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

[knight17]

Let me take my own instance for example. I am a big fan of physical copies as you know but also like to learn all things technical. Anyway I decided to add the very few digital copies I received (since most of my purchases are from UK, not all of them come with digital copies). So I have now redeemed 26 of those and now feel like I could have done better by giving them away. With digital copies you just don't have that convenience.

I can't speak for the others but personally I buy bluray movies that I will revisit a number of times over the next couple of years. I consider myself to have an eclectic taste in movies and maybe that helps I suppose but most of the purchases I make are also of older releases. As such I don't have an issue of simply buying a movie for a one time use.

As far as clutter in concerned, my collection so far still fits in a large box that rests on a side of a table. It is not like each blu ray is the size of a tv, right.

Watch whatever you want but it's only a matter of time before they start charging you for maintaining your collection in the cloud and so on. Atleast I won't have to spend all over again to revisit my collection in say another 5 years time.

[Krizzle1]

Originally Posted by knight17

I can't speak for the others but personally I buy bluray movies that I will revisit a number of times over the next couple of years. I consider myself to have an eclectic taste in movies and maybe that helps I suppose but most of the purchases I make are also of older releases. As such I don't have an issue of simply buying a movie for a one time use.

As far as clutter in concerned, my collection so far still fits in a large box that rests on a side of a table. It is not like each blu ray is the size of a tv, right.

So exactly which titles do you own in Bluray? What do you do about movies that you know you 'wont revisit a number of times over the next couple of years'? Do you simply watch the movie in Cinema and that's it? Do you download titles that look interesting but know you won't want to own the physical copy?

[knight17]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

So exactly which titles do you own in Bluray? What do you do about movies that you know you 'wont revisit a number of times over the next couple of years'? Do you simply watch the movie in Cinema and that's it? Do you download titles that look interesting but know you won't want to own the physical copy?

Feel free to check the collection. That is all that I have for now. I don't download anything illegally if that is what you mean or legally as my connection speed isn't that good.

With regard to the newer movies, I check them in Cinemas or sometimes end up watching some of them on cable (slightly older ones i.e say from about 2015 backwards). I still have a backlog on stuff that I have seen in the past and would like to grab a copy of (For ex:- I am keeping an eye on the pixar collection that amazon.de and amazon.fr has. If it ever drops to the lowest price point of EUR 49.97, I am going to grab them).

My existing collection contains movies and tv series that I can watch repeatedly. The point of the previous post was to suggest that very few impulse purchases are made and a collection usually involves items we will love to watch over and over again.

[Krizzle1]

Originally Posted by knight17

Feel free to check the collection. That is all that I have for now. I don't download anything illegally if that is what you mean or legally as my connection speed isn't that good.

With regard to the newer movies, I check them in Cinemas or sometimes end up watching some of them on cable (slightly older ones i.e say from about 2015 backwards). I still have a backlog on stuff that I have seen in the past and would like to grab a copy of (For ex:- I am keeping an eye on the pixar collection that amazon.de and amazon.fr has. If it ever drops to the lowest price point of EUR 49.97, I am going to grab them).

My existing collection contains movies and tv series that I can watch repeatedly.

Hmm interesting...I cant help but think you've missed quite a few movies or have seen them and dont want to own them? A few titles that spring to mind...Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, Avatar, Deadpool, Ex Machina

[knight17]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

Hmm interesting

care to elaborate?

[Krizzle1]

Originally Posted by knight17

care to elaborate?

lol post edited

[knight17]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

lol post edited

I thought that was your full post, my bad.

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

Hmm interesting...I cant help but think you've missed quite a few movies or have seen them and dont want to own them? A few titles that spring to mind...Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, Avatar, Deadpool, Ex Machina

I have seen all that you have listed above and would like to get copies of them sometime in the future. Single releases are a bit expensive for me so I am concentrating on the older more cheaper releases ( diverting your interest to something else is one way of being patient lol).

Even without most of the newer releases I have a huge list to go through. With that being said though I am a bigger fan of all things classic.

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

Originally Posted by veritas

To be fair I can get most movies after about a year after release for 10 to max of like 15 dollars. I can then split a blu ray dvd and digital copy and sell them for 10 to 20 dollars or or keep one part and probably pay like 3 to 6 dollars to own the movie. You have no ability to do that with a digital only purchase you buy it hate it and you are now stuck looking at it for a few years till the streaming service goes out of business.

