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

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Still falls under government regulation.

Why state the obvious?

Is having one hand tied behind your back the same thing as having both hands tied? Are all restraints, and likewise all regulations, equally restrictive?

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Can we add 1 year: EOY 2024 to see if the other SVODs (Netflix already is) attain profitability?

Sure we can. Streaming has made us accustomed to waiting for such news much like we wait for our streamed videos to finish buffering.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I am still waking up, but these two comments seem to be a bit contradictory:

So, movie and tv show production continues, but at no cost to anyone. Now that IS a promising path to profitability!

Have some coffee.

They are licensing in content produced from other countries. Shows like Squid Game (South Korea) and Money Heist (Spain) are just two examples.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Unless you are a CPA and can ready a corporation's balance sheets - you know jack shit.

Netflix introducing ads despite saying they never would, production costs slashed, completed shows being wrote off, studios licensing content out, you carry on being in denial, I will stick to the obvious.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Sure we can. Streaming has made us accustomed to waiting for such news much like we wait for our streamed videos to finish buffering.

I do not have a cable modem. It's twisted pair (phone line) but it gets me 25 Mbps speed. Not the fastest at all. And I have yet to see any buffering problems or issues. Not a single one.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Lee acts like he works for these companies rather than from a movie lover’s point of view.

Stick to researching ways of improving your home theater, researching titles to purchase, learn more of the technical aspects of A/V, etc. You will be better off for it, start with some info here.

Hecklers and detractors have been with music and video enthusiast for a very long time. I remember it from the days of private BBS’s then onto CompuServe. Best to just ignore them and spend your time trying to be more positive. It takes little effort to be negative, almost anyone can be, being positive can take a lot of effort and be time consuming but the rewards can be much greater.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Netflix introducing ads despite saying they never would, production costs slashed, completed shows being wrote off, studios licensing content out, you carry on being in denial, I will stick to the obvious.

If they can't make a profit now that new content is costing them nothing to make/acquire, then they really are beyond help.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Netflix introducing ads despite saying they never would, production costs slashed, completed shows being wrote off, studios licensing content out, you carry on being in denial, I will stick to the obvious.

Studios have been licensing out their content for a very long time. Long before streaming came about. It's not a new process at all.

So what changed on the other items you mentioned? Wall Street's expectations. First it was sub counts. That's all that mattered. Then it become profitability. And you are seeing the results of changing horses in the middle of a race. Anything that will help the bottom line is the name of the game.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Vilya

If they can't make a profit now that new content is costing them nothing to make/acquire, then they really are beyond help.

You are not thinking this through. No new scripted content. Not for CBL, or SAT or Linear TV or Streaming. None, NADA, Zip, Zilch. Only what's left in the pipeline that has been completed.16 million USA Households get their TV content from an antenna. And they are SOL.

All that's left are reality shows as there are no writers or actors.

How do you think the movie business is going to look with no new movies being made for the last 100 days?

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

I do not have a cable modem. It's twisted pair (phone line) but it gets me 25 Mbps speed. Not the fastest at all. And I have yet to see any buffering problems or issues. Not a single one.

Then it must never happen to anyone!

I only encounter buffering when I first start a show on Netflux. The video fluctuates from SD to HD and then it finally settles into 4K after the first 10-15 seconds.

And this happens despite my having an internet connection that is typically 800 Mbps download. It makes no difference if I am using a hardwired or a wireless connection, either, so let's not go there again.

There are a lot more variables involved than just one's internet connection; remote servers being overtaxed is a common problem and no amount of home internet speed will fix that.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

You are not thinking this through.

And you can't make me, either!

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

16 million USA Households get their TV content from an antenna. And they are SOL.

I have an antenna. And streaming. And best of all a sizable disc library. I sure don't feel "SOL."

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

How do you think the movie business is going to look with no new movies being made for the last 100 days?

Like the Turner Classic Movies channel?

New content was scarce during the multi-year pandemic, too, and the industry survived. These strikes, like the pandemic, won't last forever.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Then it must never happen to anyone!

I only encounter buffering when I first start a show on Netflux. The video fluctuates from SD to HD and then it finally settles into 4K after the first 10-15 seconds.

And this happens despite my having an internet connection that is typically 800 Mbps download. It makes no difference if I am using a hardwired or a wireless connection, either, so let's not go there again.

I don't have Netflix. So maybe it's the service itself? I have Disney+, Paramount+ and a handful of FAST services - no buffering.

