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

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

In their past reports digital sales were listed as EST and digital rentals were listed as VOD. They stated that premium video on demand wasn't included but I don't know if they consider $20 rentals to be PVOD.

Here is the first quarter report:

[Show spoiler]

If a $20 rental isn't a "premium" video on demand title, what is?

[flyry]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

In June of 2019 Captain Marvel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Dumbo were released on Blu-ray. Absolutely no blockbuster new movies were released on Blu-ray in June of 2020. Comparing sales from the two years is therefore absurd.

Would have been a decline either way. as has been the trend

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by alchav21

You know this for a fact JohnAV, I know the ones on the wall are fed this way but my BB use to have 4K TV's set with 4K Players and Sound Systems. This was back a few years when I bought my Sony 4K TV. I knew the Sales guys, and they would show me the 4K Picture Quality. They would run different 4K Movies, I use to go there all the time.

I've asked and been informed by Magnolia Design managers. You think you really want to judge how good the display is with the wired video feeds playing HD content? I asked about using demo media for checking out TV's. Only if they have a setup that actually has a player which is rare. But they would have to hook something up that is normally not present on all their demo displays. Not like how it used to be with BD players. UHD BD players are not normally in a rack.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by johndoyle123

https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/m...ts/070720-1500

Rumour has it Discs will be dead in 2-3 years, I personally think that’s absurd

That’s a stupid rumour.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

The same thing was said six years ago, and every year since, and Bill Hunt was probably one of the geniuses that predicted it back then. The only thing dying is his website; he has to create clickbait articles such as these just to keep it from fading entirely into obscurity.

Yeah, numbers are down in the year of a pandemic with no major blockbusters beyond February, early March shock!

Read all about it!

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by johndoyle123

https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/m...ts/070720-1500

Rumour has it Discs will be dead in 2-3 years, I personally think that’s absurd

Whatever the numbers and guesses say, I agree with the conclusion of the article ...

“ For now, buy all the discs you can”

Pretty much my take on it also. Purchased six titles this morning. UHD bd is not only the best ever home video format it’s also my absolute favorite. It’s a great time for home theaters.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

In June of 2019 Captain Marvel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Dumbo were released on Blu-ray. Absolutely no blockbuster new movies were released on Blu-ray in June of 2020. Comparing sales from the two years is therefore absurd.

That is the methodology for the Home Media pie charts. It's been that way since they began.

Yes, 2020 is an anomaly. You will just have to suffer it out.

[Lee A Stewart]

Disc sales are still a $3.3 billion market (2019). No studios are walking away from it. Yes they are outsourcing more catalog titles to 3rd party vendors like Shout and Arrow. So? All that counts is that new titles are being released each month.

Both the studios and the TV OEMs understand there is a market for high quality home theater. There is a group of consumers, small as they are, who are willing to spend thousands (instead of hundreds) of dollars to reproduce the cinema experience in their homes. They represent high margins to those that cater to them. It's been that way ever since Laserdisc arrived.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Whatever the numbers and guesses say, I agree with the conclusion of the article ...

“ For now, buy all the discs you can”

Pretty much my take on it also. Purchased six titles this morning. UHD bd is not only the best ever home video format it’s also my absolute favorite. It’s a great time for home theaters.

I've been doing that for years and without Bill Hunt's apocalyptic advice. For a "doomed" format it is amazing that there is so much to be had with more coming each and every week even during a pandemic.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

That is the methodology for the Home Media pie charts. It's been that way since they began.

Yes, 2020 is an anomaly. You will just have to suffer it out.

No suffering going on here. The delay in the release of big new titles from the studios has allowed me to focus on adding many wonderful catalog titles to my collection. I look for the positive in our current situation. Expanding my collection continues unhindered.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Vilya

No suffering going on here. The delay in the release of big new titles from the studios has allowed me to focus on adding many wonderful catalog titles to my collection. I look for the positive in our current situation. Expanding my collection continues unhindered.

Me too. I should only buy movies I don’t have but whenever I upgrade a movie I have on Blu Ray I’ve been happy with the UHD so far.

I always thought if it was worth buying on DVD, it’s worth buying on Blu Ray and I’m still running in circles this way but I’m loving it and that’s all that really matters

[spider-neil]

My disk buying may be down but I'm not giving up the few disks I own and I won't give up my ability to play disks (I've got a 4K Blu-ray player). I will especially keep my 3D disks as no one is streaming 3D anymore.

[bhampton]

I sold back one or two 3DBD when I purchased the UHD and then decided I wouldn’t do more of that.

I only have 100 or so and I don’t think they are making many more.

My current projector ( Sony VW285ES) does 3D better than any display I’ve had before.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Vilya

You are deliberately misrepresenting your experience with 4K discs; the fact is that you have none.

That poster did the same thing about display calibration, tried to imply his display had been calibrated when it had not.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Ask anyone that does this on a serious or professional level and they will tell you it is not an easy thing to do. For consumer TV displays Value Electronics is probably one of the better references with Kris Deering doing the calibration. IIRC the panel judged streaming picture quality to be less than disc, I don’t believe they even compared audio.

If one wants to compare audio then I would suggest ABX testing, some info here.

Looking at something at home then going to a store to compare the quality is ⋙ absurd and makes one .

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by johndoyle123

https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/m...ts/070720-1500

Rumour has it Discs will be dead in 2-3 years, I personally think that’s absurd

Does Hunt actually make that conclusion in the article? I'm not his biggest fan but to be fair he's just relaying the numbers, and they show - not just this year, but year after year - an inexorable decline in disc purchasing. The numbers for the premium formats have remained surprisingly steady, bolstered no doubt by UHD and the ranks of indie labels producing BDs, but it's DVD that's dying on its arse as the people who found that to be 'good enough' are switching en masse to streaming.

It's the cheaply produced mass-market cash cow that gives the studios enough cash to indulge with the more expensive formats so losing DVD won't help, but the studios will keep the premium options going for as long as it still remains profitable. The same goes for their relationships with the indies, they're paid money for nothing so are only too happy to let the boutiques take all the risk.

[sapiendut]

My mentality is simple. If I can’t buy disc then I won’t be buying anymore movie.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

My mentality is simple. If I can’t buy disc then I won’t be buying anymore movie.

Yep, that’s my take. Just rentals and subscription if discs ever go away. No point in ownership.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Does Hunt actually make that conclusion in the article? I'm not his biggest fan but to be fair he's just relaying the numbers, and they show - not just this year, but year after year - an inexorable decline in disc purchasing. The numbers for the premium formats have remained surprisingly steady, bolstered no doubt by UHD and the ranks of indie labels producing BDs, but it's DVD that's dying on its arse as the people who found that to be 'good enough' are switching en masse to streaming.

It's the cheaply produced mass-market cash cow that gives the studios enough cash to indulge with the more expensive formats so losing DVD won't help, but the studios will keep the premium options going for as long as it still remains profitable. The same goes for their relationships with the indies, they're paid money for nothing so are only too happy to let the boutiques take all the risk.

When you say premium formats does that included Blu-ray? If so it's sales have not been holding steady. They have been dropping continuously, just not as much as DVD has. UHD-BD on the other hand has been steady which means no growth. It's holding it's own.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

When you say premium formats does that included Blu-ray? If so it's sales have not been holding steady. They have been dropping continuously, just not as much as DVD has. UHD-BD on the other hand has been steady which means no growth. It's holding it's own.

That may change with two next gen consoles that can both play that stuff. It’s too early to rule it out.