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

[Horrorandmetal]

I don’t think it’s at all extreme, even remotely, to refuse to buy anything that’s just files or to have no interest in the likes of Spotify, Netflix and Kindle. I think the only thing that is extreme is to describe that as extreme. I do like YouTube, but that’s it.

I don’t want a curated playlist of anything, ever. I don’t think it’s intelligent to say everything is on streaming when that is provably not the case (when I tried to go digital, I was constantly, absolutely constantly, finding things just weren’t there). It’s demonstrably the case that physical media is the *only*reason why hundreds of thousands of movies, albums, books are still with us. They aren’t on Netflix. They will never be on Netflix, ever.

If there were no physical media, only streaming, there would be no history that the big corporations couldn’t rewrite at their pleasure. There’d be no niche anything. Only things that millions want to stream. Nothing else.

I don’t like streaming. I gave it a chance for a few years, decided it utterly sucked, and went back to physical.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I had that problem last night. Damn thunderstorms interrupted my watching Twin Peaks The Limited Event Series.

I waited them out, though, and I finished watching episodes 1-4. I would have enjoyed them even more with an awe inspiring set-up like you have, but I can't complain; I'm grateful for what I do have.

It’s quite different to the other two series isn’t it?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Horrorandmetal

I don’t think it’s at all extreme, even remotely, to refuse to buy anything that’s just files or to have no interest in the likes of Spotify, Netflix and Kindle. I think the only thing that is extreme is to describe that as extreme. I do like YouTube, but that’s it.

I don’t want a curated playlist of anything, ever. I don’t think it’s intelligent to say everything is on streaming when that is provably not the case (when I tried to go digital, I was constantly, absolutely constantly, finding things just weren’t there). It’s demonstrably the case that physical media is the *only*reason why hundreds of thousands of movies, albums, books are still with us. They aren’t on Netflix. They will never be on Netflix, ever.

If there were no physical media, only streaming, there would be no history that the big corporations couldn’t rewrite at their pleasure. There’d be no niche anything. Only things that millions want to stream. Nothing else.

I don’t like streaming. I gave it a chance for a few years, decided it utterly sucked, and went back to physical.

Agree with every word.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It’s quite different to the other two series isn’t it?

I have only just begun my latest Lynch odyssey, so I am trying to reserve judgment. What I have seen so far is bizarre, but also intriguing and I expected nothing less from David Lynch.

I will resume tonight, but then I will be forced to take another break both from it and this forum. I am going back to the hospital Thursday for another battery of tests. The results of these will determine how long I am away. Hopefully, I won't contract any viruses while there.

[Ender14]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I will resume tonight, but then I will be forced to take another break both from it and this forum. I am going back to the hospital Thursday for another battery of tests. The results of these will determine how long I am away. Hopefully, I won't contract any viruses while there.

I hope everything goes well for you.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I have only just begun my latest Lynch odyssey, so I am trying to reserve judgment. What I have seen so far is bizarre, but also intriguing and I expected nothing less from David Lynch.

I will resume tonight, but then I will be forced to take another break both from it and this forum. I am going back to the hospital Thursday for another battery of tests. The results of these will determine how long I am away. Hopefully, I won't contract any viruses while there.

Best of luck to you.

[Horrorandmetal]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I have only just begun my latest Lynch odyssey, so I am trying to reserve judgment. What I have seen so far is bizarre, but also intriguing and I expected nothing less from David Lynch.

I will resume tonight, but then I will be forced to take another break both from it and this forum. I am going back to the hospital Thursday for another battery of tests. The results of these will determine how long I am away. Hopefully, I won't contract any viruses while there.

New to this forum and know nothing about you or your situation, but good luck.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Horrorandmetal

I don’t like streaming. I gave it a chance for a few years, decided it utterly sucked, and went back to physical.

Right with you.

I tried it and didn’t like it. When I bought the ATV4k I was all in.Then, things downgraded to hd for unspecified times ( as long as it’s temporary the digital people don’t seem to mind) and I’m not for that. Also a few of my titles kept disappearing so I re bought them and I didn’t like that either.

Some thought Disney+ would have everything Disney And Marvel but in fact stuff still comes and goes from the service and suddenly now there’s extra charge for new things. People locked in three years in good faith and they are getting hosed right and left.

This is why I think people will get disenchanted with steaming. Because it sucks plain and simple. More people will figure that out.

I am worried now about the possibility of physical media going away because if that ever happened the clearance sales would get me in so much trouble.

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I have only just begun my latest Lynch odyssey, so I am trying to reserve judgment. What I have seen so far is bizarre, but also intriguing and I expected nothing less from David Lynch.

I will resume tonight, but then I will be forced to take another break both from it and this forum. I am going back to the hospital Thursday for another battery of tests. The results of these will determine how long I am away. Hopefully, I won't contract any viruses while there.

Sending good vibes your way.

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by Horrorandmetal

New to this forum and know nothing about you or your situation, but good luck.

Welcome to the forum!

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I am going back to the hospital Thursday for another battery of tests. The results of these will determine how long I am away. Hopefully, I won't contract any viruses while there.

Real bummer Vilya. From watching many different health related shows on PBS it appears early detection of many health problems is key to treatment and recovery. All the best to you!!