There are a lot more variables involved than just one's internet connection; remote servers being overtaxed is a common problem and no amount of home internet speed will fix that.

Well - ABQ, NM isn't the most populated city in the US. And here the big internet provider is Comcast who I absolutely refuse to do business with.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Stick to researching ways of improving your home theater, researching titles to purchase, learn more of the technical aspects of A/V, etc. You will be better off for it, start with some info here.

Hecklers and detractors have been with music and video enthusiast for a very long time. I remember it from the days of private BBS’s then onto CompuServe. Best to just ignore them and spend your time trying to be more positive. It takes little effort to be negative, almost anyone can be, being positive can take a lot of effort and be time consuming but the rewards can be much greater.

I have been very lazy in that respect. I am fortunate enough to have a relative AND friend that both specialise in the A/V area. As much as they talk me through stuff, I’m not always 100% listening, I’m ashamed to say. I’m interested in the end result, rather than the technicalities of getting there and all the nitty gritty.

But, at the same time, I’m exceptionally grateful for their efforts. My grandfather was a projectionist but even then, my fascination was with the moving image, not the equipment and how it worked.

Same with gaming, my uncle used to do some self builds and they were awesome but now I’m a console guy because I’m lazy and 4K gaming still looks great on consoles. He did try to teach me but I always felt it was a lot of hassle and I didn’t want to take advantage and lean on him for that as well.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I have an antenna. And streaming. And best of all a sizable disc library. I sure don't feel "SOL."

So you are not one of the 42 million Americans that have no access to broadband, according to Broadband Now, a data technology company.

Like the Turner Classic Movies channel?

New content was scarce during the multi-year pandemic, too, and the industry survived. These strikes, like the pandemic, won't last forever.

No it wasn't - all TV shows continued their seasons. There was no break due to the pandemic. But there will be a break due to the strikes.

[cheez avenger]

Netflix also charges $7.99 per person added to an account for sharing. Last I heard, that part did make some money for them -- people did bellyache about it initially, but it did well overall.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

So you are not one of the 42 million Americans that have no access to broadband, according to Broadband Now, a data technology company.

You don't need broadband to stream. You can readily stream in HD with an ADSL connection.

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

No it wasn't - all TV shows continued their seasons. There was no break due to the pandemic. But there will be a break due to the strikes.

I was referring to the pandemic movie drought. Most of the TV shows that I watch are shows that have already completed their run and thus are immune to such vagaries of fate.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by cheez avenger

Netflix also charges $7.99 per person added to an account for sharing. Last I heard, that part did make some money for them -- people did bellyache about it initially, but it did well overall.

It hasn't hit me yet. Still on a shared account here same as ever.

I wouldn't pay $7.99 for Netflix even if that were it's top tier price. I rarely watch it even with my having free access to it. I find most of their content to be uninspired, derivative, and disposable.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Vilya

You don't need broadband to stream. You can readily stream in HD with an ADSL connection.

What about 4K Ultra HD? You definitely need broadband for that.

I was referring to the pandemic movie drought. Most of the TV shows that I watch are shows that have already completed their run and thus are immune to such vagaries of fate.

Movie production in general is down. In 2019, the last "normal" year - 835 movies were released into theaters. 2022 = 449.

[cheez avenger]

Originally Posted by Vilya

It hasn't hit me yet. Still on a shared account here same as ever.

I wouldn't pay $7.99 for Netflix even if that were it's top tier price. I rarely watch it even with my having free access to it. I find most of their content to be uninspired, derivative, and disposable.

I owed a friend $100 - he told me we'd be even if I put him on my Netflix account and pay him back that way, so he'll be on my account for about year. I added him a couple of months ago, so 9 months left or so.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Nope - the law of unintended consequences.

I think of all the money that could be saved by ending these streaming services.

Billions.

[Vilya]

Three more additions: and



When this edition of Earthquake was released way back on May 21, 2019 it was discovered that disc 1, the theatrical version, was in the wrong aspect ratio. Shout acknowledged this by saying:

"During the authoring process of Earthquake [Collector's Edition], an error in outputting the master changed the aspect ratio of the theatrical version of the film (disc 1 only). It was not caught in QC, we apologize for the error and are making a replacement disc available correcting it."

Naturally, my copy arrived today with the bad disc. You would think that after 4 years of them knowing of the error that Shout Factory would have gotten all of the bad discs out of circulation, especially seeing as I ordered it directly from them. Incompetence everywhere you turn anymore.

Now excuse me while I go yell at some clouds.