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

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

I will say another digital perk that got its claws in me is getting the digital copy a few weeks before the disc release for $15 then wait until the disc hits $5-7. That way I see the movie early, have the disc, and pay about similar to release day. I know some will hate that idea but I personally love it.

[wolfpackTri]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It stops when I can get a cinematic picture on my projector. I can now.

It must be terrible owning movies that aren't yours. They can take away the streaming storefront at any time. Sure UV may still exist but what's the point if you don have a storefront to play them on? Digital HD isn't the future. Subscription is. Digital is not showing the necessary growth (excluding Netflix and Amazon, Hulu etc..)

I don't really worry about these things. It doesn't bother me at all. If you truly owned a bluray, there wouldn't be DRM either.

I don't buy non-UV titles on Vudu. If one storefront closes, another will open. Where is your proof subscription is the future? Netflix pretty much owns that one.

Owning something whether it be a disc or a digital copy will never go away.

Nope, I didn't make the Kindle argument clear. I just assumed people realized there are more than one "Kindles" out there.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by wolfpackTri

I don't really worry about these things. It doesn't bother me at all. If you truly owned a bluray, there wouldn't be DRM either.

I don't buy non-UV titles on Vudu. If one storefront closes, another will open. Where is your proof subscription is the future? Netflix pretty much owns that one.

Owning something whether it be a disc or a digital copy will never go away.

Nope, I didn't make the Kindle argument clear. I just assumed people realized there are more than one "Kindles" out there.

Two different devices mate, a Kindle is a Kindle.

Digital HD growth is in single figures YOY, it looks like it's starting to peak early, not a good sign.

Rentals and subs seems to be the way going forward.

Finally, in the U.S Vudu has given UV a lifeline. In the U.K it's dead. More people buy through ITunes or directly through Sky tv (2nd biggest seller behind ITunes I understand) We don't even have a big screen app excluding Chromecast ( even then not all films work).

You may think why should I care? Well, the U.K and Australia etc.. Are an example of how bad things can get for U.V. If a storefront collapses due to decreasing sales, who will want to take up that slack? I don't think UV has legs beyond the next 4-5 years.

[wolfpackTri]

As someone who has redeemed almost all of their library on disc and digital, I've often wondered if I should go through iTunes instead.

The studios have invested so much into UV that if it dies, that means iTunes would win and the whole purpose of UV was to stop Apple.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by wolfpackTri

As someone who has redeemed almost all of their library on disc and digital, I've often wondered if I should go through iTunes instead.

The studios have invested so much into UV that if it dies, that means iTunes would win and the whole purpose of UV was to stop Apple.

Is that a bad thing? At least we know where we stand.

Bluray going away means code redemptions going away. Let's see if Digital can keep up then. Somehow, I think not. Back to subscriptions and rentals it is then. I know that's the way I am going if disc dies. I don't care about a Digital collection. I will just rent.

[PCFan]

At least there have been good sales on Vudu and iTunes these past 2 years such as weekly, weekend, and monthly sales in Vudu. I hardly ever bought a blu-ray at full price anyways and I usually waited for sales or price matching. I don't mind paying $4.99 or sometimes as high as $7.99 for buying a digital movie through Vudu, especially when there is no UV digital code that comes from a blu-ray for a movie. However, I think that if it were not for the UV codes that come from the blu-rays or buying UV codes at low prices I would not care for digital movies.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PCFan

At least there have been good sales on Vudu and iTunes these past 2 years such as weekly, weekend, and monthly sales in Vudu. I hardly ever bought a blu-ray at full price anyways and I usually waited for sales or price matching. I don't mind paying $4.99 or sometimes as high as $7.99 for buying a digital movie through Vudu, especially when there is no UV digital code that comes from a blu-ray for a movie. However, I think that if it were not for the UV codes that come from the blu-rays or buying UV codes at low prices I would not care for digital movies.

