Are you less likely to buy HBO BDs now that they're streaming on Amazon Prime?

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

Absolutely not. I will never support streaming regardless of the amount of content, a/v quality, or the price.
With everything but physical media the studios retain absolute control over the content.

You have a pretty dire view of technology. Personally, I don't need to possess a physical copy of everything I watch. I've thoroughly enjoyed movies on a 5" screen on the back of an airplane seat. It's all about the experience, not where the data resides. At some point soon, the discs will go away; however, the question is: How will that impact your experience as a film lover?

[PenguinMaster]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

You have a pretty dire view of technology. Personally, I don't need to possess a physical copy of everything I watch. I've thoroughly enjoyed movies on a 5" screen on the back of an airplane seat. It's all about the experience, not where the data resides. At some point soon, the discs will go away; however, the question is: How will that impact your experience as a film lover?

When something is only available via streaming the studios can take it away at any point. This has already happened with some TV shows, they were delisted from the sites that had them and they are no longer available for anyone (unless you resort to piracy).
When something is available on Blu-ray or DVD however many millions of copies that were made will continue to exist for decades (if not longer, it's impossible to know the shelf life of a Blu-ray at this point).
All control of the future existence of a particular movie or TV show rests with the millions of people who own it on DVD or Blu-ray.
If discs go away I will not be able to experience certain films after they are no longer popular, I'd say that is a pretty big impact.

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

When something is only available via streaming the studios can take it away at any point. This has already happened with some TV shows, they were delisted from the sites that had them and they are no longer available for anyone (unless you resort to piracy).
When something is available on Blu-ray or DVD however many millions of copies that were made will continue to exist for decades (if not longer, it's impossible to know the shelf life of a Blu-ray at this point).
All control of the future existence of a particular movie or TV show rests with the millions of people who own it on DVD or Blu-ray.
If discs go away I will not be able to experience certain films after they are no longer popular, I'd say that is a pretty big impact.

I think marketplace forces dictate how this plays out. I love the Rockford Files, but I don't think it's going to make it to Blu-ray because the market is too small. But at least I have the choice of watching it in HD on Netflix. It's not economically feasible to mass manufacture everything, but once it's digitized and put on a server, distribution becomes easy. Why completely reject that model?

[PenguinMaster]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

I think marketplace forces dictate how this plays out. I love the Rockford Files, but I don't think it's going to make it to Blu-ray because the market is too small. But at least I have the choice of watching it in HD on Netflix. It's not economically feasible to mass manufacture everything, but once it's digitized and put on a server, distribution becomes easy. Why completely reject that model?

Did I not explain why with my previous statements? Does my signature not explain why?

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

Did I not explain why with my previous statements? Does my signature not explain why?

Truthfully, I don't even know what your signature means. A Blu-ray disc is a digital distribution device. Zeros and ones on a disc. What was formerly captured by a camera and committed to celluoid is now captured digitally. How does that translate into killing the preservation of the arts?

[PenguinMaster]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

Truthfully, I don't even know what your signature means. A Blu-ray disc is a digital distribution device. Zeros and ones on a disc. What was formerly captured by a camera and committed to celluoid is now captured digitally. How does that translate into killing the arts?

I mean digital distribution as opposed to physical distribution. Not digital as opposed to analog.

When media is only distributed to customers via steaming or downloads, then the studios can stop that distribution at any time. As soon as something becomes unpopular or copyrights are contested that media stops being available.

When media is on a physical disc then the millions of copies in existence can be freely distributed from one customer to another without requiring any involvement from the studios. The media is therefore preserved as long as the physical disc remains intact (which can easily be decades, if not centuries).

[Chiefy]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

I mean digital distribution as opposed to physical distribution. Not digital as opposed to analog.

When media is only distributed to customers via steaming or downloads, then the studios can stop that distribution at any time. As soon as something becomes unpopular or copyrights are contested that media stops being available.

When media is on a physical disc then the millions of copies in existence can be freely distributed from one customer to another without requiring any involvement from the studios. The media is therefore preserved as long as the physical disc remains intact (which can easily be decades, if not centuries).

I'll play their game for a while, only because with streaming I don't need too worry about toting my collection to my brothers when visiting. For everything else, give me physical media, thank you very much.

[Rinzler]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

I mean digital distribution as opposed to physical distribution. Not digital as opposed to analog.

When media is only distributed to customers via steaming or downloads, then the studios can stop that distribution at any time. As soon as something becomes unpopular or copyrights are contested that media stops being available.

When media is on a physical disc then the millions of copies in existence can be freely distributed from one customer to another without requiring any involvement from the studios. The media is therefore preserved as long as the physical disc remains intact (which can easily be decades, if not centuries).

Much agreed. We can't lose this sensibility.

[ultraflexed]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

You have a pretty dire view of technology. Personally, I don't need to possess a physical copy of everything I watch. I've thoroughly enjoyed movies on a 5" screen on the back of an airplane seat. It's all about the experience, not where the data resides. At some point soon, the discs will go away; however, the question is: How will that impact your experience as a film lover?

You just brought up a great point why disc will never go away.
Streaming=data usage=1-2 hour show=high data plan to avoid overage that people cant really afford away.

Eventually they go back to disc

[ZoetMB]

For me, Amazon Prime has nothing to do with anything - I don't use it. As to whether I'll buy a BD, for movies, if I'm only going to watch it once, I'll generally stream it, if available. If I think it's a movie I'm going to want to watch more than once, I'll buy the BD.

For HBO shows, such as "Boardwalk Empire", I do buy those BDs, but then re-sell them after I've watched. Most of the streaming services that I've seen would charge at least as much as me buying the BDs.

Twice a year, my cable provider has a free weekend of HBO. I binge watch the shows I like during that time using VOD. While it's somewhat lesser quality than BD, I find it acceptable. I was able to do that with this past season of "Game of Thrones".