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

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Hey Donster, I guess you feel that Physical is spiraling downward and Digital is taking over. If you look at the Hardware Threads, they are having problems with a solid UHD Blu-ray Player. The Hardware Thread is down to a couple of Players, and most are freezing up or not giving the right display. Have you people that prefer Physical thought about what you are going to do when most Distribution is Digital. I hope you pick a UHD Blu-ray Player that has good Streaming Apps!

I'm sure this is a gross exaggeration. You probably see a couple of posts of people having isolated issues with their players, and you assume that it is a larger issue since your reasoning skills are much worse than that of a mentally challenged giraffe.

[Vilya]

I have posted a new silly thread here; it is all I could manage:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...7#post16412117

Have a at my expense; I really don't mind at all.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Have you people that prefer Physical thought about what you are going to do when most Distribution is Digital.

Nope.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Have you people that prefer Physical thought about what you are going to do when most Distribution is Digital?

That's like asking "have you thought about what you are going to do when zombies take over the Earth?"

The answer to both those questions is no. I haven't thought about what I'm going to do in those scenarios because they aren't going to happen.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

That's like asking "have you thought about what you are going to do when zombies take over the Earth?"

The answer to both those questions is no. I haven't thought about what I'm going to do in those scenarios because they aren't going to happen.

Penguin it's happening already, Streaming Providers like Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu have their own Content that's not on Disc. I guess you guys put these Providers in a different category, but to me they are Streaming Providers. So the people that have both, Physical and Digital will be okay.

[Wendell R. Breland]

NOTHING has changed with streaming (pay TV). History, Discovery and hundreds of others have a tons of content that will never make it to disc or EST. It may or may not make it SVOD.

Can someone tell me why folks can not understand why SVOD = pay TV?

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Penguin it's happening already, Streaming Providers like Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu have their own Content that's not on Disc. I guess you guys put these Providers in a different category, but to me they are Streaming Providers. So the people that have both, Physical and Digital will be okay.

The scenario you asked about was when "most distribution is digital", not "some distribution is digital". While there are plenty titles that are only available digitally there also continue to be thousands of new titles released on physical media every year.

I'm not the least bit worried about a lack of titles on physical media and I can easily ignore the ones that aren't on physical media.

[Vilya]

There are numerous titles in my physical collection that are not available on streaming; that sword has always cut both ways.

He should also stop discussing 4K disc players; he does not own one and he has no plans to buy one. There are at least a dozen hardware threads discussing different makes and models. "Most" are not freezing up; some do with specific titles and in many instances simply cleaning the disc will solve the problem. Sometimes a firmware update fixes things. Some discs are damaged in shipment and exchanging the disc is then necessary. Personally, I have only had to exchange a single title.

4K discs have a very low tolerance for disc surface imperfections such as fingerprints and scratches; this alone accounts for many of the complaints. It does not help that 4K discs are sometimes stacked on top of the blu-ray extra features disc inside the case. Stacking discs inside the case is a bad idea and damaged 4K discs are often the result of this stupid packaging practice.

There is no epidemic of problems with 4K disc players. It is only natural that people discuss their observations about them, and the discs played with them, in the appropriate thread. Many players continue to receive a great deal of praise from their owners; a fact that he conveniently overlooks.

[stonesfan129]

I'm still happy with regular Blu-rays or a DVD. DVD doesn't look terrible on my Xbox One S and 42" 1080p plasma TV. Until they stop making players and computer drives that can read the discs, no one can really lock you out of the content like streaming can. The thing that is really holding streaming back is data caps. I don't think discs will totally go away. If they get to the point where it's not that profitable over streaming, they'll probably crap out a couple thousand upon the movie's home video release and then just let it go out of print.

[avs commenter]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

I'm still happy with regular Blu-rays or a DVD. DVD doesn't look terrible on my Xbox One S and 42" 1080p plasma TV. Until they stop making players and computer drives that can read the discs, no one can really lock you out of the content like streaming can. The thing that is really holding streaming back is data caps. I don't think discs will totally go away. If they get to the point where it's not that profitable over streaming, they'll probably crap out a couple thousand upon the movie's home video release and then just let it go out of print.

This is really my only concern with streaming.

[Wendell R. Breland]

For 3D fans, Warner is having a sale on some titles for $15 each, link below.

"https://www.wbshop.com/collections/blu-ray-3d-sale"

Not sure why the BD.com keeps changing the the link .

I had decided to add a Nvidia Shield TV Pro to my setup but discovered it has been discontinued, oh well, another one bites the dust. Nvidia continues with lesser models but they are missing IR control and the second HDMI out for audio.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Have you people that prefer Physical thought about what you are going to do when most Distribution is Digital.

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

That's like asking "have you thought about what you are going to do when zombies take over the Earth?"

