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

[The_Donster]

The only 4K’s that seem to be increasing in price are store exclusives and that’s more to limited units release. Everything else you just have to be a smart shopper and find the deals. Vilya proves they’re out there with the amount of physical purchases he makes

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

Cost of 4K discs keep going up? Since when?

Originally Posted by Vilya

Well, according to the person who never buys 4K discs, or any discs at all, they are going up steadily. Those of us that actually buy them somehow never noticed.

Thankfully, streaming services and internet service providers NEVER raise their prices.

You guys are right, I don't buy Discs anymore because the price for new releases don't come down like they use to. Like Avengers: Endgame and Shazam 4K can go up to $80, but they start around $30.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Aveng...lu-ray/241718/

I use to buy the Disc for the Digital Copy, but it's not worth it anymore.

[sapiendut]

I bought my Endgame for about US$25. I bought Shazam for about US$15. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

You guys are right, I don't buy Discs anymore because the price for new releases don't come down like they use to. Like Avengers: Endgame and Shazam 4K can go up to $80, but they start around $30.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Aveng...lu-ray/241718/

I use to buy the Disc for the Digital Copy, but it's not worth it anymore.

Do you just wholesale make this sh*t up? Shazam! 4K was just $19.99 on sale a couple of days ago and Avengers Endgame 4K was $29.96 on release day, August 13th. Neither are anywhere near $80 even when combined.

As I have told you before, STOP lecturing those of us that actually buy discs about what they cost; you just make a complete fool out of yourself every time that you do so. Talk about the ever increasing costs of streaming and internet service instead; a topic that you always turn a blind eye towards.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Do you just wholesale make this sh*t up?

That poor poster obviously has NO shopping skills. He just doesn't get that some collectors will pay big dollars for certain titles, packaged in a certain way and only available from certain outlets.

I remember paying big bucks for a few LaserDisc titles that were released in CAV. It was so neat to play frame by frame, slow-mo, etc. and do it forwards or backwards.

Many of todays folks would faint if a title was $113 ($50, 1987 dolars).

[dublinbluray108]

The thing is that you forgot to mention alchav21 that the link for the release you mentioned has a small lenticular book about the MCU series included with the UHD of the movie which in theory raises the price of it even more in comparison to the other 4K copies on sale without the book. It's a good point when Vilya raised that point when he says you or other people who are into the movie can buy a copy of it for up to $30.

There is also a Target logo displayed in the top left hand corner of that 4K slipcover which means that if you live in places like America or probably in Canada & you want to buy that 4K copy of Avengers Endgame; it is specifically offered as a Target exclusive. Its generally more expensive to buy an in-store UHD Blu-ray release when it's offered as an in-store exclusive to any of their customers.

I see this happen when I frequent the HMV website all the time when they offer HMV Exclusive UHD/1080p Blu-rays released for sale.

This really is nothing new to deter people who purchase physical media on a regular basis. There are so many different versions of disc titles available for sale to movie fans like us & the general public to buy which either include extra things with the disc titles or without them. It is up to ourselves to know what we want to buy with our own money because it is primarily our own choice to make it.

[The_Donster]

Yep, Vilya and sapiendut are correct on prices. I could have bought Shazam for next to nothing last week if I didn’t want a digibook to match my other DCEU. Same with the Target exclusive Avengers Endgame. So not sure where you are getting your prices? Do yourself a favor and don’t use this site as a basis for pricing. They are strictly Amazon here. Which is why I have more than a few retailer apps on my iPhone to insure I get the best price.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by dublinbluray108

The thing is that you forgot to mention alchav21 that the link for the release you mentioned has a small lenticular book about the MCU series included with the UHD of the movie which in theory raises the price of it even more in comparison to the other 4K copies on sale without the book. It's a good point when Vilya raised that point when he says you or other people who are into the movie can buy a copy of it for up to $30.

There is also a Target logo displayed in the top left hand corner of that 4K slipcover which means that if you live in places like America or probably in Canada & you want to buy that 4K copy of Avengers Endgame; it is specifically offered as a Target exclusive. Its generally more expensive to buy an in-store UHD Blu-ray release when it's offered as an in-store exclusive to any of their customers.

I see this happen when I frequent the HMV website all the time when they offer HMV Exclusive UHD/1080p Blu-rays released for sale.

