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

[octagon]

Originally Posted by flyry

The only merit his paranoia has is that I do see the kids born in the 90s onwards like to watch movies on their laptops.

Eh, those laptop screens are quite a bit bigger than the portable TVs I had growing up and are almost as large as the living room TVs in my first few apartments

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by octagon

Eh, those laptop screens are quite a bit bigger than the portable TVs I had growing up and are almost as large as the living room TVs in my first few apartments

Heck, my laptop that I'm posting this from right now has a 17 inch screen. I never had anything bigger than a 13 inch TV in my room until I was 17 years old, and that was only because I won a 27 inch TV in a contest where I worked part time at the time.

[irighti]

this is on topic, but slightly different direction.

I work in a hospital, so obviously lots of sick folk. we have a large pediatrics department with several units on top of the other locations. while generally most of our adults are older patients...they are more than cool with the cable tv they have.

for the children/teens that is a bit of a problem. the cable package we have is not robust, and generally does not have what they are looking for. so many have been watching on phones/laptops/tablets etc. while I do occasionally catch part of a film or a show on my phone while on break...I do prefer viewing no matter disc/digital on a larger screen.

I spoke with administration and our governing board and they agreed to outfit all of the pediatric rooms with a roku stick (we also have a few chromecast and apple tvs if requested for people who prefer to cast from a device) the fundraiser was a breeze. people understood anything that can offer a distraction or a smile to a sick child is worth dropping a few dollars into.

there is also a larger group/hub rooms scattered around the prediatric unit. they decided to put roku sticks out there on the assorted tvs. this allows them to watch something with a group and socialize.

there is also a rather large video game setup for theml. there is nothing like hearing a laugh among all the other noise going around.

now this could all be done with physical as well. this is not a bash physical thing, but going digital for this project made it more affordable and much easier to execute.

I urge anyone who does have discs or streaming players they no longer plan to use, please check with hospitals and nursing facilities before giving to say a goodwill. this is how almost the entire video game collection was assembled here.

[Steedeel]

So what happens to the tv market when the younger generation all buy tablets and phones when they buy/rent their Own place? You guys are also ignoring that the tv market is in decline (almost certainly permanent with the young ones preferring mobile)

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by irighti

this is on topic, but slightly different direction.

I work in a hospital, so obviously lots of sick folk. we have a large pediatrics department with several units on top of the other locations. while generally most of our adults are older patients...they are more than cool with the cable tv they have.

for the children/teens that is a bit of a problem. the cable package we have is not robust, and generally does not have what they are looking for. so many have been watching on phones/laptops/tablets etc. while I do occasionally catch part of a film or a show on my phone while on break...I do prefer viewing no matter disc/digital on a larger screen.

I spoke with administration and our governing board and they agreed to outfit all of the pediatric rooms with a roku stick (we also have a few chromecast and apple tvs if requested for people who prefer to cast from a device) the fundraiser was a breeze. people understood anything that can offer a distraction or a smile to a sick child is worth dropping a few dollars into.

there is also a larger group/hub rooms scattered around the prediatric unit. they decided to put roku sticks out there on the assorted tvs. some children do not have a device to cast from, so this allows them to watch something with a group and socialize.

there is also a rather large video game setup for theml. there is nothing like hearing a laugh among all the other noise going around.

now this could all be done with physical as well. this is not a bash physical thing, but going digital for this project made it more affordable and much easier to execute.

I urge anyone who does have discs or streaming players they no longer plan to use, please check with hospitals and nursing facilities before giving to say a goodwill. this is how almost the entire video game collection was assembled here.

Yeah I did that along with a friend for old PlayStation consoles and games. Certainly makes you think about things walking through a children’s ward.

Good suggestion I think.

[graf1k]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

So what happens to the tv market when the younger generation all buy tablets and phones when they buy/rent their Own place? You guys are also ignoring that the tv market is in decline (almost certainly permanent with the young ones preferring mobile)

Decline in TV sales is more to do with the ubiquity of HD sets in households and the thus far price and lack of content for UHD. People still don't feel the need to upgrade TVs every 2-3 years like they do with their phone (nor should they really IMO).

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by graf1k

Decline in TV sales is more to do with the ubiquity of HD sets in households and the thus far price and lack of content for UHD. People still don't feel the need to upgrade TVs every 2-3 years like they do with their phone (nor should they really IMO).

Well, for a start many are using tablets and phones in the bedroom where before they used smaller TV sets.

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by irighti

I urge anyone who does have discs or streaming players they no longer plan to use, please check with hospitals and nursing facilities before giving to say a goodwill. this is how almost the entire video game collection was assembled here.

Patients stuck in hyperbaric chambers can't have anything inside with them so they're stuck looking out at a TV they can't control. Usually the movie selection is poor too. Blu-rays and DVDs are great for this. I do it with discs that come my way.

[Blu Titan]

Funny how people that collect digital think that discs are obsolete and a digital collection is the way to go. Digital collections will be fewer in number and duration than formats that have come before it. Why?

Because young kids are not interest in purchasing discs, codes or movies in general. They watch what’s available on streaming services (legal or not). My son is 15 and he has been told to appreciate movies. However, he and his friends are not interest in owning movies or series in any format.

Many, many older adults are perfectly content with streaming from their little black box all kinds of movies... at whatever quality.

