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

[Texan26]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

I didn't delete the quote, just look a few posts back. It's an accurate statement.

I was comparing two digital formats (Ultraviolet and iTunes) to one physical format (Blu-ray) when you decided to throw in the rest of the digital formats I thought it was only fair to throw in the rest of the physical formats as well.

So if physical is doing so better over digital and you don't believe digital will overtake physical, why are you and others even worried about the people that enjoy digital?

[PenguinMaster]

Originally Posted by Texan26

So if physical is doing so better over digital and you don't believe digital will overtake physical, why are you and others even worried about the people that enjoy digital?

I'm worried about individual movies not physical media as a whole. Physical media gets most of its sales from big blockbusters, I have no doubt that those will continue to be released for many decades. But as sales decline for smaller titles most of them will skip physical media.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Sorry Penguin, but Blu-ray and Disc are fading fast I Posted some Articles that pointed to this. Digital Sales are inline with Physical, and are predicted to over take very soon. Streaming Video is the only way to go these days, and the Cord Cutters just can't get enough.

http://fortune.com/2016/01/08/blu-ra...streaming-age/

Most of the articles you posted were old articles and since then Digital has declined to single digit growth. It's not about Digital overtaking Disc, Bluray has been around for a few good years and DVD even more so, it's about how long Digital will stay there. The signs are not good. Sure, Netflix and Amazon are probably here to stay, Ultraviolet? It has a limited shelf life I think. No pun intended.

Ultraviolet was supposed to be a Universal service that guided us into this new Digital age. (Just nearly choked on my coffee ) A solution for everyone, regardless of their country. As it is, it's a clusterf***!
IMO

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

I'm worried about individual movies not physical media as a whole. Physical media gets most of its sales from big blockbusters, I have no doubt that those will continue to be released for many decades. But as sales decline for smaller titles most of them will skip physical media.

The same could happen with Digital HD if it sales go under. We would then be forced into Subscription services with individual studios or services like Netflix. Even now, Netflix is buying up Indie titles from festivals. Will that continue years from now? No idea. If it's not Netflix, it will be someone else. I wanted to buy Hush on Bluray but I learned Netflix had exclusive rights and a year later I still can't buy it. Expect more of that in the future. it's not just a disc issue, it's a Digital HD issue too.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Only in your eyes and The UK, here in The States it's Thriving! The UV Market is going strong, prices of UV Codes keep going up. While iTune Codes keep going down, so the Apple people should be worried. Master brought up something, Chevy vs Ford, PC vs Apple, and UV vs iTunes. Chevy, PC & UV All The Way!

Not just my eyes. The Entire U.K, Germany, Australia etc, IMO. I thought UV was a Universal offering? Won't the shareholders want growth outside of U.S like all the big boys? The death of the service (IMO) outside of U.S is a big deal, you just don't know it yet.

[twobelowpar]

UV is so poorly done outside the US and hell, so poorly done unless you use Vudu, that I simply hope it fails so something like Keychest can take over. UV brags about porting among its providers but seriously, who bothers with anything other than Vudu? Which, again, takes some work to even use outside the US. The reason I love the idea of Keychest is because it brings the main digital sellers together (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google...) that UV miserably fails to do. Sure, these other sellers could simply join UV but there must be a reason they all refuse to do so...

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by twobelowpar

UV is so poorly done outside the US and hell, so poorly done unless you use Vudu, that I simply hope it fails so something like Keychest can take over. UV brags about porting among its providers but seriously, who bothers with anything other than Vudu? Which, again, takes some work to even use outside the US. The reason I love the idea of Keychest is because it brings the main digital sellers together (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google...) that UV miserably fails to do. Sure, these other sellers could simply join UV but there must be a reason they all refuse to do so...

I believe Keychest will be pushed and we will see significant movement this year. We don't have Keychest in the U.K, so it wouldn't make any difference here. Disney is a Netflix style subscription service over here.

[huskerbear]

Originally Posted by TheDean

UV codes prices rising isn't a good thing. Its terrible. It just shows that the studios found something a small number of people like, but refuse to pay full price from the digital store. So they illegally purchase a code from someone that bought a disc. Loosing the studio money.

I wouldn't say UV is "thriving" in the states. Since 2013 the logo has been removed from the front covers of Blu-rays. Since last year the only place it is mentioned on Fox products is in fine print. Plus there is still one major studio that continues to ignore it and started its own thing, that is doing equally well on its own. If not better.

UV providers keep going down all over the world. Someday only Vudu will remain and how useful UV will be then?

Apple is not worried. When people buy Warner and Sony movies from them, they they pay with money, not a code.

I'll bite. As useful as Apple and itunes?......actually more since you can access Vudu almost anyplace, compared to itunes. I think places like itunes not joining UV, is growing Vudu massively. I suggest UV no longer needs other providers to join.