In the U.K we have a subscription service with recent releases and classics called Now TV. It sounds like it would be ideal for you. You don't seem committed to any of the options out there purchase wise?

[PCFan]

I have Netflix.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PCFan

I have Netflix.

Yes but Now Tv offers recent movies, Netflix only offers occasional newish films.

[PCFan]

Now TV is not offered in the US.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PCFan

Now TV is not offered in the US.

My point was, would you go for such a service rather than purchase movies? I suspect many would.

[PCFan]

I also have around 460 movies in my Vudu account so I guess I'm committed to going digital. I'm not committed to blu-rays because I always end up reselling most of them. Music is the only thing I don't buy digitally these days and I prefer the CD because I can just rip it to my hard drive and have full quality. I'm also committed to digital in console and PC games.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I still love the idea of just being there when I am in the mood. Some films I watch once a year.

I think most people just buy the Movie, and maybe watch it once. With my DVD's I'd go back once in a while and watch them all. Then when I upgraded to Blu-ray I would watch them all again. Now with Digital HD I can watch them all again, and watch some a little at a time. So I can have several Movies watched partially and go back to them anytime.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

I think most people just buy the Movie, and maybe watch it once. With my DVD's I'd go back once in a while and watch them all. Then when I upgraded to Blu-ray I would watch them all again. Now with Digital HD I can watch them all again, and watch some a little at a time. So I can have several Movies watched partially and go back to them anytime.

Ohh no! No way would I do that. If I watch a film, I'm in for the long haul.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Ohh no! No way would I do that. If I watch a film, I'm in for the long haul.

Don't you remember at the Cinema growing up the Serial Action Movies, they would leave you at the Cliff Hangers and you would have to come back the next week to watch the next action series. So just like this some Movies you can watch parts, and then come back to them until you finish. Like Alien, Jurassic Park, or Independence Day.

[Krizzle1]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

My point was, would you go for such a service rather than purchase movies? I suspect many would.

Ive heard more and more about this 'NowTV' thing over here (im looking into it as I type) and it seems there's no HD? And you can only subscribe to one of three tiers (Movies, Sports, or TV Shows)

Seems interesting but i'd like to know exactly which movies they offer and if they're there indefinitely and not removed monthly.

As I dont use Netflix anymore, this could be a good alternative if I choose to sometime in the future. Either way, i dont think ill be abandoning iTunes as my main movie collection

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Don't you remember at the Cinema growing up the Serial Action Movies, they would leave you at the Cliff Hangers and you would have to come back the next week to watch the next action series. So just like this some Movies you can watch parts, and then come back to them until you finish. Like Alien, Jurassic Park, or Independence Day.

I don't remember that! I'm only 40! I did see repeats in the 80's I think? Was it things like The Rocket Man and Flash Gordon?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

Ive heard more and more about this 'NowTV' thing over here (im looking into it as I type) and it seems there's no HD? And you can only subscribe to one of three tiers (Movies, Sports, or TV Shows)

Seems interesting but i'd like to know exactly which movies they offer and if they're there indefinitely and not removed monthly.

As I dont use Netflix anymore, this could be a good alternative if I choose to sometime in the future. Either way, i dont think ill be abandoning iTunes as my main movie collection

I was told they offer 720p but are looking to upgrade that soon.

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by PCFan

Are more and more people just not wanting to buy movies in general, whether it's digital or physical? What if there were no subscription streaming services available anymore but still you could buy movies digitally, would more people go back to just renting physical discs, and not buying movies digitally or physically?

This is the answer. I work over at Best Buy and I see it every week; the hardcore people who are really about movie collecting still come every Tuesday to get their discs but I'm telling you, discs don't move the way they use to. A lot of the times, they just sit.

Look at movies like THE 5TH WAVE and TRIPLE 9 that just came out. We didn't many of those films in stock. And yet, we've barely sold any of them, especially TRIPLE 9. I think people have gotten use to knowing and waiting to see which digital service these films eventually show up on and wait til then.