[Zu Nim]

I've said it before, I wouldn't be surprised if my entire digital movie collection is effectively supplanted with a few subscription services in the next decade the same way music collections have been supplanted. That's still digital, just a different business model. Ownership is going out the door.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Funny how people that collect digital think that discs are obsolete and a digital collection is the way to go. Digital collections will be fewer in number and duration than formats that have come before it. Why?

Because young kids are not interest in purchasing discs, codes or movies in general. They watch what’s available on streaming services (legal or not). My son is 15 and he has been told to appreciate movies. However, he and his friends are not interest in owning movies or series in any format.

Many, many older adults are perfectly content with streaming from their little black box all kinds of movies... at whatever quality.

Well said. Many older folk still love discs also.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Zu Nim

I've said it before, I wouldn't be surprised if my entire digital movie collection is effectively supplanted with a few subscription services in the next decade the same way music collections have been supplanted. That's still digital, just a different business model. Ownership is going out the door.

Which is exactly what I have been saying for the last few years. you guys just like to argue Black is White when it comes to my posts.

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by Zu Nim

I've said it before, I wouldn't be surprised if my entire digital movie collection is effectively supplanted with a few subscription services in the next decade the same way music collections have been supplanted. That's still digital, just a different business model. Ownership is going out the door.

Digital is just not “suited” for collectors. You can’t sell digital in parts, once added to a collection, or have unique/rare items to offer. If you were to attempt to sell a digital collection that you paid thousands of dollars for, you would be lucky to get a couple of hundred...unless you happen to find someone with your exact tastes and preferences who might be enticed to pay a little more.

Meaning that a digital purchase becomes obsolete and devoid of value in exchange the moment it’s is purchased and redeemed/added to an account.

Just purchase what you want in whatever delivery method appeals to you and enjoy it...that is my advice to everyone.

[irighti]

that is valid, if the end game is to sell the collection.

I think most of the people on this forum who do own hundreds/thousands of titles are more inclined to keep what they purchase via any format. just the vibe I get, I could be totally off base.

[Steedeel]

I wouldn’t dream of selling my collection personally.

[graf1k]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Meaning that a digital purchase becomes obsolete and devoid of value in exchange the moment it’s is purchased and redeemed/added to an account.

Honestly though that's not limited to just digital/streaming. Unless a disc is super rare, OOP, or brand new most any BD you buy you'll be lucky to get 30-40% for it and that'll only get worse as UHD BD supersedes 1080p BDs.

Personally my digital collection is only for movies and shows I know I want to keep and have. Sometimes I'll take a shot on something when its so cheap it's basically the price of a rental or less (<$3) but otherwise, it's stuff I know I like and wouldn't want to resell.

[irighti]

Steedeel, that is one thing I agree with you 100% on.

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Digital is just not “suited” for collectors. You can’t sell digital in parts, once added to a collection, or have unique/rare items to offer. If you were to attempt to sell a digital collection that you paid thousands of dollars for, you would be lucky to get a couple of hundred...unless you happen to find someone with your exact tastes and preferences who might be enticed to pay a little more.

Meaning that a digital purchase becomes obsolete and devoid of value in exchange the moment it’s is purchased and redeemed/added to an account.

It may not be suited to some collectors. I'm a collector and discs are no longer suited to me. I know many others like me.

It doesn't matter to me that I can't resell my digital purchases and that my collection has no extrinsic value. It has plenty of intrinsic value. That's why I have the collection. And when I collect something I want to keep it. I never resell parts of my collections. Does that make me more or less of a collector than someone who willingly parts with some of theirs?

A lot of disc collections can't be resold for more than a fraction of their purchase price. This has never struck me as a strong reason in favor of choosing discs over digital.

[doctor_who]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Digital is just not “suited” for collectors. You can’t sell digital in parts, once added to a collection, or have unique/rare items to offer. If you were to attempt to sell a digital collection that you paid thousands of dollars for, you would be lucky to get a couple of hundred...unless you happen to find someone with your exact tastes and preferences who might be enticed to pay a little more.

Meaning that a digital purchase becomes obsolete and devoid of value in exchange the moment it’s is purchased and redeemed/added to an account.

Just purchase what you want in whatever delivery method appeals to you and enjoy it...that is my advice to everyone.

If you're going to sell your discs later, you're going to get pennies on the dollar anyway, unless it's a truly rare item, which holds value for longer, but still not forever. Can't sell those rare VHS tapes or DVDs for much, can you?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

So what happens to the tv market when the younger generation all buy tablets and phones when they buy/rent their Own place?

The 'younger generation' is still going to have TVs in their homes and apartments. And those TVs are going to be bigger and better and cheaper than the TVs we 'purists' are drooling over now.

That's just the nature of the beast.

Originally Posted by Steedeel

You guys are also ignoring that the tv market is in decline (almost certainly permanent with the young ones preferring mobile)

Yawn. 99% of UK households have at least one TV. Something like 96-97% of US households have at least one TV. Even if this 'dire slide' continues (and there's precious little reason to believe it will) then I should be somewhere around 120 years old when that number gets down in the 60s or 70s.

Color me not even remotely alarmed at that prospect.

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Well, for a start many are using tablets and phones in the bedroom where before they used smaller TV sets.

So? I had 12" black-and-white portables in my bedroom when I was a kid. My nieces and nephews have 17" high-definition laptops. My little portable wasn't really all that portable and could pull in a handful of analog over-the-air VHF and UHF stations. Their portables are actually portable and can play a wide variety of discs and digital files and digital streams.

Why should that alarm me? Shouldn't I be celebrating that kind of progress?