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

[pmil]

Originally Posted by JustinB13

Blu-ray in itself never goes away. If you have the disc, you will always have the Blu-ray. Streaming is not concrete. It can disappear at any second. And that is why Blu-ray is superior and that is why it will last.

Unless you lose or damage your disc and the movie is no longer available on disc and it happens to be of a title that then goes for obsecene used prices. Or, you could make a backup of it.

Yep, streaming is not only not concrete, but the quality is always below the equivalent disc version.

As for Blu-Ray lasting as a new product, that's unfortunately only up to the studios. They've shown over and over again they couldn't care less about their customers. They do whatever they want. Remember, these are the idiots that still sell DVDs in 2018.

[pmil]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

It won't disappear in the near future, but people should start facing the facts that streaming and digital downloads are 100% the future, and will take over physical media at some point sooner rather than later. You will have a scenario where the biggest blockbusters are available on disc, but most other titles (just like CDs) are not. It's not a matter of if, but a matter of when, and since Internet speeds are capable of 4K streaming now in many areas (yet haven't been offered for sale yet), you'll start to see more of a gravitational move to streaming once that happens.

The fact that you can still buy DVDs has nothing to whatsoever on the lifespan of blu-ray. It's still the cheapest means of replication and many people don't care about HD quality any way and think DVD is good enough. I would honestly think blu-ray might disappear BEFORE DVD, for those 2 factors alone, unless blu-ray costs plummet. There's so many QC errors on discs now that companies have to spend extra money to fix, that it's driving the market into the ground. And why are there errors? Because profits are in the toilet, and the costs of replicating, shipping, printing artwork, physics cases, overstock, etc, can all be eliminated with streaming and/or downloads. Plain and simple.

At the very least they should offer downloadable versions of Blu-Rays where you can either store them on your own drive and/or be able to make your own disc. That would be a fair compromise to cut down on costs.

Or, they could go to a print on demand manufacturing process.

[pmil]

Originally Posted by MazeRunner

Netflix will be in trouble when Disney leaves.

Yep. Netflix will simply become like any other studio once the studios refuse to license their movies and TV shows to them. Let's face it, most of what is offered on Netflix is garbage anyway.

[pmil]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

I have a friend who was a hard core physical media guy. About six months ago, he sold most of his blu-ray collection and rebought everything on digital in terms of what is available.

It's almost like he was brainwashed, and he constantly talks about how digital only is the future and he is always trying to get me to convert to that format

I don't think I would ever pay for a digital movie. It's the old school in me, but I need something I can hold and look at for it to feel like I bought something.

The only time I've actually bought something digital was a video game called Cuphead. I'd rebuy it in an instant if they release it in a physical format as well.

Dunno. I think the format has time left, and hopefully there won't be a point where the things I really love are impossible to buy in the physical.

I'm already worried about the new Scorsese film being Netflix only, for who knows how long.

Doesn't he realize that the quality is also not as good as the disc version?

[pmil]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Buying digitally you don't really "own" it. You are just renting indefinitely. The content provider or rights holders can lock you out at any time. I'm curious, what happens if they were to do that? Will there be some gigantic class-action lawsuit? And then there is the whole other issue of lower quality than the equivalent disc format.

I've had a number of iTunes music purchases disappear from the store. If I didn't have them backed up I would be out of luck. The situation is bad enough with music, but at least with music you're legally allowed to make a copy of your iTunes music to disc. So far that is not the case with video content, which is ridiculous. That's why as someone who is very strongly against pirating, I have no problem with people making backup copies of their videos, DVD or Blu-Ray.

[pmil]

Originally Posted by cynatnite

I prefer physical media. My daughter likes digital plus she's perfectly happy taking all the digital codes when I buy physical media. I could've made a pretty penny with the 150-some codes I've given her.

Thing is, our needs and wants are different. That's the way it is with the public.

Consider the fact that DVD's are still around despite BD being of far better quality. DVD's are a huge part of the market and they've not gone anywhere.

Honestly, though, I don't think BD is going anywhere. I don't think DVD's and UHD are going anywhere and neither will digital, IMO. I see all of them being more options for the public.

Plus, enough with the Netflix-shaming. Just because folks subscribe to Netflix and the rest of them doesn't mean they're going to be responsible for a unlikely demise of physical media. It's just ridiculous.

It's not legal or ethical to sell the streaming codes.

DVDs are a part of the market simply because the studios want them to be. Unlike with VHS, the studios don't want to let go of crappy DVDs.

[I KEEL YOU]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just hope that Blu-ray players will still be around in some form or fashion in the years to come.

The game consoles will make sure that blu ray players will be around pretty much permanently.

PS3
PS4
Xbox One

in all of their many, many, many variations will be around and dirt cheap for a long time. And there are tens, if not hundreds of millions of them in circulation. I am way more concerned about the lifespan of the blu ray discs and all the disc rot/bronzing issues that are becoming more and more common with early blu ray releases, and whether this is only a case with some poorly manufactured discs or if there is a lifespan of a decade or so on all blu ray discs.

