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

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by huskerbear

Can't continue being the most popular?....ok.

The most popular is faint praise. Including Amazon, ITunes etc.. Digital HD showed very poor growth at the end of the year. Christmas time should have seen peak sales, it didn't. So yeah, it's the most popular in your country but even that is due to digital codes on bluray or codes bought on various sites. Films lose their value when you don't have the item in your hand. Even many digital fans admit this. Combine that with all you can eat subscriptions and Digital HD is fighting a losing battle. It may struggle on, but the industry will lose interest if we don't start seeing better figures very very soon.

[Texan26]

Christmas time should have seen peak sales? You don't buy Digital HD copies as presents. You can buy gift cards to redeem for Digital HD. Didn't Deadpool sell over a million copies its's first week on digital?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Texan26

Christmas time should have seen peak sales? You don't buy Digital HD copies as presents. You can buy gift cards to redeem for Digital HD. Didn't Deadpool sell over a million copies its's first week on digital?

Q4 is the big quarter for home media. Regardless of presents. The big blockbusters are released around that time on home formats. A few good weeks a year isn't going to change that.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

You make it sound like it's a bad thing when all we're really talking about is a bunch of shiny discs in a plastic case that, most of the time, collect dust from many collectors as the years go by.

There's more to life than collecting a bunch of discs from floor to ceiling that you may or may not actually revisit again. At least with digital, the clutter of the nonsense of collecting physical media is gone. Are there things that you have to relinquish? Yep but the downgrade in picture quality isn't as bad or as noticeable as collectors make it out to be.

This is such an asinine counter argument in regards to this overall conversation.


Yes, there is more to life than movies (watching or collecting them). And while some of us do have large collections, this isn't necessarily about everyone and their brother collecting movies from "floor to ceiling."

Even if there are only 5 movies that someone actually wants to own, there's still an argument to be made for them to own them on physical media instead of (or at least in addition to) digital.

If anything, the fact that movies are such an "unimportant" part of life in the grand scheme of things is actually all the more reason for people to be properly educated on what they are getting into with digital.

Since watching movies is typically something people do in their leisure time to relax, suddenly having their favorite movie rendered unavailable to them should a digital service shut down or the movie removed from the servers for one reason or another will cause them possible stress that can be avoided over something recreational.

I know that if I was planning to sit back and watch a movie that I enjoy and previously purchased, only to find that it's suddenly no longer available for me to watch, would really piss me off.

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

This is such an asinine counter argument in regards to this overall conversation.


Yes, there is more to life than movies (watching or collecting them). And while some of us do have large collections, this isn't necessarily about everyone and their brother collecting movies from "floor to ceiling."

Even if there are only 5 movies that someone actually wants to own, there's still an argument to be made for them to own them on physical media instead of (or at least in addition to) digital.

If anything, the fact that movies are such an "unimportant" part of life in the grand scheme of things is actually all the more reason for people to be properly educated on what they are getting into with digital.

Since watching movies is typically something people do in their leisure time to relax, suddenly having their favorite movie rendered unavailable to them should a digital service shut down or the movie removed from the servers for one reason or another will cause them possible stress that can be avoided over something recreational.

I know that if I was planning to sit back and watch a movie that I enjoy and previously purchased, only to find that it's suddenly no longer available for me to watch, would really piss me off.

I don't disagree with anything you said. That's why, for me at least, the balance between digital and physical is the best spot for anyone.

Still, the conversation about this subject is getting ridiculous on this site. We get that collector's fear the future when it comes to physical media disappearing but passing judgment on those people who have gone digital and see more merits with it than physical is not gonna help the conversation at all.

I have gone mostly digital but that doesn't change the fact that the absolutes of the absolutes in my collection, I own on physical media. I'll always own them. But, I'm not gonna lie, I'd rather watch movies through my Apple TV than my blu-ray player at this point...quality be damned. I just prefer it's pluses over my blu-ray player or any blu-ray player for that matter. And yet, I'll always own a disc spinner. Always.

[PenguinMaster]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

I have gone mostly digital but that doesn't change the fact that the absolutes of the absolutes in my collection, I own on physical media. I'll always own them.

The problem is that less support for physical media means less titles available on physical media. While there's no chance of you losing your current favorites that are already released on physical media your future favorites may only be released on digital media and then later become completely unavailable.

Whether or not I care strongly about an individual movie or TV show it's not fair to others to support it on a format that can be taken away. Everyone should have the ability to make sure the titles they care about remain available; only physical media grants the customers that ability.

[Texan26]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Q4 is the big quarter for home media. Regardless of presents. The big blockbusters are released around that time on home formats. A few good weeks a year isn't going to change that.

Most of the big digital titles came out before Q4. Deadpool, Star Wars, Captain America so it cant rely on Christmas sales. While physical media relies on Christmas sales in which grandma buys Billy that movie he didn't want.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Texan26

Most of the big digital titles came out before Q4. Deadpool, Star Wars, Captain America so it cant rely on Christmas sales. While physical media relies on Christmas sales in which grandma buys Billy that movie he didn't want.

Let's play it your way, seeing as you seem determined to argue my every point. Why didn't we see a huge get spike in Q3 then?

