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

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Anyone here with VUDU and Movies Anywhere accounts share these accounts with other family members? Send me a PM if you do not want to answer here. I ask because my digital locker accounts are never used by us except on rare occasion.

Have Google Play, iTunes, Movies Anywhere, Prime Video and VUDU. I was thinking of sharing our VUDU and Movies Anywhere accounts with our son and his family but never heard anyone mention this till I saw one of Vilya’s post.

I primarily have and use Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, and recently AppleTV+, but I never got in the habit of sharing. I always felt that access should be held to the household, and less problems of maintaining your Movie Collection.

As for the Quality they all Stream Outstanding, even Amazon Prime. I'm impressed with AppleTV+, but the Quality is Outstanding like the others. Vilya you say I'm rigid and inflexible like Penguin with Discs, but IMO there is no difference. The people that will be sadly disappointed are the ones chasing the Elusive Perfect Quality! You guys know that if the Profit is not there for making Discs, the Studios will cut back or stop. Someone is listening because they stopped the Revenue Report!

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by alchav21

I always felt that access should be held to the household

Thank goodness it doesn't work that way. Sharing it caring.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

I primarily have and use Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, and recently AppleTV+, but I never got in the habit of sharing. I always felt that access should be held to the household, and less problems of maintaining your Movie Collection.

As for the Quality they all Stream Outstanding, even Amazon Prime. I'm impressed with AppleTV+, but the Quality is Outstanding like the others. Vilya you say I'm rigid and inflexible like Penguin with Discs, but IMO there is no difference. The people that will be sadly disappointed are the ones chasing the Elusive Perfect Quality! You guys know that if the Profit is not there for making Discs, the Studios will cut back or stop. Someone is listening because they stopped the Revenue Report!

I said that you were rigid and inflexible because you refuse to use anything but digital sources to watch movies just as he refuses to use anything but discs. I find that using both discs and digital gives me the best of what both have to offer. I certainly disagree that there is no difference in quality between the two, but I see no reason to again.

There is no confirmation that the Media Play News Disc Sales Revenue report has been stopped. All we know for certain is that they were late posting some of their customary charts last month for reasons they did not disclose. It's a little premature to jump to your conclusion.

Regardless, the quarterly and annual reports from the Digital Entertainment Group continue to be available. They should release their end of year report for 2023 soon.

[Vilya]

I share access to my digital collection and why not? I supposedly "bought" them after all. If I can share my purchased discs with whomever I choose why not my digital collection, too? The primary reason why I bother with a digital collection is for the entertainment of my family and friends. I will not lend my discs, so I offer them access to my digital collection instead.

I only share my Max streaming subscription, which I also seldom ever use myself. It is included with my cell phone plan or I would not have it at all.

One of my friends shares his Netflix account with me, which I also rarely use. It is very easy to get around the so-called password crackdown, so there has been no obstacle there.

I occasionally use my digital collection, and subscription streaming, to watch something that I have not seen before the same as I formerly would use cable TV. If I really like what I watch, and if I think that I would like to see it again, I will pursue getting a copy on disc.

The last benefit of my digital collection is that I can access it when I am away from home, but all of my travel now is medical related and those trips usually leave me too exhausted to watch anything.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

You guys know that if the Profit is not there for making Discs, the Studios will cut back or stop.

If only the same could be said for streaming. The studios seem to enjoy losing money there.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by alchav21

You guys know that if the Profit is not there for making Discs, the Studios will cut back or stop. Someone is listening because they stopped the Revenue Report!

Pesonally , I think they stopped reporting the disc profit becuase they don't like to admit it's making a Billlion dollar profit which is what some streaming services lose in 3 months.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Pesonally , I think they stopped reporting the disc profit becuase they don't like to admit it's making a Billlion dollar profit which is what some streaming services lose in 3 months.

A nice thought, but $1 billion+ in sales is not the same thing as $1 billion+ in profits.

I am confident that physical media IS profitable, but by how much I just don't know. I have never seen any data on the subject.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Vilya

If only the same could be said for streaming. The studios seem to enjoy losing money there.

Well nobody enjoys losing money, but the Studios have to come up with the right solution. Theatrical Presentation is the Studios Bread & Butter, IMO they are not going to go backwards with Discs. So Streaming Subscription, VOD, and EST are the logical choices. Also IMO a Media Server on your Local Network or ISP Network is needed for your Personal Collection of Movies and TV Shows!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Well nobody enjoys losing money, but the Studios have to come up with the right solution. Theatrical Presentation is the Studios Bread & Butter, IMO they are not going to go backwards with Discs. So Streaming Subscription, VOD, and EST are the logical choices. Also IMO a Media Server on your Local Network or ISP Network is needed for your Personal Collection of Movies and TV Shows!

Can you breakdown how a streaming service will make money from a movie. Thanks in advance.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Also IMO a Media Server on your Local Network or ISP Network is needed for your Personal Collection of Movies and TV Shows!

Please explain in great detail what you mean by a Media Server on your ISP Network. Please provide examples. I don't think any of us know what you are talking about.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

Please explain in great detail what you mean by a Media Server on your ISP Network. Please provide examples. I don't think any of us know what you are talking about.

