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

[Vilya]

As for threads with lots of views, the numbers as of this typing show that this thread has had 319,817.

The DVD ordered and bought thread has even more at: 383,290

Even the 3D blu-ray last watched thread has nearly three times as many views at: 905,211

Anime on blu-ray in the U.S. has ten times as many views at 3,251,546

The Criterion blu-ray thread has 16,047,685 views. That's over 50 times as many views as this thread- just for Criterion titles on blu-ray.

Those Anime and Criterion threads have far, far more views than even the "Pay it Forward Digital Code III" thread; you know that thread where people look for free codes? This freebie thread has only 1,524,706 views and it has the highest number of views of all of the digital threads on page 1 of the digital movie category. That same Criterion thread cited above has 10.5 times as many views as even this "gimme freebies" thread.

If you are going to cite data, try looking at it first. You make refutation too easy.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by alchav21

You said it, Discs are dying....RIP! I was at Target the other day, and they are redoing the store. There use to be several isles of Blu-rays and DVD's, now it's only one isle with very few selections. There was only me and a lady looking, and I said they cut it way down she said it was pathetic. The only reason I shop for Disc is the Digital Copy, then I sell the Disc but I'm luck if I get 50% back. The only other Threads here that get more hits than this one are 4K Digital, D2D, and Digital Codes.

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I have said it before, I will say it again. If you are so sure, let’s have a wager? First to die, Disc or Digital HD. (Not subscription, that’s a different story)

If you have a Paypal account and you are younger than 80 (in other words, still around in a few years) let’s do it?

I think I'll be around a few years, but like I have said it's all Digital now, so I win hands down. Digital Files put on a Disc, Flash Drive, Solid State or Hard Drive, or on a Server are all the same. I don't know why you guys don't understand this, Discs had their run and they are on the way out. Streaming Digital Movies are all the same, no matter how you do it!

[PCFan]

Didn't digital albums in downloadable MP3 format lose out to albums in CD format? I don't mean music subscription services either.

[Vilya]

How a digital file is stored is germane to the discussion as it determines what is necessary to access that file, the costs involved, and where control over that file lies.

Could you use your Nostradamus clairvoyance and enlighten us with the exact date that discs will be "out?" Any soothsayer worth his salt should be able to share that revelation. Certainty such as yours can only come from the gift of prophecy or the delirium of the delusional.

[The_Donster]

Neither physical or digital media are going anywhere. If anything they will evolve. It doesn't take a time bridge to see that

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

I think I'll be around a few years, but like I have said it's all Digital now, so I win hands down. Digital Files put on a Disc, Flash Drive, Solid State or Hard Drive, or on a Server are all the same. I don't know why you guys don't understand this, Discs had their run and they are on the way out. Streaming Digital Movies are all the same, no matter how you do it!

Oh, that old chestnut! Didn’t you say discs are dying? Prove it. My grand, your grand. Discs dead within 10 years, I say no.

Either they are dying or they have another 10-15 years at least. Both can’t be true.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PCFan

Didn't digital albums in downloadable MP3 format lose out to albums in CD format? I don't mean music subscription services either.

Yeah pretty much.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by alchav21

I think I'll be around a few years, but like I have said it's all Digital now, so I win hands down. Digital Files put on a Disc, Flash Drive, Solid State or Hard Drive, or on a Server are all the same. I don't know why you guys don't understand this, Discs had their run and they are on the way out. Streaming Digital Movies are all the same, no matter how you do it!

Really? You think you "win" based on that argument?

At no point in this overall debate has anyone disputed that the data on a disc is digital. Never. Not even once.

When people express being "against digital" here and/or preferring physical media, they mean as the method of distribution, not the form that the data, itself, is in.

You haven't won s--t. You've just repeatedly demonstrated your lack of basic reading comprehension skills when it comes to understanding the very simple counterpoints that have been made in response. You just keep ignoring very valid counterpoints, and then repeating this same crap like a broken record. The only thing that you've really accomplished with your posts is managing to make a door knob look smart in comparison to yourself.

And while the data may be "digital" in all cases, that doesn't make it all equal. Until streaming is able to stream files of the same size and exact same quality as Blu-Ray with no dips in quality while watching, then it's not "the same" or "equal" in that regard.

And even if it ever does get that good (which I'm not holding my breath on that happening anytime soon), there's still the long term access and control over one's collection, that is more limited with digital distribution.

[Vor4]

Originally Posted by PCFan

Didn't digital albums in downloadable MP3 format lose out to albums in CD format? I don't mean music subscription services either.