[squidzilla]

Those that say it all sounds the same: Have fun with your sound bar future.. Me? I am in the process of picking out my gear for an Atmos 9.1.2 set up as well as picking out my 4k projector. Of course it is all a waste of money according to the bad ears sound bar crowd. This is not avsforums and I did not expect to find too many audio/video enthusiast and that is pretty much what I have discovered thus far.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Incidentally, I watched my 4K UHD Dolby Vision copy of Star Wars The Last Jedi with my Oppo 203 and I had zero playback issues. I paused, reversed, resumed, and played with the sub titles, too. Everything worked without a hitch.

I did have to boost my volume +7 db over my usual setting; the audio was too quiet. Even after raising the volume, it still felt like something was not quite right. It just did not have the overall presence that I expected.

The pq was fine, excellent detail and great colors. Outer space was black enough for me. When my 3D copy arrives from the U.K. in about 9 days, I will watch that version. I suspect I will enjoy the 3D edition more as 3D is just so much fun!

That seems to be normal for Disney imo. I always have to turn the volume up. All other films are too loud if you don’t remember to change the setting back after watching,

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by squidzilla

Those that say it all sounds the same: Have fun with your sound bar future.. Me? I am in the process of picking out my gear for an Atmos 9.1.2 set up as well as picking out my 4k projector. Of course it is all a waste of money according to the bad ears sound bar crowd. This is not avsforums and I did not expect to find too many audio/video enthusiast and that is pretty much what I have discovered thus far.

Good lad, keep the good work up.

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

Well, then you are doing better than the professionals who develop the standards and best practices in this field. Congratulations.

If you look at the 5 senses (taste, sight, touch, smell, & sound) it is safe to say that we are all not built the same with respect to our sensitivity, responses, and tolerance to the various senses. That is what makes us human as we are not clones walking around. With taste, we certainly don’t enjoy the same foods as what one person enjoys and craves, is actually repulsed by someone else. Vision varies greatly amongst our race, and if you even think about silly debates like what was the color of the dress, or can you see the hidden ship as you stare at a painting for 5 minutes, we also see different things. With touch, one person might be extremely ticklish while the same act performed on another person elicits no response. Our sense of smell also varies from a standpoint of strength as well as what one perceives as pleasant or disgusting. So how is it that the sound is the only sense where we are the same? What one person hears or doesn’t hear, everyone hears or doesn’t hear the same thing? Our brains process and respond to various stimuli in different manners. I am pretty sure there are a few studies supporting that theory floating around the internet somewhere.

[Steedeel]

It feels like I have a brotherhood now rather than being the lone batter for Blu-ray for a long time!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Dunemoon

Criterion titles are available on Apple TV. In Canada, there was a $4.99 Arrow sale. Streaming is the future.

Not in my house it isn’t.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

The game consoles will make sure that blu ray players will be around pretty much permanently.

PS3
PS4
Xbox One

in all of their many, many, many variations will be around and dirt cheap for a long time. And there are tens, if not hundreds of millions of them in circulation. I am way more concerned about the lifespan of the blu ray discs and all the disc rot/bronzing issues that are becoming more and more common with early blu ray releases, and whether this is only a case with some poorly manufactured discs or if there is a lifespan of a decade or so on all blu ray discs.

It’s quite likely that PS5 will have a UHD disc drive.

[GohanX]

Originally Posted by NonSequiturL

Won't the lubrication in the moving parts dry up over time?

Sure, but that's an easy enough fix. In laserdisc players you have to open them up and clean out the old grease and regrease them once in a while, it's a pretty easy thing to do. 20 years down the line though it will probably be much easier to find some form of working bluray player than a laserdisc player though. Like someone else mentioned at that time it'll be pretty easy and likely cheap to walk into any thrift shop and pick up a PS4 or Xbox One, the newer models of both seem to be pretty stout machines.

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

The game consoles will make sure that blu ray players will be around pretty much permanently.

PS3
PS4
Xbox One

in all of their many, many, many variations will be around and dirt cheap for a long time. And there are tens, if not hundreds of millions of them in circulation. I am way more concerned about the lifespan of the blu ray discs and all the disc rot/bronzing issues that are becoming more and more common with early blu ray releases, and whether this is only a case with some poorly manufactured discs or if there is a lifespan of a decade or so on all blu ray discs.

I never seriously thought of Blu-ray discs as having a lifespan, let alone such a short one at 10 years. Kind of figured the discs would last forever. Is it possible to manufacture more rigid discs or is it all the same? I guess such a thing as a "premium" disc is preposterous?

[formula_nebula]

Originally Posted by Dunemoon

Criterion titles are available on Apple TV. In Canada, there was a $4.99 Arrow sale. Streaming is the future, if you don't mind lower PQ & AQ bit rates, data caps, and poor bandwidth from IP's.

Fixed it for you.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by gotmule

So how is it that the sound is the only sense where we are the same? What one person hears or doesn’t hear, everyone hears or doesn’t hear the same thing?

Who said anything like that?

Our brains process and respond to various stimuli in different manners. I am pretty sure there are a few studies supporting that theory floating around the internet somewhere.

Professional subjective listening tests are obviously not based on the results of a single person. They use methodologies such as MOS or MUSHRA which include a number of trained participants and compute average scores with confidence intervals.

[flyry]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It feels like I have a brotherhood now rather than being the lone batter for Blu-ray for a long time!

[squidzilla]

Hey sound bar...post up a pic with an ostrich with its head in the sand for yourself while you are at it.