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

[stonesfan129]

Does anybody have a collection built up in iTunes? I am thinking about making the switch to digital. I am just running out of shelf space and don't want to keep buying discs to watch a few times then store away. But what worries me is that they can come in and pull streaming rights at any time. I have a few movies in iTunes and VUDU and haven't lost access to anything yet, but I don't know if I want to take the risk.

[sapiendut]

I don’t have a lot but I have a dozen or so movies in iTunes (yes, although I’m a proponent of physical media with 3000 movies and 2000 CDs). I have experienced a couple of music videos I purchased from iTunes just disappeared due to iTunes lost the rights to distribute them.

[stonesfan129]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

I don’t have a lot but I have a dozen or so movies in iTunes (yes, although I’m a proponent of physical media with 3000 movies and 2000 CDs). I have experienced a couple of music videos I purchased from iTunes just disappeared due to iTunes lost the rights to distribute them.

I see you are in Canada which may explain losing the rights. I read a story on Forbes awhile back where someone had lost access to some films they bought in iTunes maybe for the same reasons. I suppose I could just buy a few of those big 300-disc Case Logic binders and put my stuff into those. The loss in visual/audio quality with iTunes and VUDU doesn't bother me so much as losing access to what I "bought." (I put that in quotes because apparently you don't really own anything).

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

That mod is one of the best and fairest I have known in any forum but that post is odd imo. I mean in the old general mega chat thread, people were on there more than dozens of times a day, sometimes most of the day. It’s traffic to the site at the end of the day. Some of the people here use the Amazon links etc..

If Blu is saying don’t use the forum as much, that’s odd to me. Especially at times like this.

I think he was just getting tired of cleaning up this thread twice in the span of a few hours. He appears to have decided to allow the thread to remain open, so we can be grateful for that reprieve.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Boccaccio

Well, things were heating up a little yesterday.
My post got deleted just a minute after it was posted.
And I think I was still being polite.

Damn, some posts vanished faster then Paris Hilton's underwear.

A number of innocuous posts from several of our forum members got washed away in the tsunami of post deletions.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Does anybody have a collection built up in iTunes? I am thinking about making the switch to digital. I am just running out of shelf space and don't want to keep buying discs to watch a few times then store away. But what worries me is that they can come in and pull streaming rights at any time. I have a few movies in iTunes and VUDU and haven't lost access to anything yet, but I don't know if I want to take the risk.

I have 1087 movies in iTunes currently.

In terms of worries about going digital there isn't a lot to worry about once you accept everything you watch will be second rate in terms of quality. That and your stuff depends on if iTunes still has the rights to it.

Some of my Bond movies downgraded for weeks and I was pretty sure they would not come back to 4K based on the fact the UHD BD versions came with HD digital copies and everyone who bought the UHD BD version was only able to redeem in HD which is still true even though 4K came back to the movies in iTunes if you bought them there.

Captain America, Thor and Iron Man in my iTunes kept disappearing and reappearing because they went from being distributed by Paramount to Disney. I eventually re-bought all 3 in iTunes just to solve the problem.

Amelie and other movies in iTunes went back to Cable (HBO) and disappeared from the iTunes Store but I could still find them in my library. This sort of thing can happen any time a movies licensing changes.

Really, there isn't a lot of trouble with iTunes and Movies Anywhere in particular is the safest of the VoD services.

I just realized I like UHD BD much better and most of the time my UHD movies come with iTunes or other digital codes.

My kids love iTunes and having most of my collection available whenever is almost as interesting as TiC Tok.

If iTunes wanted to improve it's easy -

1- Let people Download 4K already. Not just to ATV4K (which isn't currently possible) but also to a large hard drive.
2- Figure out how to let Disney movies be in 4K in iTunes already. But Di$ney wants that + thing to work.


-Brian

p.s. If you ever lose (even temporarily) an iTunes movie purchase and you complain they will give you a credit for a movie rental. I currently have 4 of those which I will likely have forever because I don't rent movies.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

If TVs no longer support 3D playback there is a point where it will truly be EOL. Old sets can't last forever. Your argument doesn't eclipse that fact.

but TVs are not the only display

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

but TVs are not the only display

Right. There are projectors and VR headsets. I have both and I’m not losing the ability to play 3D anytime soon. Should be good for a few years.