The answer to both those questions is no. I haven't thought about what I'm going to do in those scenarios because they aren't going to happen.

I would say it is more like asking
"Have you people that prefer Pork thought about what you are going to do when most don't eat pork"

the answer is simple I will eat Pork chops and bacon and ham and ribs and …..

why should I care about "most".

Originally Posted by alchav21

Penguin it's happening already, Streaming Providers like Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu have their own Content that's not on Disc. I guess you guys put these Providers in a different category, but to me they are Streaming Providers. So the people that have both, Physical and Digital will be okay.

do you run out and watch every movie as soon as it hits theatres?
if not, why not?

Do you watch every episode of every show made in any country for public or speciality channels?
if not, why not?

Do you subscribe to each and every streaming service out there, since they all tend to have some proprietary content?
if not, why not?

DO you get the point? if not let me spell it out there is only 24h in a day and even if we forget about sleep, work, eating,spending time with loved ones, chores and other hobbies which would take the vast majority of that 24h there is still no where near enough time to watch all the great content that is created and so you need to be choosy.

why is it OK if someone chooses to be cheap and say I will only watch Netflix for 8$ a month and only watch crappy Netflix shows and old content

why is OK if some one is a st fan boy to choose to spend money on CBS all access to watch ST:discovery.

and why is it not OK if someone likes quality or ownership and so chooses to only watch stuff on physical media

[PenguinInfinity]

What alchav doesn't seem to grasp is that streaming hasn't really changed the equation. The most popular forms of media consumption have always been and will likely continue to be broadcast, cable, and satellite TV. The majority of content has never been available on physical media.

But I've had no problem finding plenty of great movies and TV shows from the measly selection of over 10,000 titles per year. I'm not going to support any format that customers have no control over (that includes streaming, downloads, broadcast TV, cable TV, and satellite TV) just because I'm missing some potentially great titles.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

What alchav doesn't seem to grasp is that streaming hasn't really changed the equation. The most popular forms of media consumption have always been and will likely continue to be broadcast, cable, and satellite TV. The majority of content has never been available on physical media.

But I've had no problem finding plenty of great movies and TV shows from the measly selection of over 10,000 titles per year. I'm not going to support any format that customers have no control over (that includes streaming, downloads, broadcast TV, cable TV, and satellite TV) just because I'm missing some potentially great titles.

Streaming has just improved the access to more Content, and I think it has changed the way we view it. People are Cutting the Cord, and trying to find better and less expensive ways to view their Content. Technology waits for no one, and if you don't have the right equipment and access, you will be left behind. I have IPTV, and can easily change from Broadcast TV to Streaming with my Sony Remote. So I can watch just about any Content I want. I don't have a 4K Disc Player, but I can watch 4K Content and the Quality looks Outstanding to me.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Streaming has just improved the access to more Content, and I think it has changed the way we view it. People are Cutting the Cord, and trying to find better and less expensive ways to view their Content.

It has only changed stuff for ignorant people. With my rabbit ears (actually an antenna right beside each TV) I get 38 channels or subchannels. I also have a FTAS* dish that adds many hundreds of other stations from all over the world for free. The problem is most people don't know these choices exist and then they complain about cable prices. I have never paid for cable and the only issue I have had with access to content is that there is not enough hours and I have to cut off content I would otherwise enjoy.


* if people don't know what FTAS is

[Show spoiler]it is simple to explain and a bit more work to implement.

Most people in NA know of paid satellite, and in many other parts of the world you already use FTAS. But in NA FTAS also exists and there are satellites that send out for some channels an unencrypted signal that is higher in quality then what you would normally get. Unlike the rest of the world where it is built for the local customer here it is mostly for re-transmission so it can be finicky (for lack of a better word)

why more complicated to implement, you need to decide what you want first. is it on KU band (smaller dish) or c band (larger dish), you need to decide which satellites you are interested in because it is not just one satellite with all the stations, then do you want/need motorized (move the dish to point to a different satellite) or multiple dishes if you are interested on shows that air on different satellites. If you go with motorized there is the reality that if you are pointed to sat 1 you can't watch/record stuff on sat 2. In NA because this is not consumer grade there does not tend to be an electronic program guide and sometimes stations can change with no warning

.

Technology waits for no one, and if you don't have the right equipment and access, you will be left behind.

in 2007/2008 (don't remember the exact date but it was somewhere around then) I visited an old friend in his early 80's that was watching a VHS tape, I offered him any of my DVDs (decided I had enough BDs and so did not need DVDs any more) and offerfd him my DVD player and any film he wanted. He did not want any of them even if it was the same film because he used to watch those VHS tapes with his dead wife and every time he watche would watch a VHS tape of a film they liked it was like having her with him again.

would you say he was left behind or that he gets to watch what he wanted even if "Technology waits for no one" and the world had not only moved beyond VHS but also DVD.

