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

[JustinB13]

Why does this thread exist on BLU-RAY.com
We all know the winner here.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by Vilya

The cd will be 36 years old on Oct.1 this year.

Yes, and it was a great ride. But honestly, I haven't listened to a CD via a player in a looong time. Until a few years ago I still occasionally bought CDs, but I just immediately ripped them and put them into storage, never to be taken out again. Rest in peace, my old friends.

[Vilya]

In terms of audio on disc, the ubiquitous cd appears to be dominant just from my casual observation. We have SACD, DVD-Audio, and Blu-ray audio discs, but I do not think any of these ever had a significant adoption rate among those who buy audio on disc. I could be wrong about that; I have not researched it.

[whipnet]

I still buy CD's for all of my music. I then rip them to MP3. But I will always have a copy to re-rip if needed. When I ripped my first CD in 1995 it was only 96K, so many of my CD's have been re-ripped over time.

*

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

Yes, and it was a great ride. But honestly, I haven't listened to a CD via a player in a looong time. Until a few years ago I still occasionally bought CDs, but I just immediately ripped them and put them into storage, never to be taken out again. Rest in peace, my old friends.

Frankly, I also have ripped all of my cds as 320 kbps MP3s so that I can play them over my home network for hours on end without getting off my arse to change discs. I chose MP3 as my file type because everything recognizes it and my hearing is such that I doubt I can tell the difference between a 320 kbps MP3 and the cd anyway. I can thank age and having worked on the railroad for my hearing acuity. While I have not been diagnosed with any hearing problems, I know these things have had an adverse impact on my hearing.

I play my cds only occasionally; usually when I have company with better hearing than my own. I still buy cds because I can rip them into any file type I choose and I like having hard copies of my content, no surprise there.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Frankly, I also have ripped all of my cds as 320 kbps MP3s so that I can play them over my home network for hours on end without getting off my arse to change discs. I chose MP3 as my file type because everything recognizes it and my hearing is such that I doubt I can tell the difference between a 320 kbps MP3 and the cd anyway.

If you used a good encoder, very few if any people would be able to consistently tell the difference in a blind test. I ripped my entire collection sometime in the early-mid 2000s (I remember it took several weeks or even months) using Lame in VBR 2 mode, which usually results in a bitrate around 180-200 kbps. I have done a number of blind tests over the years and never found a reason to re-encode them. They still sound excellent, and so do today's download formats, such as Amazon's 256kbps MP3s and Apple's AAC files. I particularly like many of Apple's "mastered for iTunes" titles; in many cases they sound better than the CD equivalent because they often use less dynamic range compression.

[Kage]

Did this thread now become the audio cd vs digital music downloads? I think its a good break from reading the similar responses from digital movie downloads vs physical media.

[Kage]

Originally Posted by whipnet

I still buy CD's for all of my music. I then rip them to MP3. But I will always have a copy to re-rip if needed. When I ripped my first CD in 1995 it was only 96K, so many of my CD's have been re-ripped over time.

*

The last time I bought a cd was over three years ago. When I tried to sell my cds to used music and movies stores, they only offered 25 cents to $1 per album, half the time they didn't take them, so I had to donate them to Salvation Army.

For me, I'm better with music streaming subscription services. I currently use Apple Music. I can download the music to my MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and my iPhone 7 Plus. Lately, I've been thinking making the switch to Spotify Premium service, but at the same time I'm happy with Apple Music.

[flyry]

I've never seen this before or maybe I had just not noticed it but while I was on the Annihlation blu-ray page on Amazon, right under the price it says "Save an extra $11.00 (42%) by purchasing on Amazon Video instead."

Just found it interesting.

[moviegeek1992]

Originally Posted by flyry

I've never seen this before or maybe I had just not noticed it but while I was on the Annihlation blu-ray page on Amazon, right under the price it says "Save an extra $11.00 (42%) by purchasing on Amazon Video instead."

Just found it interesting.

They also list the Amazon Video version of a movie at the top of the search results. Sometimes the blu-ray option is hidden under the DVD listing

[alchav21]

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!

Originally Posted by Steedeel

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.

Dying, dead, what's the difference for all practical purposes they are on the way out. I was at WalMart today, and they have a big section on Digital Movies. They have some good deals to buy all the sequels to a Movie or a combination of like Movies. They also had all the Recent Releases on Digital. Best Buy, Target, and even Red Box have Digital buys. Discs may be around for a while, but not too many people are buying them anymore. Don't quote me any Stats, that's ancient news get out and talk to people in real time and you'll get your answers.