Digital music albums came out several years before their time, had a bad rep, the audio compression was terrible and the bit rate the studios used for songs were at 96 kbps to 128 kbps. Today's digital music use really good to excellent audio compression especially Apple's AAC format at 256 kbps. The audio cd format is already dead, digital music downloads are declining, while music streaming subscription services are growing in popularity.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vor4

Digital music albums came out several years before their time, had a bad rep, the audio compression was terrible and the bit rate the studios used for songs were at 96 kbps to 128 kbps. Today's digital music use really good to excellent audio compression especially Apple's AAC format at 256 kbps. The audio cd format is already dead, digital music downloads are declining, while music streaming subscription services are growing in popularity.

The audio CD format is not dead at all. I think a few posters on here struggle to understand the meaning of the word ‘dead’. Do you know anything about the Indie music scene? I’m guessing not.

[WestMan]

I see a world were multiple formats are available for years to come. Music is available in vinyl, disc, digital, and streaming. Movies are available in DVD, Blu-ray, 4K, digital, and streaming.

For multiple formats to just go away soon is highly unlikely. It is okay for formats to coexist.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by PCFan

Didn't digital albums in downloadable MP3 format lose out to albums in CD format? I don't mean music subscription services either.

Not in the US. Digital downloads surpassed CD sales in 2012 and are still higher today (although both are losing out to subscriptions now).

https://www.recode.net/2017/9/20/163...e-subscription

But I think there are still some important differences compared to digital movies (such as the fact that Netflix et al. don't carry most new releases, whereas Spotify gets new albums typically at the same time or soon after the album release).

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Vor4

The audio cd format is already dead, digital music downloads are declining, while music streaming subscription services are growing in popularity.

More hyperbole. If the cd were dead, I would not be able to easily buy brand new ones both online and in stores. Yes, they are still found in many stores. These types of exaggerated statements discredit your comment because they are simply untrue.

I am not saying cds are selling well, but that is a different subject altogether. They are still readily available, more are forthcoming, and for that obvious reason they are not "dead."

Why do so many people feel the need to exaggerate?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

Not in the US. Digital downloads surpassed CD sales in 2012 and are still higher today (although both are losing out to subscriptions now).

https://www.recode.net/2017/9/20/163...e-subscription

But I think there are still some important differences compared to digital movies (such as the fact that Netflix et al. don't carry most new releases).

He did say albums mind, not singles.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by Vilya

More hyperbole. If the cd were dead, I would not be able to easily buy brand new ones both online and in stores.

They will linger for a number of years, but there is no question that the CD is dying. Most young people do not own disc players anymore, and even car manufacturers are dropping CD players. It is simply not a practical format in a mobile world.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

They will linger for a number of years, but there is no question that the CD is dying. Most young people do not own disc players anymore, and even car manufacturers are dropping CD players. It is simply not a practical format in a mobile world.

He said dead not dying. We are all dying the day we are born. In that sense, Digital HD is dying having shown very little growth by the end of Q4. So if it flatlines this year it is dying by your estimations? Indie stores alone will keep the CD alive for at least the next few years.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

They will linger for a number of years, but there is no question that the CD is dying. Most young people do not own disc players anymore, and even car manufacturers are dropping CD players. It is simply not a practical format in a mobile world.

It is the premature pronouncement of death that I take exception with. Making predictions based on sales data and trends is something else, naturally.

Personally, I think cds will remain in their own little niche. They have proven to be quite resilient. The cd will be 36 years old on Oct.1 this year.

[Wasgo]

Originally Posted by Vilya

It is the premature pronouncement of death that I take exception with. Making predictions based on sales data and trends is something else, naturally.

Personally, I think cds will remain in their own little niche. They have proven to be quite resilient. The cd will be 36 years old on Oct.1 this year.

The question is, will CDs become a niche format like tapes and vinyls, or will they be dropped altogether. Unlike tapes and vinyl, they don't impart a unique sound when compared to lossless digital. But they're a very cheap to manufacture distribution process.

I could see it go either way.

[flyry]

Originally Posted by Vilya

It is the premature pronouncement of death that I take exception with. Making predictions based on sales data and trends is something else, naturally.

Personally, I think cds will remain in their own little niche. They have proven to be quite resilient. The cd will be 36 years old on Oct.1 this year.

I don't think its a proper comparison, seeing as home disc formats seem to change every 10 years.

I really don't think we'll get another one.

[bigred24]

I began getting into digital movies when I bought an Apple TV 3rd generation. Since then I have weened off of blu-ray purchases and strictly digital because of their ease of playing and it reduces my movie storage. I know blu-ray has better quality, but I don't have the home theater set-up in that regard (no 4K tv, and sound system is not hooked up yet).