I'm talking strictly rentals. I'm not going through all that effort to own movies I may not even care to own when I can just pay $5 or $6 to rent it.

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

I wasn't criticizing impatience, there are certain titles that I'll pay more for as well because I want them sooner. It just isn't a physical vs digital issue so it really isn't relevant to this topic. If clutter is an issue for movies that you won't watch again you can easily sell or donate physical copies.

Again though why? Why am I going to wait for a movie I'm unsure on to drop in price so I can buy it and then donate or sell it? That isn't practical whatsoever for me. Plus if I purchased it for $4 to $6 it isn't worth enough for me to bother selling. Instead of all of that useless hassle I can just rent the darn thing in the first place and be done with it. Never need to bother with it again.

I've been down the road of selling cheap stuff and I'm done. It isn't worth my hassle or time to sell the DVD, to sell the code, to wait for a movie to drop in price, etc... All so I can watch a probably one time watch movie. Time is worth something too.

I completely agree with everyone advocating physical when it comes to movies you want to own. I get that and I buy them movies on disc too. When it comes to renting though in no possible way is the disc better. If I rent it and like it I'll then add it to my list to pick up down the road. Will I have spent a few bucks more? Sure. Will I then only own movies that are worth owning in my eyes plus avoid all this useless selling or trading? Absolutely!

[Rocket Richard]

Originally Posted by knight17

Single releases are a bit expensive for me so I am concentrating on the older more cheaper releases ( diverting your interest to something else is one way of being patient lol).

Gotta love Wal-Marts Blu-Ray "bargain bin" with cheap Blu-ray movies.

Like I've been saying too, I will not start up a new collection of UHD discs, but that could change in the future, if and when I buy a 4K TV. Then maybe I will hit up the Wal-Mart UHD bargain bin

But most of my viewing is Netflix, Apple TV box, or enjoy watching a good old movie on TV in HD, so for that I see digital as the Future!

[knight17]

Originally Posted by Rocket Richard

Gotta love Wal-Marts Blu-Ray "bargain bin" with cheap Blu-ray movies.

Like I've been saying too, I will not start up a new collection of UHD discs, but that could change in the future, if and when I buy a 4K TV. Then maybe I will hit up the Wal-Mart UHD bargain bin

But most of my viewing is Netflix, Apple TV box, or enjoy watching a good old movie on TV in HD, so for that I see digital as the Future!

Not you again (just kidding).

I really don't think it would come to such an abrupt end - physical copies i.e.

But like you are advocating, digital might be the go to solution for most.

I for one will never embrace it as I am well aware of the pitfalls of giving up complete control or leverage on any given product.

With that being said, life is short so make the most of it anyway you like.

[V40LLY]

Originally Posted by Rocket Richard

Gotta love Wal-Marts Blu-Ray "bargain bin" with cheap Blu-ray movies.

Like I've been saying too, I will not start up a new collection of UHD discs, but that could change in the future, if and when I buy a 4K TV. Then maybe I will hit up the Wal-Mart UHD bargain bin

But most of my viewing is Netflix, Apple TV box, or enjoy watching a good old movie on TV in HD, so for that I see digital as the Future!

You'll never have that many titles to choose from on UHD Blu-ray. Most movies will be limited to modern blockbusters.

Although, in years to come we might get catalog stuff like E.T and Jaws (original only) and famous franchises like James Bond and Indiana Jones, Star Wars etc. Movies that were iconic. The market force will never amount to anything more than that.

Back in 1997/98, when DVD was introduced, there was no such thing as streaming, digital downloading, Internet piracy. People had far fewer options back then, than they do now. That's what made DVD become such a huge success, very quickly. We are in 2016 now and the world is a completely different place, where home video is concerned.

Think about Video CD and Laserdisc in the 90s. Very few people cared to support them and it was a niche. So too, will UHD Blu-ray, be. That's why I'll be damned, if I'm going to support a new physical format, that will only ever offer limited titles.

I could be wrong, but I doubt it. I've so far been very disappointed at the lesser variety of titles from the past appearing on standard Blu-ray and that's been around for a decade now!

[Rocket Richard]

Originally Posted by V40LLY

You'll never have that many titles to choose from on UHD Blu-ray. Most movies will be limited to modern blockbusters.

And that would work for me since I am not a collector anymore.