[Vilya]

2017 sales data published this year is hardly ancient news, but you have more than established your immunity to facts. Denial may shield you from the truth, but it does not change it. Facts do not require your belief. You dismiss the data because you do not like what it says; it is just that simple.

Your exaggerated observations at your local stores prove precisely nothing. You only see what you want to see. Telling us what strangers tell you is nothing but second-hand hearsay; it can not be verified and therefore it is worthless as testimony.

I shop at those same stores and the selection of digital movies are very few, less than 10 titles typically. That's a "big" section? My shopping observations are just as anecdotal as yours. Our shopping trip observations are both uncorroborated and the sample size is too small to be significant. That is why we have sales data; it is quantifiable, verifiable, and covers the whole market which is entirely unlike your biased observations during momentary visits to three chain stores in your zip code. The market is bigger than your little corner of St. George, Utah.

Words have meaning and when you use them incorrectly your statements become meaningless. You have contradicted yourself repeatedly in previous posts and even within the same sentence. You think sheer repetition proves your beliefs when you offer no verifiable evidence to support any of them. Is it nice living in that alternative fact-free fantasy land of yours? It is said that ignorance is bliss and I have no doubt that you are ecstatic.

[Krizzle1]

Originally Posted by JustinB13

Why does this thread exist on BLU-RAY.com
We all know the winner here.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Dying, dead, what's the difference for all practical purposes they are on the way out. I was at WalMart today, and they have a big section on Digital Movies. They have some good deals to buy all the sequels to a Movie or a combination of like Movies. They also had all the Recent Releases on Digital. Best Buy, Target, and even Red Box have Digital buys. Discs may be around for a while, but not too many people are buying them anymore. Don't quote me any Stats, that's ancient news get out and talk to people in real time and you'll get your answers.

It matters because hip, New York apartment dwelling, MacBook owners writing freelance for the web claimed The CD was dying 15 years ago and MP3 downloads were the future. Now, both are niche products with the CD in all likelyhood outlasting ITunes downloads. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

Well you did start this thread?

[WestMan]

Streaming services are going to hurt digital more than physical. People who want ownership will still crave a tangible product.

The next 5 years will give everyone a good picture of how the music and movie industries will be. Right now both are experiencing growth in streaming. When that growth ends, a clearer picture will emerge.

[Kage]

Originally Posted by WestMan

Streaming services are going to hurt digital more than physical. People who want ownership will still crave a tangible product.

The next 5 years will give everyone a good picture of how the music and movie industries will be. Right now both are experiencing growth in streaming. When that growth ends, a clearer picture will emerge.

But with these streaming services, especially with streaming video subscriptions, the service providers only have a limited time allowing movies and tv shows to be shown due to the license agreements with the studios.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Kage

But with these streaming services, especially with streaming video subscriptions, the service providers only have a limited time allowing movies and tv shows to be shown due to the license agreements with the studios.

Think Amazon Studios and Netflix originals to see what will happen with films. Disney are going to have Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Disney and a secondary service with Fox films also. It’s not hard to see where it is going.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Vilya

2017 sales data published this year is hardly ancient news, but you have more than established your immunity to facts. Denial may shield you from the truth, but it does not change it. Facts do not require your belief. You dismiss the data because you do not like what it says; it is just that simple.

Your exaggerated observations at your local stores prove precisely nothing. You only see what you want to see. Telling us what strangers tell you is nothing but second-hand hearsay; it can not be verified and therefore it is worthless as testimony.

I shop at those same stores and the selection of digital movies are very few, less than 10 titles typically. That's a "big" section? My shopping observations are just as anecdotal as yours. Our shopping trip observations are both uncorroborated and the sample size is too small to be significant. That is why we have sales data; it is quantifiable, verifiable, and covers the whole market which is entirely unlike your biased observations during momentary visits to three chain stores in your zip code. The market is bigger than your little corner of St. George, Utah.

Words have meaning and when you use them incorrectly your statements become meaningless. You have contradicted yourself repeatedly in previous posts and even within the same sentence. You think sheer repetition proves your beliefs when you offer no verifiable evidence to support any of them. Is it nice living in that alternative fact-free fantasy land of yours? It is said that ignorance is bliss and I have no doubt that you are ecstatic.

You mean we can't get reliable data from a few random customers at a Walmart in Utah? What is the world coming to??!!!!

[whipnet]

Hey guys, sorry if this has already been answered here, but can someone tell me which is better.... Physical Copies or Digital?

Thanks