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

[moviegeek1992]

Originally Posted by Dustin44

It was originally going to be called "In the Deep."

Like you said, some places like Target ended up putting some copies up for sale even though they were recalled. So some DVD copies were sold.

But I don't think it was ever released on VOD. I believe the DVD and VOD release date were the same day. So the VOD release was just cancelled, so nobody ever got a chance to buy it on VOD.

What about something like Wrong Turn 6 that was recalled due to that incident with the missing persons poster? I'm assuming that the digital file was just "corrected" after the decision was made to blur that particular scene even if someone bought the digital copy on release date when the scene would have been uncensored.

[Dustin44]

Originally Posted by moviegeek1992

What about something like Wrong Turn 6 that was recalled due to that incident with the missing persons poster? I'm assuming that the digital file was just "corrected" after the decision was made to blur that particular scene even if someone bought the digital copy on release date when the scene would have been uncensored.

Yes, I was thinking of that one too, since I remember it being recalled.

I am assuming, like you, that the digital file was just corrected.

[jmerr]

I find myself watching more and more things on my iPad from some movies, tv shows and sports. It is just so convenient to have all my movies and tv shows with me to watch anytime without a TV.

[stonesfan129]

No one is saying that digital/streaming is less convenient. The point I'm making is that digital/streaming sacrifice quality for convenience. On a small screen like a tablet, laptop or phone, listening with headphones; the lower quality isn't a big deal. At home on my big tv and with a surround sound system, give me the disc every time.

[Vilya]

Big movies on tiny screens never worked for me. I would rather listen to music when I am away from home, at least the earphones can do the sound some justice.

I had to wait until I was well into my thirties before TVs larger than 25" were common; I will never return to watching films or shows on itsy bitsy screens. I just can't get into a movie displayed on a 10" tablet.

[jmerr]

Well for me, it is watch at least part of a movie on a tablet and watch the rest when I can or hardly watch movies at all. So convenience is what I want now. It is nice to watch a disc on a big screen now and then, but that is luxury I don't have a lot of time for.

[recS-12]

Originally Posted by Leslie Dame

Bill Maher once said Americans are addicted to convenience. If you ever had your doubts, this thread has all the proof

Personally I would never pick convenience over quality even though I'm american, but then again I was raised in a different culture. I guess that's why this overvaluing of convenience thing is so strange to me.

I don't do digital and I've never streamed. Those things never crossed my mind as an alternative to collecting or "casual" viewing.
That said I did a bit of research and half of what I want to see isn't available for steaming. And I couldn't even imagine doing my yearly October Horror viewing relying on streaming only

1st off, I’m neither pro or anti, one or the other. But let me ask you a question. Do you ever travel? If so, I would think you’ve come into the same dilemma as travelers. I don’t own a laptop but carry my iPad w/me anytime I’m traveling. When I’m staying at a hotel I don’t pack my Blu-ray player and my Blu-ray Discs. I strictly watch my digital copies on my iPad hooked up to my Bose via Bluetooth for sound. Physical media for home viewing, digital (or streaming) while on the road. I average about 15 nights a year at a hotel. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Doesn’t have to be so divisive. Both have their pros & cons.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by jmerr

Well for me, it is watch at least part of a movie on a tablet and watch the rest when I can or hardly watch movies at all. So convenience is what I want now. It is nice to watch a disc on a big screen now and then, but that is luxury I don't have a lot of time for.

What’s your occupation? A pilot or long distance lorry driver?
How can you not have time to watch a film?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Big movies on tiny screens never worked for me. I would rather listen to music when I am away from home, at least the earphones can do the sound some justice.

I had to wait until I was well into my thirties before TVs larger than 25" were common; I will never return to watching films or shows on itsy bitsy screens. I just can't get into a movie displayed on a 10" tablet.

It’s just not the same experience. Plus I could never watch a film on public transport etc.. I like to be relaxed and comfortable in my own surroundings.

As for people who watch films on smartphones, it makes me weep for humanity.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by octagon

It's not semantic at all. If you watch cable or satellite or OTA you're streaming.

You just are.

Cable companies are streaming services. Or STREAMING SERVICES, if you'd prefer. So are satellite and terrestrial broadcasters.

They just are.

IMO you are lumping together things that still have some degree of differences between them and how they function, despite the fact that in all cases the data is digital.

Viewing content through a cable or satellite company still works differently to an extent than a service like Netflix or Hulu.

While most of the cable/satellite service providers are also internet providers, you don't need their internet service to use the TV services.

Also cable and satellite content tends to be more consistent in quality (with any issues of a satellite dish becoming obstructed by something and not receiving a good signal not withstanding) and being completely independent of your internet service and the speed it offers.

Meanwhile when using actual streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, you are completely dependent upon the internet speed. There can be dips in quality while watching, and at minimum there tends to be a brief period when starting a movie/TV show where the quality is lower and it has to "catch up" to get the full quality.