Originally Posted by knight17

Not you again (just kidding).
I really don't think it would come to such an abrupt end - physical copies i.e.

I doubt it either, there will always be collectors, and new collectors. Like I said earlier they would have to somehow make bigger discs (laser disc size) to hold a future movie like 8K or beyond, or start going back to 2 discs for a complete movie. If there is a way, there will be collectors.

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

Originally Posted by Rocket Richard

.
Like I said earlier they would have to somehow make bigger discs (laser disc size) to hold a future movie like 8K or beyond, or start going back to 2 discs for a complete movie. If there is a way, there will be collectors.

Why would you assume that? They have been working on larger discs for years. You don't think we are topped out on space with these discs do you? Because that is far from the truth.

[Rocket Richard]

True. You don't see CD's space expanding as an example.

I could be wrong, I can't see the future.

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

Originally Posted by Rocket Richard

That's great if they do get 8K on a disc, but eventually it will exceed it's limitations. You don't see CD's space expanding as an example.

I could be wrong, I can't see the future.

Things have only gotten smaller and technology rapidly advances. As long as physical media is around the discs will not go back to laser disc size. Pioneer and Sony have been working on a 1tb disc. Think what another 10 to 15 years will bring.

CD space hasn't expanded because it doesn't need to. Super Audio CD came out and the market chose they'd rather stay with CD. If high end music was enough of a niche there would be something on the market, but for 99% of people streaming music, CDs, and iTunes is enough.

We'll eventually get to an all digital future, but this country massively needs an indestructible change beforehand. The internet accessibility is terrible in many places in this country. Not to mention some of the United States ISP companies are the worst. We can't have things like data caps in an all digital future. Something like that cripples the ability for infinite purchases and rentals.

[PenguinMaster]

Originally Posted by knight17

Feel free to check the collection. That is all that I have for now. I don't download anything illegally if that is what you mean or legally as my connection speed isn't that good.

With regard to the newer movies, I check them in Cinemas or sometimes end up watching some of them on cable (slightly older ones i.e say from about 2015 backwards). I still have a backlog on stuff that I have seen in the past and would like to grab a copy of (For ex:- I am keeping an eye on the pixar collection that amazon.de and amazon.fr has. If it ever drops to the lowest price point of EUR 49.97, I am going to grab them).

My existing collection contains movies and tv series that I can watch repeatedly. The point of the previous post was to suggest that very few impulse purchases are made and a collection usually involves items we will love to watch over and over again.

Something about having cable and being very price conscious seems contradictory to me. It may be different in the UK but everyone I know in the US who has cable spends more on it than all of my physical media purchases combined.

[knight17]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

Something about having cable and being very price conscious seems contradictory to me. It may be different in the UK but everyone I know in the US who has cable spends more on it than all of my physical media purchases combined.

I am not in the US or UK unfortunately. I need to import all titles since (at least for the time being) I am in a third world country. The cable I am referring to is not that expensive. If I am in the US for that matter, I won't have it at all.

As to whether the content shown on the channels are from legitimate sources or not, I have no idea nor do I care since I am paying for it. It's from a neighboring country.

That's why I am unable to get single releases. I intend on moving abroad soon though, so perhaps after my move I can splurge like crazy on all discs.

[PenguinMaster]

Originally Posted by knight17

I am not in the US or UK unfortunately. I need to import all titles since (at least for the time being) I am in a third world country. The cable I am referring to is not that expensive. If I am in the US for that matter, I won't have it at all.

As to whether the content shown on the channels are from legitimate sources or not, I have no idea nor do I care since I am paying for it. It's from a neighboring country.

That's why I am unable to get single releases. I intend on moving abroad soon though, so perhaps after my move I can splurge like crazy on all discs.

That's another advantage of physical media: much better international compatibility. At worst you need to buy a region-free player, but your collection will always work anywhere in the world because it doesn't have to connect to any servers.

[knight17]

Originally Posted by PenguinMaster

That's another advantage of physical media: much better international compatibility. At worst you need to buy a region-free player, but your collection will always work anywhere in the world because it doesn't have to connect to any servers.

Fair enough. At the moment I have got a region b player which I'll probably take with me if I end up moving to region A country and so on.

Besides no need to depend on internet, listen to useless T and Cs from the studios and so on. Moved to another place, just set up shop and watch some HD entertainment.