[Texan26]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Let's play it your way, seeing as you seem determined to argue my every point. Why didn't we see a huge get spike in Q3 then?

My point was that digital hd doesn't rely on christmas like you had stated earlier. Not sure where to look up statistics but from articles i googled it shows Q2 was good for digital because of Star Wars, Deadpool, and Superman vs Batman so I can see it dropping after Q2.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Texan26

My point was that digital hd doesn't rely on christmas like you had stated earlier. Not sure where to look up statistics but from articles i googled it shows Q2 was good for digital because of Star Wars, Deadpool, and Superman vs Batman so I can see it dropping after Q2.

It droppped to 6% which is very poor, especially for a new format.

[flyry]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Yet you still visit it.

Who Posted?
Total Posts: 3,004

Steedeel 676

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by flyry

Who Posted?
Total Posts: 3,004

Steedeel 676

And?

[squatting hen]

Originally Posted by steedeel

and?

677



I visit here often, but it does seem to be the same stuff over and over again. Regardless, I continue to read it all. lol

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by flyry

Who Posted?
Total Posts: 3,004

Steedeel 676

I don't see the relevance. It makes sense I would post here has it is something I am passionate about.

[flyry]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I don't see the relevance. It makes sense I would post here has it is something I am passionate about.

My point being the two highest post counts in here are by two clearly anti-digital/pro physical posters. Why continue to come into the digital subforum if you hate it so much?

In before preservation of the arts blah blah blah

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Texan26

I'm watching Star Wars Rogue One on Vudu HDX. The convenience is real.

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Pity about the audio. Shame about the inferior video quality. Too many downsides.

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

Neither streaming video nor a fast internet connection are essential. But you can't have streaming video without a fast internet connection so that's what makes streaming video so expensive.

Well Penguin called it that Bandwidth a Fast Internet Connection are needed for Quality Streaming. Here in The States they are saying at least 25Mbps are needed, but that is just barely enough. So if that is all you have, of course your Streaming Quality is going to be poor. I say you have to have 50+Mbps to really have good PQ & AQ with Streaming Video. We were talking about Copper being Obsolete, here is an Article that the Cable Companies are seeing this too:

https://www.dslreports.com/shownews/...-Future-139210

So I think the people that put down Streaming Video don't have the Bandwidth or Speed to really enjoy it, especially if they are connecting Wireless too. Penguin has 10Mbps. What does Steedeel have?

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

The problem is that less support for physical media means less titles available on physical media. While there's no chance of you losing your current favorites that are already released on physical media your future favorites may only be released on digital media and then later become completely unavailable.

Whether or not I care strongly about an individual movie or TV show it's not fair to others to support it on a format that can be taken away. Everyone should have the ability to make sure the titles they care about remain available; only physical media grants the customers that ability.

It is what it is. There was a long time there where we didn't get to have our favorite movies at home. We caught them on TV. And that was it.

That may be the future and like with all things, we'll adjust if that becomes the standard.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Well Penguin called it that Bandwidth a Fast Internet Connection are needed for Quality Streaming. Here in The States they are saying at least 25Mbps are needed, but that is just barely enough. So if that is all you have, of course your Streaming Quality is going to be poor. I say you have to have 50+Mbps to really have good PQ & AQ with Streaming Video. We were talking about Copper being Obsolete, here is an Article that the Cable Companies are seeing this too:

https://www.dslreports.com/shownews/...-Future-139210

So I think the people that put down Streaming Video don't have the Bandwidth or Speed to really enjoy it, especially if they are connecting Wireless too. Penguin has 10Mbps. What does Steedeel have?

80Mbps. Supposedly anyway, but it hovers around 75. (Fibre)

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

It is what it is. There was a long time there where we didn't get to have our favorite movies at home. We caught them on TV. And that was it.

That may be the future and like with all things, we'll adjust if that becomes the standard.

Yes, but according to you guys this is all progress? So, it is progress losing the ability to choose a film of your choice?

We won't adjust, we won't accept it.

[PenguinMaster]

Originally Posted by alchav21

So I think the people that put down Streaming Video don't have the Bandwidth or Speed to really enjoy it, especially if they are connecting Wireless too. Penguin has 10Mbps.

My argument has never been about picture quality. I have Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Grace & Frankie on DVD (there are no Blu-ray versions); they are both available in 4K on Netflix. I have no doubt the streaming versions look much better than the DVDs but that doesn't make them better overall.

No matter how big of difference in picture or audio quality between the streaming and physical media versions I will always choose physical media. The difference in ownership rights is far more important.

I know that the studios can never take away any of the thousands of discs they've already printed for each title nor can they prevent anyone from reselling them or giving them away. If you think the same is true of streaming or downloads you're in denial.

Originally Posted by Jumpman

It is what it is. There was a long time there where we didn't get to have our favorite movies at home. We caught them on TV. And that was it.

That may be the future and like with all things, we'll adjust if that becomes the standard.

It'll only become standard if people have already adjusted to it. The studios can't force anyone to accept streaming; they'll only drop physical media if people stop buying physical media. The customers have all the power here but you and all the other digital supporters are causing streaming to become standard.

Nothing about a digital-only world is inevitable unless you and the other digital supporters cause it to be.