Blu-ray is dead... apparently

[chip75]

Originally Posted by JoeDeM

Blu-ray is dead as far as BM is concerned, they stock very few titles, or only new releases.

This might slightly anal but doesn't BM stand for Bowel Movement? It's quite fitting to the article anyway...

Blu-ray distributors need to look at streaming services as part of their product instead of competition. If they ever match BDs in quality they could say provide the first 4 episodes of a TV series on 1 Blu-ray and codes to redeem the rest from a streaming service. It would save production costs and it might help shows struggling to get on Blu (but have been made in HD) a way to be seen by people who don't (or don't want to) subscribe to LOVEFiLM or Netflix. I wouldn't personally like it but it if helps sales and keep production costs down it might be beneficial to the format.

[RedCellUK]

Hmm well I'd argue that most blu-ray buyers fall into two categories - collectors or casuals - for casual buyers its a case of buying big releases or cheap back catalogue impulse buys, which they get in supermarkets or in places like CEX etc or online, for collectors - well other than vacuuming up old bargain HMV doesnt offer up more than the occasional bargain price if you are lucky.

Said it many times - HMV's day one prices are irrelevent for most if they don't take preorders ahead of time based on that price! Especially given that the general trend based on my experience is that most films of any worth are holding value for longer than they used to and not being as heavily discounted as you'd expect.

[gothic_hobbit]

Originally Posted by rapta

Maybe one day physical formats will be treated much like vinyl, but that's why people still buy vinyl - it's a superior format. As long as blu-ray sounds and looks the best it will be the best around.

Vinyl isn't going anywhere.

In fact, it's popularity is only increasing.

[mredman]

what a ****ing moron that Pat?? is

he has no clue whats going on

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by gothic_hobbit

Vinyl isn't going anywhere.

In fact, it's popularity is only increasing.

yay hipsters

[blu_sharpy]

Originally Posted by gothic_hobbit

Vinyl isn't going anywhere.

In fact, it's popularity is only increasing.

Most definitely, especially within the younger generation. Apparently 18-24 year olds are buying more vinyl than any other age group.

[Edgeworth]

Blu-ray isn't even dying, just dead. lol, what a retard.

[Natty]

Originally Posted by RedCellUK

Hmm well I'd argue that most blu-ray buyers fall into two categories - collectors or casuals - for casual buyers its a case of buying big releases or cheap back catalogue impulse buys, which they get in supermarkets or in places like CEX etc or online, for collectors - well other than vacuuming up old bargain HMV doesnt offer up more than the occasional bargain price if you are lucky.

Said it many times - HMV's day one prices are irrelevent for most if they don't take preorders ahead of time based on that price! Especially given that the general trend based on my experience is that most films of any worth are holding value for longer than they used to and not being as heavily discounted as you'd expect.

See that's the thing, I consider myself a collector. But I buy most of mine (95%) second hand from places such as CeX and AVForums.

[Buzz201]

I think Blu Ray is and will remain a "specialist" item for collectors and pretentious people who want to hold things (just kidding with the pretentious part). Streaming might take off, but there'll always be a group of people that want a physical product of some kind, and people like watching films on their TV and don't want to (or perhaps know how to) faff around to get a stream or download from their PC to their TV.

I doubt it's going anywhere until 4K becomes mainstream, and we're a long way off that...

[bluearth]

Originally Posted by Awesomo4000

Can you guys imagine a world where Blu-ray died and there was only DVDs and streaming? *shudder*

At that point I'm finished watching movies outside of their theatrical run

bluray, in the short term, or even in the long term, may never fully overtake DVD. It doesnt matter though because it has enough market share to the point where studios still find it profitable to release films in the format.

Theres plenty enough of people out there who can appreciate the higher quality experience bluray offers. Just because some stores become impatient and start trying to push DVD again means very little long run. Every time I go into the local best buy, there was always alot of people in the bluray isle...now they've stuffed DVDs in there making it a mess. Its a lame move alot of stores are making but it wont last.

The new Xbox One is going to introduce alot of people to blu-ray, and bluray prices, its biggest negative, are falling everyday. Once players are $20 it will really take off, but we're still about a year from that.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by gothic_hobbit

Vinyl isn't going anywhere.

In fact, it's popularity is only increasing.

Erm, that's exactly what I was saying...I'm "18-24" and still buy vinyl AND blu-ray, and will continue to.

[gtrekker]

That article was good for a laugh.

As for BD being a dead format - far from it. As stated above the new generation of consoles will likely introduce newcomers to the format.
Streaming/downloading is only good for people who want to watch a movie and move on, I have lovefilm instant and I've tried Netflix on and off, but I find myself using it to watch movies that I wouldn't want to buy. I still would like a phyiscal copy of a movie because of the reasons so many have mentioned better PQ, AQ and of course the extras. The packaging such as steels are a bonus on top of that.

Many of my friends who don't really care about the difference between DVD and blu-ray (but who have a blu-ray player through their PS3 or TV deal) only buy blu-rays, this can be attributed to the decreasing prices of movies which can be found as cheap as £2.99.

Overall though movie fans or enthusists will be interested in blu-ray more than the average movie watcher. That said I wonder what would have happened if they had stopped making DVDs after a few years when blu-ray arrived, like what happened with VHS.

[DaveSimonH]

Strange article, all his conclusions seem to rest on his local HMV and opinions of whoever was reading his twitter account that night. HMV is the last music & film retailer on the highstreet, not because of the death of blu-rays or CD's, it's down to the shift to online buying.
Ironically when HMV were "saved" their online store basically dried up, funny considering it was likely one of the only areas of their business that was competitive.

[Wes Blu-ray]

Blu-ray will still be a major force in 10 years time.

[RazorwireRyan]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

No it isn't.

<sarcasm>

[shogun123]

I think the guy is just winding us all up, who the hell would want to go back to dvd after experiencing his/her favourite films on blu ray?

His way of thinking would only make sense if you were watching them on a 25 inch.

[Lutz]

I think the guy had the right idea but the conclusion they came to was backward. When you look around your store and discover that they now sell jack you come to the conclusion that physical retail is dead because everyone is buying the products off the internet. It was probably the generational gap of the writer that they didn't pick that up.

I don't think I've ever bought a blu ray in store?

[Trogdor2010]

Sounds like another article to piss people off. In the words of Officer Barbrady.

[The Fallen Deity]

Nope, It's not dead at all.

The format's been around for 7 years now and still going strong.

Terrible journalism. He even says that he doesn't back up his theories, idiot.

[gtrekker]

Originally Posted by Trogdor2010

Sounds like another article to piss people off. In the words of Officer Barbrady.

Awesome