The Downloadable Future: Your Arguments for or Against It

[J_UNTITLED]

There is a huge difference in opinion brewing in this early 21st century era: will physical media remain to be the king of home entertainment or will dowloadable/digital/streaming media dropkick CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs and even video games out to pasture?


State your argument(s) for or against the future of downloadable media here.

[Jokerboy649]

I like the fact when I spend 20, 30 bucks on a DVD/Blu-ray I OWN the thing, the case, disc and anything inside it, it's a physical item and it's mine! mwahahaha. Just the fact that at anytime I can look at my stack of movies and just pop one in is not a hassle at all. Just something about having a movie on a hard drive doesn't really appeal to me. Also they'd have to find a way to integrate special features into the purchased movie.

[Kayne314]

I am so sick of this topic I can't stand it anymore.

HD Downloads will not happen. Period.

What we will get is a substandard HD VOD service that is available in select areas only, with limited content.

Until someone is able to come up with a system that lets me download ANY movie I want in full 1080p with all the audio features and extras I've become accustomed to, anywhere in the world, I'll not believe it has a future.

The HD DVD fanboys have perverted the argument to derail Blu-Ray. HD downloads don't exist yet. Blu-Ray does. End of argument.

[camper]

If there ever was a major recession or a rapid increase in unemployment, the first thing to get cut from most family's budget would likely be cable TV and internet service. Now you have no delivery system for HD Downloads. These people may still have their players and could either rent physical media or buy them used for entertainment purposes.

There's also the infrastructure to consider, the fact that many people older than 40 are hesitant to buy online (and 90% of people over 60 will not) and holding a piece of paper showing you own something is not as appealing as holding a product, DL's will only appeal to a niche market.

HBO & VCR's did not destroy the video tape market, TiVO, DVR, PPV & On Demand did not decimate the DVD market, and DL's will not replace physical media in any capacity (rental or otherwise).

The only reason why DL's are so successful in the CD market (which DL proponents always point to) is that for decades, and long before CD's or the internet, people have wanted to buy that one song they like instead of buying the whole album to get it.

~Camper

[xtop]

Originally Posted by Kayne314

I am so sick of this topic I can't stand it anymore.

HD Downloads will not happen. Period.

What we will get is a substandard HD VOD service that is available in select areas only, with limited content.

Until someone is able to come up with a system that lets me download ANY movie I want in full 1080p with all the audio features and extras I've become accustomed to, anywhere in the world, I'll not believe it has a future.

The HD DVD fanboys have perverted the argument to derail Blu-Ray. HD downloads don't exist yet. Blu-Ray does. End of argument.

sorry to burst your bubble. but it WILL happen. just not anytime soon in a widespread manner.

personally..I want both. I want to go to a b/m store buy a physical copy..and THEN get a digital copy from that.

[camper]

Originally Posted by xtop

personally..I want both. I want to go to a b/m store buy a physical copy..and THEN get a digital copy from that.

To be fair, this isn't the same as DL distribution. And, this is exactly what I want. I buy the Blu, I want a copy to push onto my Zune.

~Camper

[xtop]

Originally Posted by camper

To be fair, this isn't the same as DL distribution. And, this is exactly what I want. I buy the Blu, I want a copy to push onto my Zune.

~Camper

yeah you're right that is different. its how i want it tho lol

[95pgtproject]

this poll is pointless here its blu-ray.com. No one is gonna vote Physical Media or else why would be be members here

well except trolls that is

[inaz4sun]

You have to set a time frame. Yeah in 5-10 years the technology may exist to make downloads actually practical, but not right now.

Plus, PPV of HD exists right now, and I don't think it is putting the DVD, or HD physical media industry out of business.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

I voted for physical media. Esspecially for owning the movie.

I can see where downloads might become desirable for the purposes of renting a movie, since people won't be concerned with keeping the movie long term in those cases.

But for owning, I don't think physical media is going anywhere.

[J_UNTITLED]

So, not many here actually thinks downloads will eventually become the norm or standard? Not surprising, obviously.

[Охранное]

Originally Posted by 95pgtproject

this poll is pointless here its blu-ray.com. No one is gonna vote Physical Media or else why would be be members here

well except trolls that is

Well, that's not fair. The question explicity states the "future".

Many of the objections treat downloadable content as if it will stay the same as it is now. It obviously won't. The challenge for the companies and studios that want to support this model is to either meet all of the requirements of the customer base, or add value in a way that some requirements go away in favor of the added value benefits.

