digital vs. physical news. I find this kind of surprising -



I know quite a lot of people who subscribe to Disney+ either because they wanted to watch the Star Wars shows, or because it hosts content that their kids watch. I thought I read somewhere that Disney+ was profitable in Q4 2024. I guess they're starting to realize you have to keep budgets reasonable.

Not that surprising really streaming always made more sense as a catalog service rather then selling new releases. Disney made money by not putting out much new content at all. It probably only really works for a company like Disney where parents need that catalog for kids who watch stuff on repeat.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by veritas

Not that surprising really streaming always made more sense as a catalog service rather then selling new releases. Disney made money by not putting out much new content at all. It probably only really works for a company like Disney where parents need that catalog for kids who watch stuff on repeat.

a) There are many that spend on several services and stick with them through thick and thin

b) There are others (like one of my friends) that decided they will only have one service and flip every month or two and just binge what they have time for on that service.

people in category a) having the same catalogue can work if there is no chance of them leaving. But even then after a few months of "nothing good to watch on X let's see if Y has something good" they might also decide to drop X. Also don't forget if it is full fee then the company does not care if yoy watch or not but if it is ad based in part or whole you not watching X means loss of revenue for X

people in category B definitely need constant new content or they will just skip X in the rotation or have it one month instead of two.

[veritas]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

a) There are many that spend on several services and stick with them through thick and thin

b) There are others (like one of my friends) that decided they will only have one service and flip every month or two and just binge what they have time for on that service.

people in category a) having the same catalogue can work if there is no chance of them leaving. But even then after a few months of "nothing good to watch on X let's see if Y has something good" they might also decide to drop X. Also don't forget if it is full fee then the company does not care if yoy watch or not but if it is ad based in part or whole you not watching X means loss of revenue for X

people in category B definitely need constant new content or they will just skip X in the rotation or have it one month instead of two.

The bigger problem is the large group that are going to no movies in theaters or maybe one film in theaters because they have streaming services. A family going to the movies costs about as much a 1 year subscription. these people arent paying for cable and and they went from averaging 3 to 4 films per person in family per year to 0 to 1. They are never getting back the income from those 30 to 40 films a year unless streaming changes. The hoppers are a minority I bet compared to that group.