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

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by abbottd

Quick Q, Zu; out of curiosity, you don't happen to know of an estimated timeframe for an announcement, do you?

I don't. My best guess is around when Amazon and Vudu roll out to Apple TV this fall. Both of those have been announced. Tim Cook said there would be more announcements with Apple TV in the fall and it wouldn't be surprising if they introduced a new Apple TV with UHD support. Why not also announce Movies Anywhere? Apple's probably reached the point where their reduced market share could be stabilized by being part of a locker system. And I don't see how the studios could get a better marketing splash than being part of an Apple announcement.

It's only a guess though. Gives them at least a couple more months to test. I'd be happy to be wrong and find out it's next week. I'd like to know what some of the policies are going to be...

[randian]

Apple being part of Movies Anywhere is only valuable to me if MGM, Sony, and Warner Bros are part of it too, and if their UV codes work with it.

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by randian

Apple being part of Movies Anywhere is only valuable to me if MGM, Sony, and Warner Bros are part of it too, and if their UV codes work with it.

So far Warner, Sony: yes; MGM: no. Can't say what happens with old UV redemptions but it already seems like Warner is gearing up for future MA redemptions. I imagine code prices for Universal and Paramount titles will go up because they will only need a single redemption instead of dual.

It should be valuable regardless. Even if redemptions didn't work, you could potentially get Amazon, Google, and Vudu offering a variety of sales that would port back to iTunes. Assuming, of course, all those providers are joining.

[PCFan]

Well I sold about 80% of my blu-ray collection. I'm down to about 20% of my favorites but I have some of those titles in my iTunes account but most I have left I don't have the title in my iTunes account. I don't think I will be purchasing another blu-ray in the future. It's iTunes for me. I think the Vacation bundle purchase I did for $20 from iTunes was the turning point for leaving blu-ray and sticking with iTunes. iTunes is just more convenient for me because it resumes where I left off watching in every movie, not the case with every blu-ray and no preview trailers or warnings before a movie. Inserting a disc in the player was not an issue for me with blu-ray, it was mainly these 2 mentioned things that were the biggest issues I had with blu-ray. My lack of shelf space was another issue for me with physical media as well but not as big an issue as those other 2 issues I mentioned.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Zu Nim

Because it hasn't been announced. I wouldn't at all be surprised if there are people in this forum (or thread!) who know all about it but aren't permitted to say. I am not one of those people. I freely explained Vudu's Mobile D2D and Movies On Us programs before they were announced, and probably more, and I've never broken an NDA to do it.

I told everyone this was happening a year ago. No one was having it. I'm looking for the post now.

What's hilarious is this will make things even worse for some countries. At least we have UV here. We don't have DMA. You could not make this stuff up!

Edit: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...1348&styleid=1

Yep, there it is. I mentioned back in 2016 but for some reason I can't find that post. But basically I predicted what would happen. UV simply couldn't continue the way it is.

For the UK and other major countries, I am guessing this is the end for digital lockers altogether. Can't see how they can continue.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PCFan

Well I sold about 80% of my blu-ray collection. I'm down to about 20% of my favorites but I have some of those titles in my iTunes account but most I have left I don't have the title in my iTunes account. I don't think I will be purchasing another blu-ray in the future. It's iTunes for me. I think the Vacation bundle purchase I did for $20 from iTunes was the turning point for leaving blu-ray and sticking with iTunes. iTunes is just more convenient for me because it resumes where I left off watching in every movie, not the case with every blu-ray and no preview trailers or warnings before a movie. Inserting a disc in the player was not an issue for me with blu-ray, it was mainly these 2 mentioned things that were the biggest issues I had with blu-ray. My lack of shelf space was another issue for me with physical media as well but not as big an issue as those other 2 issues I mentioned.

You think they won't stick ads and trailers infront of Digital movies going forward?

[twobelowpar]

I would be beyond excited if this Movies Anywhere thing merged my iTunes and Vudu libraries. I don't care if it's "UV" or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kage]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

You think they won't stick ads and trailers infront of Digital movies going forward?

Vudu already have ads in their free digital movies they offer.

Maybe in the future movie subscription plans may have 3 tiers:
Tier 1: Free with ads, no new movie releases, limited selection that changes often.
Tier 2: No ads and wait for new movie releases about 60 days after release.
Tier 3: No ads and with new movie releases 14 days after release.

[twobelowpar]

If I pay for a movie I should never have to see an ad again, even if it's skippable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Kage

Vudu already have ads in their free digital movies they offer.