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by gotmule

Sorry for hijacking the thread everyone.

IMO it is great to be OT sometimes especially when it still relates to the support of Blu-ray.COM. Did you construct the shelving for your media? The track lighting is a nice touch.

[Steedeel]

https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/0...ed-on-android/

That’s the article I read while absent from the site. Like I told Penguin and others, four years ago when I first brought it up, it was a ultra niche that Chrome users were accessing for YouTube and it was baked into some podcast apps.

Now, it’s on the juggernaut that is Netflix and is about to become mainstream. Judging by comments on another very popular forum/message board, many people already watch YouTube at 1.5-2.0x speeds. I find this more disturbing than Any other threat to film in the long term. I have done for four years now.

[Vilya]

Thanks for the well wishes! I am confident that I will get past this round of poking and prodding, too. I'm so confident, in fact, that I placed another order for more discs.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Right with you.

I tried it and didn’t like it. When I bought the ATV4k I was all in.Then, things downgraded to hd for unspecified times ( as long as it’s temporary the digital people don’t seem to mind) and I’m not for that. Also a few of my titles kept disappearing so I re bought them and I didn’t like that either.

Some thought Disney+ would have everything Disney And Marvel but in fact stuff still comes and goes from the service and suddenly now there’s extra charge for new things. People locked in three years in good faith and they are getting hosed right and left.

This is why I think people will get disenchanted with steaming. Because it sucks plain and simple. More people will figure that out.

I am worried now about the possibility of physical media going away because if that ever happened the clearance sales would get me in so much trouble.

I don’t see it. Apple are more a threat than Disney. If they buy a studio (say Paramount) there is no way they would permit disc releases. A whole studio prevented from releasing discs would be a death knell. Hopefully, Apple will just stick to teaming up with studios on a short term basis rather than going all in.

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

IMO it is great to be OT sometimes especially when it still relates to the support of Blu-ray.COM. Did you construct the shelving for your media? The track lighting is a nice touch.

I had a wall 14’ wide by 8’ high and wanted shelves to cover it all, so building it myself was the best way to go. Lighting was a little tricky, but it came out pretty cool in the end. I reached out to a guy about the signs, so I will send you a PM once he comes up with something.

[Vilya]

Now that Disney has officially responded and denied the rumor, many people are refusing to accept it calling it "corporate doublespeak" and a "non denial denial." Nothing but a full confession will do.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Now that Disney has officially responded and denied the rumor, many people are refusing to accept it calling it "corporate doublespeak" and a "non denial denial." Nothing but a full confession will do.

Frankly I was amazed Disney even bothered to reply. Probably because it started to infect "mainstream" home entertainment sites and Disney saw it was getting out of hand.

As I predicted: a tempest in a teacup.

[Lee A Stewart]

People on that thread were so laser focused on what Fox titles would get disc treatments they neglected to see why Disney wanted Fox . . . for it's new international STAR streaming service opening next year. I posted the info with URLs but no one responded. Not even sure they saw it.

Disney today is committed 1000% to streaming. Like it or not.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Discs are still being released because they are profitable and that will continue while they remain so. A pandemic is hardly the time to abandon any profitable revenue stream.

Rentals of physical media are the smallest part of home entertainment revenue. The top sources for video entertainment revenue are theatrical exhibitions and pay TV services; streaming is a very distant third to these two. If you actually read the data, and could understand it, you would already know this.

There is no indication that profit margins on discs are shrinking. A decline in sales does not automatically mean that profit margins have worsened. You conflate everything because you understand nothing.

You're correct that a decline in sales doesn't necessarily mean that profit margins have worsened (although if you produce fewer discs of a given title, the price of each increases). But profit margin is less important than total net revenue and when sales go down substantially, studios will put their efforts elsewhere. In North America, BD sales are down 24% so far this year. In 2019, BD was $1.598 billion (at list prices). It was $2.3b in 2013 and it's gone down from there. UHD hasn't helped - the market share is quite small.

At some point, especially for titles out of the top 100, executives figure "why bother"? In 2019, titles below the top 100 grossed less than $1m at list prices. That's probably only around $600K at most back to the studio.

In 2018 in the U.S., subscription streaming, electronic sell-through and VOD grossed $14.5b. Theatrical grossed $11.89b. Physical, kiosk, subscriptions and brick & mortar rental grossed $5.76b. Since then, streaming revenues have increased and physical media revenues have decreased. in 2019, consumers spent $15.9 billion on subscription streaming, which now accounts for 63% of the entire home entertainment market. BD + DVD was $3.4b. So where do you think the studios are going to put their efforts?

It doesn't mean there won't be any BD's. No one has said that. But as I predicted years ago, it will mean fewer releases and a decline in the number of restorations, special features, special packaging, etc. And that's exactly what's happened. People here tore me down time after time because fanboys live in denial. If it's accurate that Disney is abandoning physical, it's definitely unfortunate, but it should not be a surprise. Also strategically, Disney (and others) have placed their futures on the streaming business. And as others have posted, other studios will indeed follow suit. And if because of COVID, AMC or Regal goes under, the studios will do everything they can to make streaming and VOD an ever bigger success.

It happened in the record industry and it's happening here. The market has spoken for better or worse. While BD might still be better quality, the average person cannot tell the difference and wouldn't care even if they could.