Blu-rays are 8 years old and DVDs still cling to them like a cancerous tumor. Why?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by scorpiontail60

You don't count.

Once you've watched some native 4K video on a 4K display you'll start looking at Blu-ray in the same way we all look at DVD right now.

4K video is impressive. It is 24x the resolution of DVD, after all. Blu-ray is only 6x the resolution of DVD.

You guys have probably yet to experience 4K though so you're still at the stage that all the Blu-ray naysayers were at back in 2005, right before Blu-ray was launched. Having never seen 1080p video on a 1080p HDTV before, you were thinking "what's the big deal? DVD is just fine! We don't need this stupid new Blu-whatchamacallit!"

Exactly the point I make about 4k.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by bhampton

The way I saw it DVD was the first home video format that didn't suck.

Then after a while... EVERYTHING could be found on DVD any and every thing.

Now, Blu is only better but dvd was a real big deal. It's kind of good that it was SOOO popular... that part is kind of good for blu I think.

The frustrating thing Afaiac, is the fact that some titles are getting digital HD releases but not bluray releases. The film 'big bad wolves' is one example. Another is 'inside no 9' two titles I am very interested in. It ticks me off!

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

The frustrating thing Afaiac, is the fact that some titles are getting digital HD releases but not bluray releases. The film 'big bad wolves' is one example. Another is 'inside no 9' two titles I am very interested in. It ticks me off!

Honestly I'm not sure if the Digital HD stuff isn't just made from DVDs.

A friend of mine really wanted to watch this old movie "The Legend of Billie Jean" and I couldn't find it ... I contemplated ordering a used DVD but bought the HDX vudu version instead using promo credits... It doesn't look ANY better than DVD.

Also, sometimes I will spot movies I have on DVD that aren't available on Blu but are available in HD streaming... So I'll load them up only to be disappointed. Sometimes I wonder what they make the streaming HD out of.

-Brian

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by buzzwoody

The difference between DVD and VHS is HUGE. There is very little reason to change from DVD to Blu-ray. The next logical move for the market is to change to digital and skip blu-ray altogether.

you have watched a bluray, right? In what alternative universe does it not represent a huge improvement from dvd?

Logical step? Only if we are racing to the bottom (which we are)

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Honestly I'm not sure if the Digital HD stuff isn't just made from DVDs.

A friend of mine really wanted to watch this old movie "The Legend of Billie Jean" and I couldn't find it ... I contemplated ordering a used DVD but bought the HDX vudu version instead using promo credits... It doesn't look ANY better than DVD.

Also, sometimes I will spot movies I have on DVD that aren't available on Blu but are available in HD streaming... So I'll load them up only to be disappointed. Sometimes I wonder what they make the streaming HD out of.

-Brian

I suppose stick a HD label on something and the masses are easily fooled!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Infernal King

I admit I'm mostly basing my observations off of people I know, including my parents.

My love of quality has rubbed off on my nephews and friends lol. They buy Blu as well.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Infernal King

Either this is not true for most people or they simply don't care. Probably both.

If they don't care, they are not true movie fans and are irrelevant to a bluray forum. Any true fan would want the best quality when available to enhance the experience.

[Suntory_Times]

Originally Posted by scorpiontail60

Blech.

Does anyone find it a bit ridiculous that most of the new stuff being put out on Blu-ray still has a bunch of DVDs and other worthless bullshit like digital copies crammed in there? 4K home video is almost here, Blu-ray is already beginning to feel obsolete, yet somehow this dinosaur of a format is still clinging on for dear life. Can you imagine if a cassette tape came bundled with every new music album released on CD?

I have hundreds of extra discs sitting on my shelf that I have no idea what to do with because of this nonsense. I thought this fad would die off years ago but it's still here... it doesn't even make sense for kids' movies anymore because Blu-ray has now saturated the market so thoroughly that the kids' room has ended up with a Blu-ray player.

I'm starting to think I should make some 'modern art' out of all these stupid DVDs like people used to do with all those AOL CDs. That's what all this cramming of DVDs into Blu-ray releases reminds me of. It's the AOL CD infestation all over again. Maybe we should make a site called NoMoreDVDs.com.

https://web.archive.org/web/20050302...oreaolcds.com/

Firstly 4k media almost here..... we haven't even had a standard set yet so no it isn't almost here (though I guess that depends on how you define almost ). We are a good year of anything being released on 4k blu-ray at the very least. As for tv, 1080p is extremely rare as is, 4k is going to be even rarer for a long time.