[twobelowpar]

Originally Posted by huskerbear

I'll bite. As useful as Apple and itunes?......actually more since you can access Vudu almost anyplace, compared to itunes. I think places like itunes not joining UV, is growing Vudu massively. I suggest UV no longer needs other providers to join.

At least Apple and iTunes have a presence in more than one country.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by twobelowpar

At least Apple and iTunes have a presence in more than one country.

Exactly.

[whipnet]

Originally Posted by twobelowpar

At least Apple and iTunes have a presence in more than one country.

Apple: Where the CEO rails on about a "Republican war on gays" while at the same time opening an Apple Store in Tehran!! LOL!! You can't make this stuff up.

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[twobelowpar]

Originally Posted by whipnet

Apple: Where the CEO rails on about a "Republican war on gays" while at the same time opening an Apple Store in Tehran!! LOL!! You can't make this stuff up.

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That's so relevant to the discussion at hand. Thanks for your contribution.

[whipnet]

Originally Posted by twobelowpar

That's so relevant to the discussion at hand. Thanks for your contribution.

HAHA.. this thread lost its relevance on page 2. But you're welcome.

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[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by whipnet

HAHA.. this thread lost its relevance on page 2. But you're welcome.

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Yet people who keep making these comments continue to visit and post.

[whipnet]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Yet people who keep making these comments continue to visit and post.

It's like a drug. As mentioned earlier, Chevy vs Ford and Microsoft vs Apple threads give the same buzz.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by whipnet

It's like a drug. As mentioned earlier, Chevy vs Ford and Microsoft vs Apple threads give the same buzz.

In all these pages, the case for Digital has shrunk. No one can convince me it's a good thing, in the U.K it's a cluster****. Netflix, Amazon are quite good but the case for collecting Blurays has strengthened for me personally.

[whipnet]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

In all these pages, the case for Digital has shrunk. No one can convince me it's a good thing, in the U.K it's a cluster****. Netflix, Amazon are quite good but the case for collecting Blurays has strengthened for me personally.

Ironically it was Digital HD that got me back into collecting movies, but quickly became "physical first" for the movies I like.

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[TheDean]

Originally Posted by huskerbear

I'll bite. As useful as Apple and itunes?......actually more since you can access Vudu almost anyplace, compared to itunes. I think places like itunes not joining UV, is growing Vudu massively. I suggest UV no longer needs other providers to join.

Yeah exactly. Except only in the US.

Without more providers, UV is pointless. "Watch your UV Digital Copy anywhere..... you can access vudu - the only UV provider."

When Digital HD is concerned keychest is the way to go. It stays behind the scenes like UV should have. Has the providers UV wants. Vudu is smart going both ways.

I have bought so many Blu-rays just so I could have an iTunes copy. Crazy, I know. Since I just like having them. Never watch them. But UV just doesn't feel like anything. Vudu is nice since it has an app on the TV, but I still never use it, and certainly never use UV.

If vudu is growing. its not because of iTunes not joining UV. Its because its Walmart, and some studios forcing it on people, like they did iTunes, so long ago. If Apple Stores sold Blu-rays, they would probably include and iTunes copy like Walmart includes vudu.

Still watching discs

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by TheDean

Yeah exactly. Except only in the US.

Without more providers, UV is pointless. "Watch your UV Digital Copy anywhere..... you can access vudu - the only UV provider."

When Digital HD is concerned keychest is the way to go. It stays behind the scenes like UV should have. Has the providers UV wants. Vudu is smart going both ways.

I have bought so many Blu-rays just so I could have an iTunes copy. Crazy, I know. Since I just like having them. Never watch them. But UV just doesn't feel like anything. Vudu is nice since it has an app on the TV, but I still never use it, and certainly never use UV.

If vudu is growing. its not because of iTunes not joining UV. Its because its Walmart, and some studios forcing it on people, like they did iTunes, so long ago. If Apple Stores sold Blu-rays, they would probably include and iTunes copy like Walmart includes vudu.

Still watching discs

Digital codes are doing a lot of harm. One of the main reasons Digital HD is so low YOY is because revenue is being pushed down by the code market. It's also not fair to compare ITunes sales to Vudu because the industry has crippled Apple in terms of EST. If Apple had codes for every film they would be flying. As it is, they still hold 2nd place in the U.K behind Sky's buy and keep (Digital HD and DVD through post) having said all that, i repeat, growth is not sufficient enough and the industry is in a panic. I think there will have been discussions about the way forward over the last year. One thing is for sure, Ultraviolet is not working IMO.

[huskerbear]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

In all these pages, the case for Digital has shrunk. No one can convince me it's a good thing, in the U.K it's a cluster****. Netflix, Amazon are quite good but the case for collecting Blurays has strengthened for me personally.

Hey, it took this long but, I think we found something we can agree on lol