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

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Netflix IMO is between a rock and a hard place. As the Media Giants birth their own streaming services Netflix is dependent on buying and creating new, original content - a very expensive hit or miss proposition. For every TIGER KING they probably have a dozen shows that never rise anywhere near the top. Lots of complaints about how long it takes to get another season added especially to hits.

I see Universal is still leasing them content (BACK TO THE FUTURE films) but said content is old and "worn out."

Netflix is a one horse company. They put all their money in a single basket. Yes the pandemic is helping them, and other streamers but what will Netflix look like 3 months from now when severe S-I-P restrictions are lifted?

Netflix was stupidly popular before, they will be after.

I also believe Netflix will go the merchandise route. They have signed up several talents and properties that could give them huge traction in that department. Think Stranger things games, clothing, dolls, books, audiobooks, kids games etc.. on a large scale. It’s not hard to imagine a future where cinema tie ins will see merchandise sold in the cinema lobbies.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

We are all watching this play out.

Streaming for the majority of consumers is a supplement to what they regularly utilize (broadcast/cable/satellite). But it’s still for most purposes a experiment to whether is financially stable in the long term. It’s not itself making a lot of revenue for the hosts as they spend more and more to attract users. Now studios have a choice of limit time leases to hosts, or to retract content from hosts, and make their own streaming services to maximize revenue. Even if you select Disney it’s their theatre revenue that primary with film, with media being less profitable as you mentioned, but the streaming with all those subscribers is still not balancing anyone’s accounting books.

The dream for these guys is subscription money while still managing to run ads. This will happen a lot more in the future. As long as the ads are well placed and short, people will tolerate them. Everyone says Netflix will never do this but they will if things get desperate enough in the future.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

The dream for these guys is subscription money while still managing to run ads. This will happen a lot more in the future. As long as the ads are well placed and short, people will tolerate them. Everyone says Netflix will never do this but they will if things get desperate enough in the future.

They tested that in certain areas, didn't fly. It was better to raise rates than tick people off with ads.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

They tested that in certain areas, didn't fly. It was better to raise rates than tick people off with ads.

Not now but it will come. I have thought so since the start.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

The dream for these guys is subscription money while still managing to run ads. This will happen a lot more in the future. As long as the ads are well placed and short, people will tolerate them. Everyone says Netflix will never do this but they will if things get desperate enough in the future.

If they do, they'll just do what HULU does - offer two plans; one without ads and a cheaper one with.

Disney+ has no ads. Does HBO/Now have ads? They will become HBO/MAX on 5/27.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Netflix was stupidly popular before, they will be after.

I also believe Netflix will go the merchandise route. They have signed up several talents and properties that could give them huge traction in that department. Think Stranger things games, clothing, dolls, books, audiobooks, kids games etc.. on a large scale. It’s not hard to imagine a future where cinema tie ins will see merchandise sold in the cinema lobbies.

Believe me no one in the states is so much a fan of a streaming service they buy merchandise. They have a merchandise store at Netflix, its for employer/employee. You do better getting merchandise at a car dealer.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Not now but it will come. I have thought so since the start.

Guess you have been wrong since the start!

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Not now but it will come. I have thought so since the start.

It's been 10 years and still no ads.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

If they do, they'll just do what HULU does - offer two plans; one without ads and a cheaper one with.

Disney+ has no ads. Does HBO/Now have ads? They will become HBO/MAX on 5/27.

Not when I have in the past logged on when they are free for a week or two.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

Believe me no one in the states is so much a fan of a streaming service they buy merchandise. They have a merchandise store at Netflix, its for employer/employee. You do better getting merchandise at a car dealer.

No, it would be merchandise of their shows not bloody Netflix.

Think Disney characters and films. Like I said, they are buying up some interesting stuff.
.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

It's been 10 years and still no ads.