I have over 1K Movies and TV Shows in my Vudu/Prime/MA/Google Collection, that can be put on this Media Server in the latest most efficient Format for the highest A/V Quality. I should be able to add and access any Movie or TV Shows the Studios have to offer for a given price. My ISP will Support and Store this Collection for a given Fee and should be able to move to any Server if needed. With a Fiber Network the Streaming Access should be in the Gigabit Range!

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by alchav21

I have over 1K Movies and TV Shows in my Vudu/Prime/MA/Google Collection, that can be put on this Media Server in the latest most efficient Format for the highest A/V Quality. I should be able to add and access any Movie or TV Shows the Studios have to offer for a given price. My ISP will Support and Store this Collection for a given Fee and should be able to move to any Server if needed. With a Fiber Network the Streaming Access should be in the Gigabit Range!

You used the word "should" a lot. Have you tried adding movies from your Vudu/Prime/MA/Google Collection to this ISP media server? What is your ISP?

[cheez avenger]

I stopped sharing when UltraViolet folded over. I was linked with 2 other friends and then that link was broken and I longer had access to our collective queues. I'll stick to my own locker in addition to my haedcopy library of discs.

[gj217]

Digital’s convenient but it is not suitable for film collectors who actually care about their movies. It allows the studios too much control over your “purchases.”

Editing for content, replacing an acceptable current version with horrid “upgrades” (True Lies and Aliens for example. Those are AI-mangled downgrades.) and the risk of losing any given title at the whim of the distributor.

If the only version of “Halloween” I had access to was the horrid 2007 Blu-ray transfer (or, even worse, the horrible HDR-to-SDR conversion currently available digitally, near-unwatchable with its scorched highlights and insane amount of black crush)… I would never watch it again - and it’s my favorite movie.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

You used the word "should" a lot. Have you tried adding movies from your Vudu/Prime/MA/Google Collection to this ISP media server? What is your ISP?

No they don't have a Media Server, but it's possible to have one for your Personal Use. My ISP was Cable Systems Nevada, but they sold the Internet to InfoWest, and now they only have the IPTV which does have a DVR Server. With the DVR Server I can Record and play any IP Channel from any of my STB connected TV's....Movies, Sport Events, Hallmark, ect!

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by alchav21

No they don't have a Media Server, but it's possible to have one for your Personal Use. My ISP was Cable Systems Nevada, but they sold the Internet to InfoWest, and now they only have the IPTV which does have a DVR Server. With the DVR Server I can Record and play any IP Channel from any of my STB connected TV's....Movies, Sport Events, Hallmark, ect!

Do you have any sort of media server on your local network or ISP network? Just a few posts ago you said one was "needed".

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by gj217

Digital’s convenient but it is not suitable for film collectors who actually care about their movies. It allows the studios too much control over your “purchases.”

Editing for content, replacing an acceptable current version with horrid “upgrades” (True Lies and Aliens for example. Those are AI-mangled downgrades.) and the risk of losing any given title at the whim of the distributor.

If the only version of “Halloween” I had access to was the horrid 2007 Blu-ray transfer (or, even worse, the horrible HDR-to-SDR conversion currently available digitally, near-unwatchable with its scorched highlights and insane amount of black crush)… I would never watch it again - and it’s my favorite movie.

Those films haven’t released yet. We don’t know if they are downgrades. Most are forming opinions on a bit rate starved stream.

Also have to disagree (sorry) about the Halloween 2007 Blu being horrid. Sure, it’s an older transfer but it’s far from horrid.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Those films haven’t released yet. We don’t know if they are downgrades. Most are forming opinions on a bit rate starved stream.

So they are AI-mangled on streaming and Kaleidescape (which isn't bit rate starved by the way) but they won't be AI-mangled on 4K Blu-ray? You clearly don't understand the problems with the transfers if you think that a 4K Blu-ray will fix them.

Details were scrubbed away by DNR and details that weren't there in the first place were inserted by AI. That will look terrible on every format.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Same here. Never get sick of Alien and Aliens.

I've always loved them. I still have the 20th Anniversary DVD boxset from 1999 - the very first DVD's I bought. I've also kept hold of the Alien Quadrilogy which came out about 2004 I think, and then the blu-rays when they were released a few years back. The only ones I don't have any longer are the VHS releases. You'd be forgiven for thinking I don't like to throw anything away.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

So they are AI-mangled on streaming and Kaleidescape (which isn't bit rate starved by the way) but they won't be AI-mangled on 4K Blu-ray? You clearly don't understand the problems with the transfers if you think that a 4K Blu-ray will fix them.

Details were scrubbed away by DNR and details that weren't there in the first place were inserted by AI. That will look terrible on every format.

I mean, they scrubbed detail away for the Aliens Blu-ray but it still looked great.

Titanic and The Abyss both had the A.I treatment and many enthusiasts think they look great, me included regarding Titanic.

One person’s terrible is another’s crystal clear presentation.

I will wait and form my own opinion, but Titanic is a pass for me.