These things are not all equal and there are distinct differences.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

Viewing content through a cable or satellite company still works differently to an extent than a service like Netflix or Hulu.

Yes, they are fundamentally different. One is using broadcast and the other unicast. The distribution infrastructures are very different, and broadcast is a lot less flexible than OTT streaming. For example, all content has to be transformed into a common format for broadcast (usually 1080i or 720p). It's much harder to introduce new formats such as 4K or more efficient codecs, and it is today not possible to have variable framerates (e.g. 24p for movies). The content also often goes through multiple stages of realtime transcoding which has a significant quality impact. IP-based OTT streaming is much more flexible but also requires more bandwidth in aggregate because each viewer now has an individual stream, rather than a small set of channels for all viewers.

[irighti]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

I don’t know about the rest of the world, but when I am travelling I don’t spend enough time in the hotel to even think about watching films. I’m out and about enjoying the place I am visiting and returning to the hotel when I am dead tired and ready to sleep. Why waste time when you are in a place other than “home” just sitting inside doing the things you do at home?

I agree when on vacation, I am there to enjoy myself and my family. I focus on where I am and try to enjoy as much cool stuff as that location has to offer.

that said, I do a lot of travel to sister hospitals in some really 'blah' places for work. lots of good people, but honestly nothing to do that interests me. these places have nothing really going for them, that hold interest for me. I am stuck there for 3-5 days on average when this occurs.

so yeah a tablet or phone do come in handy. If I remember I grab a roku stick for the trip. then on the rare occasion I am in a rather fun town/city for a few days I try to fit things in...but those are usually 16-18 hours days, so I just head back to unwind and then sleep.

I am running on a physical/digital platform. I like them both, equally for different reasons. ideally my physical and digital collection will mirror each other 100% some day.

[Leslie Dame]

Originally Posted by octagon

Do you watch TV? Live sports? HBO? The Bachelor?

If so, chances are pretty good you're watching a stream of zeros and ones. Whether that stream comes from a terrestrial broadcast tower or a satellite or over a cable, it's a stream of zeros and ones.

I'm located in Germany. I quit watching TV over 15 years ago, and I'm not a live sports watching fan. We don't get HBO and I'm not interested in any kind of reality TV shows. Not my type of entertainment.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

IMO you are lumping together things that still have some degree of differences between them and how they function, despite the fact that in all cases the data is digital.

Sure, there are differences but they're differences of degree and not kind. Comcast Video-on-Demand and Netflix are a lot more similar than they are different. And my point isn't 'neener neener it's all digital' but more that 'compromise' isn't necessarily the dirty word it's often it made out to be in conversations like this.

I like discs as much as the next person but I've got no problem watching a compressed sort-of-1080i cable feed as well.

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Not my fault I’m the odd one out in a home entertainment forum for wanting quality and the big screen. I’m in the minority I know but that’s another story. Odd times.

Yeah, having a TV makes you a real outlier here at good ole Blu-ray.com.

Originally Posted by Leslie Dame

I quit watching TV over 15 years ago,....

[Leslie Dame]

Originally Posted by octagon

You can call me culturally detached and maybe I am but I don't really care. I've never seen GOT, Oranges that are new and Black or any show that came out the last 15 years, and I'm fine with that.

[bubba111]

Originally Posted by Leslie Dame

You can call me culturally detached and maybe I am but I don't really care. I've never seen GOT, Oranges that are new and Black or any show that came out the last 15 years, and I'm fine with that.

Nothing wrong with that. But perhaps given your "cultural detachment" you shouldn't be generalizing about all "Americans" then. I think most of the more tempered folks who post in this thread choose digital because it has reached a nice (and continually improving) balance between quality and convenience.

[Krizzle1]

Originally Posted by Leslie Dame

You can call me culturally detached and maybe I am but I don't really care. I've never seen GOT, Oranges that are new and Black or any show that came out the last 15 years, and I'm fine with that.

So what do you watch?!

[stonesfan129]

Is iTunes 4K using Dolby Atmos yet or are they still using 384k DD 5.1? Another thing too - some of the iTunes 4k movies are taken from better masters (Die Hard, Predator, Top Gun). Why don't they let anyone download to watch these? Why only streaming?

[Leslie Dame]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

So what do you watch?!

Movies!

Originally Posted by bubba111

Nothing wrong with that. But perhaps given your "cultural detachment" you shouldn't be generalizing about all "Americans" then. I think most of the more tempered folks who post in this thread choose digital because it has reached a nice (and continually improving) balance between quality and convenience.

I was quoting Bill Maher, the rest of the sentence was based on an observation after I put "convenience" in this forum's search option. Of course I'm aware that not all Americans are like this. That's why I included a "wink" smiley.
Still, the impression I always get whenever I come to this thread is that those who choose Digital are only doing it for the sake of convenience. Since quality is still improving, arguments that "Digital is better" just seems kinda moot.

[IronSoldier]

How about this:

Physical & Digital.

Best of both worlds baby.