It has but as time ticks on, they may become more desperate. Some of you guys think the debt will be that great that they can’t survive on subscription alone. If you were in charge, would you go under or attempt to place non intrusive ads into your service?

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

No, it would be merchandise of their shows not bloody Netflix.

Think Disney characters and films. Like I said, they are buying up some interesting stuff.
.

Just did a search for TIGER KING merchandise. All I see are coffee mugs, T-shirts and face masks.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

Guess you have been wrong since the start!

Well we all like to think we know it all sometimes.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Just did a search for TIGER KING merchandise. All I see are coffee mugs, T-shirts and face masks.

Give it time and get back to me.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Give it time and get back to me.

OK - right . . . . like the ads.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

OK - right . . . . like the ads.

I see more ads than before. Prime is a good example because they give an ad before everything now.

YouTube is another example, they have a ton more ads and if you aren't paying the ads pop up during and in the middle of things you watch.

I can't see the future but it looks to me like more ads are coming to any place people will tolerate them.

Currently I'm enjoying buying discs more than ever though sometimes the shipping has delays these days. When I watch a UHD BD or up-converted Blu Ray it doesn't use any of the bandwidth the kids need for online classes. This is just another way using the physical media puts me at ease. My home has 5 people round the clock now and I like being able to watch stuff without making everyone else have broken up audio, freezing video and problems like that.

During all the changes, Disney is being so awesome for releasing so many UHD BD. I haven't subscribed to Disney+ and likely never will. They put out everything on UHD BD ! The complete Marvel Cinematic Universe movies collection has been released to UHD BD. The complete Star Wars Movie collection has been released to UHD BD. Most if not all Pixar movies have been released to UHD BD and if any haven't I"m sure they are working on it.

After Walmart dumped Vudu, I cleaned out my local store's UHD BD shelves for anything I didn't own on UHD BD. (Except Galveston, ... Didn't like that one.)

I certainly don't know the future but Jaws is coming to UHD BD .. I think between UHD BD and my old upconverted Blu Rays I may soon have enough of what I like to watch without the need for subscriptions.



=Brian

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by bhampton

I see more ads than before. Prime is a good example because they give an ad before everything now.

Prime Video is an added bonus to having the short delivery times right?

YouTube is another example, they have a ton more ads and if you aren't paying the ads pop up during and in the middle of things you watch.
=Brian

Sure - any of the free streamers like Roku, Plex, Tubi, etc. have to have a revenue stream.

[bhampton]

Today's lesson in what it means to purchase something digital is provided by Nintendo.

They decided to change the details of items players "own" and reduce the value of those items instantly.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/gamers-fe...171455315.html

Quote -

Players have little control over such changes, while game licence agreements typically give no ownership rights over virtual assets, researchers and legal experts say.

"This episode highlights that players often engage with video games having little or no awareness or understanding of the contractual arrangements to which they have agreed," said Michaela MacDonald, an expert on video games law.

As digital goods rise in popularity, there may be a push to reconsider systems that give fewer rights over virtual assets ranging from games to books than the physical equivalents, said MacDonald, who is based at Queen Mary University in Britain."


The Terms and Conditions for many sites and services let the owners of the content do absolutely whatever. Makes sense because people continue to throw money at stuff without reading the fine print they leave it to the services to behave fairly. The T&C for Vudu makes it clear you own nothing but a license for what you purchased that can be revoked at any time for any reason. I went back to buying physical media and I can't be more grateful it remains as option. I can't collect things if I can't own them and collecting movies is my hobby.

I still have virtual assets but I no longer pay actual real money for them.

-Brian

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Prime Video is an added bonus to having the short delivery times right?



Sure - any of the free streamers like Roku, Plex, Tubi, etc. have to have a revenue stream.

Prime Video is also a stand-alone subscription charge if you don’t have Prime. Think it’s £6.99 per month.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

It's been 10 years and still no ads.

Try about 13 years (2007). When Netflix started streaming it was included in your disc by mail plan.