Maybe in the future movie subscription plans may have 3 tiers:
Tier 1: Free with ads, no new movie releases, limited selection that changes often.
Tier 2: No ads and wait for new movie releases about 60 days after release.
Tier 3: No ads and with new movie releases 14 days after release.

You don't visit this thread much, do you?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by twobelowpar

I would be beyond excited if this Movies Anywhere thing merged my iTunes and Vudu libraries. I don't care if it's "UV" or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I wonder what it means for Vudu going forward. They are the main guys at the moment for digital lockers. For those that haven't really got many films so far, I see many turning to ITunes. This could work against the idea of handicapping ITunes.

[BlakkMajik3000]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I wonder what it means for Vudu going forward. They are the main guys at the moment for digital lockers. For those that haven't really got many films so far, I see many turning to ITunes. This could work against the idea of handicapping ITunes.

Let's call a spade a spade here. UV is pretty worthless without VUDU, and even the most fervent UV supporter knows it (unless they are in denial). The fact is, the movie studios didn't want iTunes having such a large market share for digital movies.

As I've mentioned before, the irony is that VUDU is likely to the point where they don't necessarily need UV. A VUDU-only digital copy sells for far more than a UV copy. In essence, the demand has gone from "We want UV" to "We want it to work on VUDU". In essence, all UV did was create a major "not-iTunes" redemption location.

UV wasn't created necessarily to "handicap" iTunes, just keep it from being the default storefront. As it stands, only Warner and Sony are UV only, so it's really a studio decision to provide UV and/or iTunes redemptions.

However, I do agree that it does get interesting when iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, etc. are using the same digital locker as VUDU. VUDU's current competitive advantage is that it's the only place to watch UV and DMA content. Once that's gone, they'll have to figure out other ways to hang on to customers.

[master gandhi]

I could be wrong here, but I doubt Movies Anywhere would be retroactive. That would be insanely awesome if it is, but that would kinda defeat the purpose of adding a VUDU app to the Apple TV. I would just watch everything via the built-in Movies app on the Apple TV, if everything shows up there. The only advantage VUDU would have is if they can outdo iTunes sale prices or get exclusive extras/titles/cuts.

[randian]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

I could be wrong here, but I doubt Movies Anywhere would be retroactive.

Wasn't Disney Movies Anywhere retroactive? It upgraded many titles to HD too if I recall correctly.

[randian]

Originally Posted by BlakkMajik3000

UV wasn't created necessarily to "handicap" iTunes, just keep it from being the default storefront. As it stands, only Warner and Sony are UV only, so it's really a studio decision to provide UV and/or iTunes redemptions.

UV itself might not have been intended to hurt iTunes, but ceasing to issue iTunes codes certainly was. They obviously had no confidence they could compete with iTunes unless anti-competitive measures like that were taken. I guess you could say it worked to some extent, if you take secondary-market code prices as evidence for it.

Other than HBO, television season set codes are UV-only too, even if the producing studio issues iTunes codes for their movie releases. I'm not sure why that is, but anti-iTunes animus probably has something to do with it.

MGM is UV-only too.

[Greyman]

Originally Posted by randian

...
Other than HBO, television season set codes are UV-only too, even if the producing studio issues iTunes codes for their movie releases. I'm not sure why that is, but anti-iTunes animus probably has something to do with it.
..

Probably more like they don't want to hurt the stream of income from iTunes sales - either itunes position or the studios, or both.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by randian

Wasn't Disney Movies Anywhere retroactive? It upgraded many titles to HD too if I recall correctly.

I think you're right.

So I guess some of the studios that currently don't do UV might also not do Movies Anywhere, and TV shows probably wouldn't use it, so it would still make sense to have VUDU on the Apple TV.

[Steedeel]

I would love a insider or studio head to have the balls to come out and tell us why the U.K isn't getting all these services. It's kinda worrying that if disc does die eventually, nothing will be in place. How the heck am I going to watch my movies?

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I would love a insider or studio head to have the balls to come out and tell us why the U.K isn't getting all these services. It's kinda worrying that if disc does die eventually, nothing will be in place. How the heck am I going to watch my movies?

Subscriptions.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

Subscriptions.

Yes, buy you know me. I want high quality recent releases with the best video and audio. I'm not going to be catered to am I? I thought Digital was the future? Didn't I say all along that meant lower quality. Seems like I either take the hit or do without. First the studios screw 3D lovers (IMO) now they are screwing the UK collectors. I hope disc continues for a decade at least. The alternative is grim. Real grim.