I want to watch the highest quality version of any movie whenever I want. That will only ever happen if there is a downloadable solution that also resolves the issues that others have mentioned in this thread and elsewhere.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by xtop

sorry to burst your bubble. but it WILL happen. just not anytime soon in a widespread manner.

Exactly. I was gonna reply with the same thing to the member you quoted.

Make no mistake: downloads or live streams for stuff like movies, TV shows, sports events, etc. WILL eventually overtake watching live "broadcasts" or buying physical media. It's just an evolution that is several techno-generations away.

It doesn't mean physical media will go away completely--after all, they still sell vinyl and it's been "replaced" for 25 years. But the market majority for all media will eventually shift to digital content that can be enjoyed on-demand, on a variety of devices, for a relatively low cost. But that could be 10, 15, 20 years away... that type of technology has just recently gone from infancy to "toddler age"... it'll be a while before it matures.

Just think: we got 10 good years of home entertainment enjoyment out of DVD, and the format still isn't dead yet. It has simply evolved into Blu.

[w_tanoto]

download sucks. screw download

[radagast]

I hate repeating myself, but here goes:

1) downloads are great for RENTALS. THAT'S IT.
2) People are used to DVDs and OWNING movies. What will happen if someone downloads a movie and wants to keep it? 1 of 2 things:

a) buy more hard drives to store the ever increasing number of movies kept. How much will THAT cost?

b) burn the downloaded movie to a physical media. What will you burn it on? DVD+R? Well NO ONE has demonstrated a codec that can compress a movie to the size of a DVD that DOESN'T introduce a lot if artifacts. BD would not have those artifacts. So if the file size is comparable to what AVC would produce, you have to burn it on a recordable Blu-ray disc. At that point, WHAT'S THE POINT OF HAVING A DOWNLOAD? Recordable media ALWAYS is LESS DURABLE than pre-recorded media. It's dye versus physical pits on the disc.

[camper]

Thinking about it, you release a movie in theaters and two weeks later have the film available in HD as a download, I'll bite heard and heavy.

Provided the bandwidth is available, of course.

~Camper

[flyingdutchman]

Downloads, but not for many years to come (probably 6-7).

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by radagast

People are used to DVDs and OWNING movies. What will happen if someone downloads a movie and wants to keep it?

Don't you think you're being a bit narrow in vision here? After all, people are only used to DVD's because they've been prevalent for 8-10 years now. Prior to that, one could argue people were used to VHS... vinyl... phonograph... books... scrolls... cave drawings. All technology evolves. And the comment about owning movies, well, go poll 10 random people and I guarantee you that at least 50% of them don't own many movies.

Anyone familiar with Moore's Law and the progress of technology over the last 30 years knows that this train can't be derailed. Consumers have already shown their affinity for downloads. It is merely a matter of time before the quality and the technology catch up with physical media (not just talking movies... music has some quality issues, too).

[radagast]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

Don't you think you're being a bit narrow in vision here? After all, people are only used to DVD's because they've been prevalent for 8-10 years now. Prior to that, one could argue people were used to VHS... vinyl... phonograph... books... scrolls... cave drawings. All technology evolves. And the comment about owning movies, well, go poll 10 random people and I guarantee you that at least 50% of them don't own many movies.

Anyone familiar with Moore's Law and the progress of technology over the last 30 years knows that this train can't be derailed. Consumers have already shown their affinity for downloads. It is merely a matter of time before the quality and the technology catch up with physical media (not just talking movies... music has some quality issues, too).

No, I am being realistic. What evidence you base your phantom poll of 10 people on? Moore's law has to do with the progress of CPU design, nothing else. Your attempt at using it for downloads is specious. What consumers have shown an affinity for downloads INSTEAD of owning movies? Where is your evidence? Your mention of VHS tapes and older media only supports my argument, not yours.

Even if Moore's Law could be used here without resorting to pretzel logic, that would mean that downloads would have to be BETTER in quality than BD. SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER. Where is this magical codec? There is no evidence that it is happening. Believing it will is on the same level as believing stem cells will cure various physical problems. There is no evidence it will. They only believe it "might" some day. How will downloads be transmitted? Through cable? Where is the bandwidth going to come from? Over the air? What frequency band will have to used that won't interfere with FCC sanctioned broadcast bands? And what medium can handle the traffic?

And what about the 4K televisions mentioned in other threads here? You think downloads will look like anything but crap on those kind of tvs?

You are making the same assumptions as people who predicted in the 1950's that we would all be in flying cars by the 1990's.

[aygie]

You should have a "both" option.

Also Digital copies will be huge. (ie what Fox is doing with Apple)