I have IPTV, and can easily change from Broadcast TV to Streaming with my Sony Remote. So I can watch just about any Content I want. I don't have a 4K Disc Player, but I can watch 4K Content and the Quality looks Outstanding to me.

no, no one can watch true 4k content (not available to consumers). You can choose to watch a good approximation of true 4k (which you choose not to care for) or a very poor approximation that is of lower resolution then true 1080p quality.

[The_Donster]

Something some fail to grasp is what looks good to one’s eyes may not look great to someone else’s. So it’s all subjective and doesn’t hold much weight when used as an argument. It’s all about preference at this point. Case in point, I finally unplugged the crappie WiFi cable box. I ended up switching it out with the one in my MiL’s room that was hard lined and giving her grief.

As far as I know, she’s not had the same issues I was having in the next room over. If not for her, we’d be down to internet. Although what east Texas calls “good” internet is kind of a joke. I hate that I don’t have the same access to the router as I did with Xfinity in Washington State. I’m considering going back and rebuying that router Groot recommended last year to see if that improves our service in the house

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

It has only changed stuff for ignorant people.

That poster has posted that post numerous times so it appears to be a case of dementia which is , any of us could go that way.

As to FTAS, for anyone interested click here for a list of programming, satellite and transponder.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by The_Donster

I’m considering going back and rebuying that router Groot recommended last year to see if that improves our service in the house

May want to see what PC Mag has to say about Wi-Fi routers here. I use a Linksys WRT1900ACS and it has very good Wi-Fi coverage. Some, mine included, have had some of the front panel LED indicators go dim. Will replace them one of these days .

There are several Android apps available (Google Play) that will check your Wi-Fi signal level, channels used, etc.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

What alchav doesn't seem to grasp is that streaming hasn't really changed the equation. The most popular forms of media consumption have always been and will likely continue to be broadcast, cable, and satellite TV. The majority of content has never been available on physical media.

Well, streaming has changed the equation a little bit.

In the DVD era discs were a cheap, easy way to have stuff at your fingertips and a lot of people accumulated a lot of discs as a result. Now, instead of accumulating discs many of those people stream the same types of content. Which means many physical releases (tv series and catalog films in particularly, I suspect) generate a lot less revenue which in turn makes those releases less appealing to the content owners.

Has that had a huge impact on the BD market? I don't know, probably not a huge effect. Catalog releases still seem somewhere between healthy and at the very least sustainable but I think the diminishing revenues have had some effect.

Major studios have significantly cut back on catalog BD releases. That's due to a variety of factors but if disc titles still sold in the hundreds of thousands instead of the tens of thousands (if that in many cases) I strongly suspect we'd see more disc releases.

Just look at some of the stuff Paramount is sitting on.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by octagon

Well, streaming has changed the equation a little bit.

In the DVD era discs were a cheap, easy way to have stuff at your fingertips and a lot of people accumulated a lot of discs as a result. Now, instead of accumulating discs many of those people stream the same types of content. Which means many physical releases (tv series and catalog films in particularly, I suspect) generate a lot less revenue which in turn makes those releases less appealing to the content owners.

Has that had a huge impact on the BD market? I don't know, probably not a huge effect. Catalog releases still seem somewhere between healthy and at the very least sustainable but I think the diminishing revenues have had some effect.

Major studios have significantly cut back on catalog BD releases. That's due to a variety of factors but if disc titles still sold in the hundreds of thousands instead of the tens of thousands (if that in many cases) I strongly suspect we'd see more disc releases.

Just look at some of the stuff Paramount is sitting on.

I simply see subscription streaming as another form of pay TV. I cut the cable cord in 2014 and I have sporadically subscribed to such streaming services since then. I also have my over the air antenna and IPTV access.

There are no shortage of catalog releases. Warner Archives releases a new slate every month, their latest offerings on blu-ray can be seen here:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25121

Warner Bros. is also releasing The Shining on 4K UHD:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25112

Many other catalog titles are licensed to and released by independent labels like Shout!, Scream Factory, Cohen Media, Eureka, Mill Creek, Olive, Kino Lorber, Arrow, Studio Canal, and, of course, Criterion to name a few.

Criterion's August slate here:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25108

Mill Creek's latest list here:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25122

Eureka July releases:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25050

Kino Lorber announcements:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25044
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25051
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25055
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25060
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25070
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=25079

and all of the above are just some of the announcements made this month.

So long as the end result is a quality release, I do not care if the studio itself or an independent label releases these catalog titles. A wide array of catalog titles continue to get released and I buy a lot of them. Sure, there are still plenty of titles that need a release, but we get more each and every month, so many sometimes that I have to wishlist lower priority titles.