[sapiendut]

Even when I had 3D capability on TV, I almost never use them for 3D. The screen doesn’t allow the 3D image to be embiggens to the enveloping nature of 3D. I only use my projectors for 3D. Even the latest half decent projectors of today have 3D capability (Peson, Sony, JVC, at the very least

[bhampton]

My Sony projector does 3D.

Sometimes I get tempted to rip my (about 100) 3D movie collection and convert to Side by Side because I have an oculus go and I think they would be fun to watch on there.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

Even when I had 3D capability on TV, I almost never use them for 3D. The screen doesn’t allow the 3D image to be embiggens to the enveloping nature of 3D. I only use my projectors for 3D. Even the latest half decent projectors of today have 3D capability (Peson, Sony, JVC, at the very least

If the PSVR had a better resolution, 3D would be immense. The screen goes to the equivalent of a 100 inch screen and the pop out is fantastic being so close to your eyes. Hopefully the next gen headset will be much sharper (I’m almost certain it will be).

Like you say, the projector experience is easily the best way to experience 3D (Gravity and The Walk were simply incredible) but as a nice substitute for when watching a 3D film in bed, the PSVR is good.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

but TVs are not the only display

One of the posts that got washed away is referencing a another site besides this one that shows almost no new release movies are being issued in 3D anymore. You have a few old titles being issued, but even Disney doesn't show anything coming at all. This Pandemic because it is delaying new releases as well as severely stunting theaters being open will not help people hoping for a few more 3D titles to add to their collection. Additionally as it is in the states, expecting the EU to come though shows the same dearth of releases.

blu-ray.com 3D release calendar

3D Movies (Theatrical Releases & Blu-rays) Coming in 2020 thread

It is what it is.

[spider-neil]

Once my OLED packs up I will look into projectors, specifically because of 3D.
3D is amazing when done right. It may be a gimmick but for the right movie, it is a truly immersive experience.

[Boccaccio]

Originally Posted by Vilya

A number of innocuous posts from several of our forum members got washed away in the tsunami of post deletions.

Yeah, I believe whole pages have been deleted. Thought I was going crazy when I couldn't find my post anymore. Was even looking around to see if I had posted in the wrong thread.

[Boccaccio]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

There have been some absolute crackers in 3D. Sword Of Granada on the recent 3D Rarities volume 2 had very strong depth and good use of foreground objects. That was released a couple of months ago.

I bought The Mad Magician last month also. It was worth it for the Three Stooges 3D shorts alone. Film was decent too although not a patch on House Of Wax.

You seem to watch a lot of 3D. What kind of glasses do you use ?
I remember about 15 years ago I bought a Shrek 3D DVD and it had those cheap cardboard glasses included.
I really can't imagine you're using that.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Boccaccio

You seem to watch a lot of 3D. What kind of glasses do you use ?
I remember about 15 years ago I bought a Shrek 3D DVD and it had those cheap cardboard glasses included.
I really can't imagine you're using that.

Passive (modern full HD 3D).

I have two pairs. I know 3D is fading but this latest era has been fantastic. I have experienced two different eras in one decade. The vintage titles like House Of Wax, It Came From Outer Space, Creature From The Black Lagoon, Inferno, The Mask, The Max Magician etc.. and modern classics like Gravity, Avatar, Hugo, The Walk, Mad Max: Fury Road etc.. it’s a journey I have zero regrets about. The vintage titles have incredibly strong depth and often great pop outs. Worth every penny.

I plan on enjoying my collection for a few more years yet. 3D never really truly dies. It just makes comebacks.

Those anaglyph glasses that you mentioned I have a use for. I have a couple of discs that came with such a version (Friday The 13th boxset and My Bloody Valentine) and I watch them by balancing the cardboard glasses inside my VR headset and watching them through that. They are so close to your eyes that they become more enjoyable than any other method.