Why do dvd's still persist. Because most people do not care about video and audio like those who visit sites like this and other hifi sites. They are not enthusiasts and dvds are put very simply 'good enough'. Dvd still handily outsells blu-ray and expect the uptake on 4k to be even slower then blu-ray has been especially as nearly every film from the last decade or so has been made using a 2k DI. To further slow down 4k is that going beyond 1080p will have no resolution benefit given the average tv one has and the average viewing distance (last I heard was 10 feet from a 42"). It will be a niche product for the foreseeable future and one that I personally think is truing to come to the market to soon (we needed to start seeing 4k films releases frequently in cinemas before we started truly thinking about a 4k home video format).

As for the other areas a 4k format may improve on what we currently have. Do the overwhelming number of consumers care? I don't think so. Otherwise plasmas would not have been such a small portion of the market as put simply most lcd's in terms of pq are an absolute joke when compared to even a lower(ish) end plasma like the st60. In fact outside of maybe the Sharp Elites I don't think any lcd matches something like the st60 (let alone the f8500 or vt60/zt60, kuros etc). Yet sales where not exactly amazing on these the best (non oled) tv's ever released. Picture quality beyond brightness hasn't sold people in the past, so why would it in the future?

[CraigThom]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

If they don't care, they are not true movie fans and are irrelevant to a bluray forum. Any true fan would want the best quality when available to enhance the experience.

We are discussing why DVDs are still around, not why people post to this forum. It's not about what you define as a "true fan", it's about what drives the market.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by CraigThom

We are discussing why DVDs are still around, not why people post to this forum. It's not about what you define as a "true fan", it's about what drives the market.

We all know what drives the market. Cheap and nasty. Always has been, always will be. That in a nutshell is why dvd is still around. The majority wouldn't know quality if it bit them on the ass!

[unicron73]

well i still have as many dvds as blu rays and still have a small collection of videos and it will remain that way as long as there are films i cant get in any other format..i have just bought-the quiet earth on dvd from australia because at this moment in time its the best version....

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by scorpiontail60

Blu-rays are 8 years old and DVDs still cling to them like a cancerous tumor. Why?

Originally Posted by xander

Well now you just sound like a snobbish prick, so how about you piss off and start 4k.com and leave us peons to our obsolete crap?

That's because he pretty much is.

I like HD and good quality as the next guy. But I recall another thread that this guy either started or was involved in, and he was basically saying that nobody should watch anything in SD for any reason.

When I pointed out that I have a lot of content on DVD (mainly TV series) that I enjoy and simply isn't available on Blu-Ray, his response was something to the effect of 'Why bother watching anything in SD when so much content is available in HD.' Basically meaning that for him it's a matter of:

quality > content

For him, if it's not in HD (and presumably down the road in 4k), then it's just not worth his time, and anyone who doesn't feel the exact same way is just nuts and irrelevant.

If the same movie, TV show, or whatever is available on both Blu-Ray and DVD, I will of course opt for the Blu-Ray release. But when the only option is DVD... I'll take what I can get. In other words, for me, it's a matter of:

content > quality

Within reason, of course... I prefer not to watch a years old EP VHS recording, for example.

And while I prefer better quality and will certainly pick Blu-Ray over DVD, for me ownership is also an issue, and downloading just doesn't feel like "owning" to me. So if a movie or TV show is on DVD and on Digital HD download (with the download being better quality than the DVD), but not available on Blu-Ray, I'll opt for the DVD.

I'm very much in favor of quality, but it's not the end all/be all determining factor.

Originally Posted by Steedeel

If they don't care, they are not true movie fans and are irrelevant to a bluray forum. Any true fan would want the best quality when available to enhance the experience.

See my points above, though. I'll pick quality, but ownership is a factor, too. If DVD is the only physical media option, even if the download is better quality, I'll pick the DVD.

Quality is important, but not the end all/be all factor.

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Honestly I'm not sure if the Digital HD stuff isn't just made from DVDs.

A friend of mine really wanted to watch this old movie "The Legend of Billie Jean" and I couldn't find it ... I contemplated ordering a used DVD but bought the HDX vudu version instead using promo credits... It doesn't look ANY better than DVD.

Also, sometimes I will spot movies I have on DVD that aren't available on Blu but are available in HD streaming... So I'll load them up only to be disappointed. Sometimes I wonder what they make the streaming HD out of.

-Brian

Agreed. The PQ re: streaming is, overall, not that great - from what I've seen, the best streaming I've seen is just DVD quality - and, much of the streaming I've seen has worse PQ than DVD's...It all depends on the stream.

Also agree that, overall, Blu is far superior to DVD in terms of PQ.....for the most part. I have seen some Blus in which the PQ is not that much better than the regular DVD, i.e. Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Dreamscape (1984), and Clerks (1994). That being said, IMHO much of this has to do with the PQ of the original print having limitations...