I'm sort of in the middle. I thinned out my physical collection and increased my digital collection over the last two years and yet even I, who loves digital, doesn't buy that much on either format now because I know that if I wait, it'll be on one of my digital services that I pay for.

Even if I didn't pay for Netflix, Starz, HBO, and Amazon, I think I'd still be more of a renter than anything else. Collecting that many movies isn't appealing anymore...especially when kids come into the picture and clutter up the whole house with the things they need.

I'm okay with streaming for most things because at the end of the day, there's just so much damn content out there now that you can't physically own everything or even have the time to revisit everything you own or want to own. I just watched MIDNIGHT SPECIAL last night and I think that's a pretty wonderful film but I had to seriously sit and think how many times I'd watch that film again and since it's a WB movie, I know it'll show up on HBO here in the near future. It's a riveting picture but I know, in the pecking order on the stuff I do own and I do want to watch again, it's low.

Meanwhile, THE WRATH OF KHAN director's cut hit Blu on Tuesday and I didn't even hesitate to get it. It's on Netflix. It'll leave Netflix soon. It'll show up on USA because the TREK films always show up on USA or Spike TV yearly like other films. But, that's one of my all time favorites so that made absolute sense for me to get it. I've been desperate to get it for years. The time had came.

This is how I do it now. I see and film and I have to have a real conversation with myself about ownership, whether digital or physical. Hell, I even ask my wife what she thinks.

If you want to keep on collecting physically and you have the means to do it, by all means. But, you're no less a cinephile if you decide that collecting isn't for you and you'd rather just stream. We all love movies. It's just depends on how much you want to revisit a certain title my might like or love.

[wolfpackTri]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

This is the answer. I work over at Best Buy and I see it every week; the hardcore people who are really about movie collecting still come every Tuesday to get their discs but I'm telling you, discs don't move the way they use to. A lot of the times, they just sit.

Look at movies like THE 5TH WAVE and TRIPLE 9 that just came out. We didn't many of those films in stock. And yet, we've barely sold any of them, especially TRIPLE 9. I think people have gotten use to knowing and waiting to see which digital service these films eventually show up on and wait til then.

I'm sort of in the middle. I thinned out my physical collection and increased my digital collection over the last two years and yet even I, who loves digital, doesn't buy that much on either format now because I know that if I wait, it'll be on one of my digital services that I pay for.

Even if I didn't pay for Netflix, Starz, HBO, and Amazon, I think I'd still be more of a renter than anything else. Collecting that many movies isn't appealing anymore...especially when kids come into the picture and clutter up the whole house with the things they need.

I'm okay with streaming for most things because at the end of the day, there's just so much damn content out there now that you can't physically own everything or even have the time to revisit everything you own or want to own. I just watched MIDNIGHT SPECIAL last night and I think that's a pretty wonderful film but I had to seriously sit and think how many times I'd watch that film again and since it's a WB movie, I know it'll show up on HBO here in the near future. It's a riveting picture but I know, in the pecking order on the stuff I do own and I do want to watch again, it's low.

Meanwhile, THE WRATH OF KHAN director's cut hit Blu on Tuesday and I didn't even hesitate to get it. It's on Netflix. It'll leave Netflix soon. It'll show up on USA because the TREK films always show up on USA or Spike TV yearly like other films. But, that's one of my all time favorites so that made absolute sense for me to get it. I've been desperate to get it for years. The time had came.

This is how I do it now. I see and film and I have to have a real conversation with myself about ownership, whether digital or physical. Hell, I even ask my wife what she thinks.

If you want to keep on collecting physically and you have the means to do it, by all means. But, you're no less a cinephile if you decide that collecting isn't for you and you'd rather just stream. We all love movies. It's just depends on how much you want to revisit a certain title my might like or love.

I bolded everything that I agree with and pretty much everyone who buys movies on Digital agrees with too. You explained it perfectly.