I always watch proper 3D via my projector or at least through the OLED.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

One of the posts that got washed away is referencing a another site besides this one that shows almost no new release movies are being issued in 3D anymore. You have a few old titles being issued, but even Disney doesn't show anything coming at all. This Pandemic because it is delaying new releases as well as severely stunting theaters being open will not help people hoping for a few more 3D titles to add to their collection. Additionally as it is in the states, expecting the EU to come though shows the same dearth of releases.

blu-ray.com 3D release calendar

3D Movies (Theatrical Releases & Blu-rays) Coming in 2020 thread

It is what it is.

Disney just released Frozen 2 as an all region 3D blu-ray on March 30th:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Froze...lu-ray/257459/

Disney also just released Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker as an all region 3D blu-ray:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0825D11...v_ov_lig_dp_it

The release of the above title was originally scheduled for April 20th, but it was moved up apparently and is available now.

Both titles are available from Amazon.uk for about $20 each. Amazon.uk normally ships Disney 3D blu-rays to the U.S., but they are not doing so at the moment; might be a pandemic related issue as Amazon usually ships these items internationally. Historically, I have ordered many Disney 3D titles from Amazon.uk; my last order from them was in early March and everything went smoothly then.

Your first link to upcoming 3D releases is only accurate when you change the setting from "U.S." to instead read "All Countries" as most 3D titles are released in other countries besides the U.S and then you have to select each month that you want to check for one by one.

As for upcoming Disney 3D Titles the movie Onward is slated to be released on June 1st:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Onwar...lu-ray/265470/

Kino Lorber is releasing the vintage 3D movie Taza, Son Of Cochise on May 26th.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Taza-...lu-ray/246930/

Looking 3 months or more ahead is usually a waste of time as most upcoming 3D titles seem to be announced just 1-3 months in advance of their scheduled release dates.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Passive (modern full HD 3D).

I have two pairs. I know 3D is fading but this latest era has been fantastic. I have experienced two different eras in one decade. The vintage titles like House Of Wax, It Came From Outer Space, Creature From The Black Lagoon, Inferno, The Mask, The Max Magician etc.. and modern classics like Gravity, Avatar, Hugo, The Walk, Mad Max: Fury Road etc.. it’s a journey I have zero regrets about. The vintage titles have incredibly strong depth and often great pop outs. Worth every penny.

I plan on enjoying my collection for a few more years yet. 3D never really truly dies. It just makes comebacks.

Those anaglyph glasses that you mentioned I have a use for. I have a couple of discs that came with such a version (Friday The 13th boxset and My Bloody Valentine) and I watch them by balancing the cardboard glasses inside my VR headset and watching them through that. They are so close to your eyes that they become more enjoyable than any other method.

I always watch proper 3D via my projector or at least through the OLED.

I thought that projectors required active shutter 3D glasses? My LG 4K 3D TV uses passive glasses while some 3D TVs, Sony 3D TVs for example, often required active shutter glasses.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I thought that projectors required active shutter 3D glasses? My LG 4K 3D TV uses passive glasses while some 3D TVs, Sony 3D TVs for example, often required active shutter glasses.

For my tv it’s the plastic ones and for the projector it’s a sturdier pair that requires a battery (slightly bigger than a watch battery) Is that active?

I wouldn’t know how to explain the difference to our friend as i don’t know the difference I’m ashamed to say.

That’s still full 3D I’m watching on the projector if it’s active, right? It looks fantastic so I bloody hope so.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

For my tv it’s the plastic ones and for the projector it’s a sturdier pair that requires a battery (slightly bigger than a watch battery) Is that active?

Yes, the active shutter glasses are battery powered.

Passive glasses are sometimes called "polarized." This CNET article explains the differences between the two types of 3D glasses.

https://www.cnet.com/news/active-3d-...-whats-better/

"With active, each eye gets the full 1080p resolution of the source. On the other hand, the glasses make the image look dimmer, as they block some light. With LCDs this isn't really a problem, but with plasma and front projectors, it's more noticeable."

"With passive, each eye is only seeing 1,920 x 540 pixels due to the polarized lenses blocking half the lines. If your screen is big, or you're sitting close (how close depends on your eyes and the size of the screen), you're going to see what look like interlace lines, as in black lines in between the active image (see images above). Even if those aren't visible, the jagged diagonal lines they cause might be. On the other hand, more light makes it to your eyes, so the image is typically brighter with passive. The glasses are also really cheap and lightweight.