[ahmedreda]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Exactly the point I make about 4k.

I have demoed a lot of 4k video. Your statement holds value with larger screens. For 65" screens and smaller, there is little to no difference unless you sit really close That said, for larger screens, bluray is still adequate and 4k is definitely better but I don't think the projector / large screen crowd will be enough to make 4k mainstream fast. It will happen eventually but will take sometime.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by ahmedreda

I have demoed a lot of 4k video. Your statement holds value with larger screens. For 65" screens and smaller, there is little to no difference unless you sit really close That said, for larger screens, bluray is still adequate and 4k is definitely better but I don't think the projector / large screen crowd will be enough to make 4k mainstream fast. It will happen eventually but will take sometime.

I don't buy the distance to screen stuff. Just my opinion though. I'm convinced I could see the difference on a 4K 50 inch screen.

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by buzzwoody

The difference between DVD and VHS is HUGE. There is very little reason to change from DVD to Blu-ray.

Plus there has been no real push to get rid of dvds by the studios. If they are going to give you the same thing in 2 formats and you don't mind a little less quality for the money, you are going to buy it. A lot of people don't see the difference as being important. If you buy it, there is still a market and they won't cut off a steady cash supply. Unless studios decide to just stop selling dvds, they won't stop producing them when people still want them. And for a lot of stuff, dvd is still a good format. Looks at all those tv shows done on video - you can't remaster them so why would you put them onto a bluray when you will get the same quality out of a dvd? It isn't like they are vhs which has no real value anymore for most people, dvd still has a place in the market.

[bruceames]

DVD is still around because Blu-ray was not created to replace it, but rather to extend the life of optical disc, since HDTVs came right around when DVD really started getting popular. After all, Blu-ray is the same form factor and the players are backwards compatible, so it's really not looked upon by most as a new format per se, but an upgrade option within the existing one. Sure, we all see as a different format, but not the average consumer. They call them BLu-ray DVDs.

The combo packs were meant to:

1) promote Blu-ray by giving people the option to future proof for a few bucks more. (this is becoming less important for the studios as they are probably more interesting at this point in promoting UV digital through its inclusion in disc purchases)

2) eliminate the necessity of choice from those consumers with both formats in the house wanting the ability to play their movies anywhere. (UV is starting to replace that function however)

3) Create a package with a greater value proposition for those who can appreciate it (such as those with kids and who like the idea of having the DVD to take on the road, etc).

At some point they'll start discontinuing it though, but who knows when. DVD remains very popular, and probably more popular (compared with Blu-ray) than they had anticipated it to be at this point.

[Josh B]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

If they don't care, they are not true movie fans and are irrelevant to a bluray forum. Any true fan would want the best quality when available to enhance the experience.

Kinda harsh man.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Josh B

Kinda harsh man.

Why? People who are happy with dvd are irrelevant in a forum that celebrates the quality that is bluray. If they are happy with SD why would they join bluray.com. It baffles me.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

Your mom is 8 years old.



That's because he pretty much is.

I like HD and good quality as the next guy. But I recall another thread that this guy either started or was involved in, and he was basically saying that nobody should watch anything in SD for any reason.

When I pointed out that I have a lot of content on DVD (mainly TV series) that I enjoy and simply isn't available on Blu-Ray, his response was something to the effect of 'Why bother watching anything in SD when so much content is available in HD.' Basically meaning that for him it's a matter of:

quality > content

For him, if it's not in HD (and presumably down the road in 4k), then it's just not worth his time, and anyone who doesn't feel the exact same way is just nuts and irrelevant.

If the same movie, TV show, or whatever is available on both Blu-Ray and DVD, I will of course opt for the Blu-Ray release. But when the only option is DVD... I'll take what I can get. In other words, for me, it's a matter of:

content > quality

Within reason, of course... I prefer not to watch a years old EP VHS recording, for example.

And while I prefer better quality and will certainly pick DVD over Blu-Ray, for me ownership is also an issue, and downloading just doesn't feel like "owning" to me. So if a movie or TV show is on DVD and on Digital HD download (with the download being better quality than the DVD), but not available on Blu-Ray, I'll opt for the DVD.

I'm very much in favor of quality, but it's not the end all/be all determining factor.



See my points above, though. I'll pick quality, but ownership is a factor, too. If DVD is the only physical media option, even if the download is better quality, I'll pick the DVD.

Quality is important, but not the end all/be all factor.

I have DVDs as well. I still watch some of them. But we are talking of people who don't seek the best quality but settle for SD on DVD even when a title is available in better quality.