This really is nothing new to deter people who purchase physical media on a regular basis. There are so many different versions of disc titles available for sale to movie fans like us & the general public to buy which either include extra things with the disc titles or without them. It is up to ourselves to know what we want to buy with our own money because it is primarily our own choice to make it.

Buying an in-store exclusive, such as the Target one that alchav linked to, from a third party seller on Amazon is going to be ridiculously expensive. If someone wanted that Target exclusive, they would buy it from Target, not Amazon.

Alchav posts garbage like this in an attempt to make discs look like they are very expensive. The Target 4K exclusive costs $34.99, not $80:

https://www.target.com/p/avengers-en...l/-/A-54622698

The current $80.40 Target exclusive edition being offered on Amazon is from a third party seller by the name of "Bat Country Books." His famous lack of reading comprehension strikes again or he is deliberately being a troll by posting prices that he knows are NOT representative of the norm.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Vilya

The current $80.40 Target exclusive edition being offered on Amazon is from a third party seller by the name of "Bat Country Books." His famous lack of reading comprehension strikes again or he is deliberately being a troll by posting prices that he knows are NOT representative of the norm.

If I buy this title, as of now it would be purchased at Best Buy for 29.95. A cool savings of $50.45 compared to the place in question.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

If I buy this title, as of now it would be purchased at Best Buy for 29.95. A cool savings of $50.45 compared to the place in question.

You're so shrewd; guess you gotta be when you're shopping for $18,000 projectors.

With the savings, you can then import the 3D edition from Amazon.uk and still have about $30 leftover. You could also buy Shazam! 3D while you're at it and still have about $10 remaining.

[The_Donster]

Yep, paid $34.99 + tax -Target red card discount for our Endgame exclusive. Which probably brought it down to $35ish? Well worth it for me. As are most of my physical purchases. It is one of the reasons why I like to use streaming to decide if something is a buy or pass.

[alchav21]

Settle down guys don't get all excited, I did say that Endgame could be bought for $30. Now the Digital Version for the UHD 4K at FN or Vudu cost $25, but you can find MA Codes for $8. With UV out of the picture MA are the Codes, and you can shop for some real good prices. I just think that Disc prices will keep going up, while Digital will be priced better.

https://www.blu-ray.com/ma/Avengers-...44/#Wanttosell

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Many of todays folks would faint if a title was $113 ($50, 1987 dolars).

I'm sure they would. Back in 1986 when VHS titles were becoming readily available in many shops, I remember paying £15 each for many titles - about £42 in today's money according to some currency conversion websites.

Today, you can buy a 4K disc with a regular Blu-ray included in the same package for half that amount. As you say, if you shop around you could probably pick them up for even less.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by CV19

I'm sure they would. Back in 1986 when VHS titles were becoming readily available in many shops, I remember paying £15 each for many titles - about £42 in today's money according to some currency conversion websites.

Today, you can buy a 4K disc with a regular Blu-ray included in the same package for half that amount. As you say, if you shop around you could probably pick them up for even less.

I’m 60% Blu-ray and the rest 4K at this point. 40 Blu-rays bought in bulk costs me around £500-£550. This will be the first year I have bought a stack of 4K discs at the same time. It will come in at less than £900 though altogether. That’s enough for 1 film per week on movie night, 7 films over the Christmas holidays and a few over the Easter holidays!

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Do you just wholesale make this sh*t up? Shazam! 4K was just $19.99 on sale a couple of days ago and Avengers Endgame 4K was $29.96 on release day, August 13th. Neither are anywhere near $80 even when combined.

As I have told you before, STOP lecturing those of us that actually buy discs about what they cost; you just make a complete fool out of yourself every time that you do so. Talk about the ever increasing costs of streaming and internet service instead; a topic that you always turn a blind eye towards.

He also talks about how much a system should cost even though he listens to tv speakers, or on a big day, wireless headphones. He does not comprehend anything about credibility. I guess I should go find a Harley Davidson forum and post on it because I had a nice moped 35 years ago.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I’m 60% Blu-ray and the rest 4K at this point. 40 Blu-rays bought in bulk costs me around £500-£550. This will be the first year I have bought a stack of 4K discs at the same time. It will come in at less than £900 though altogether. That’s enough for 1 film per week on movie night, 7 films over the Christmas holidays and a few over the Easter holidays!

That's the way to do it mate, get everything in one go. I still have movies to watch that I bought about 2 months ago, including the Jose Larraz boxset and the House set (both from Arrow), plus a whole load of stuff from Indicator. I really must make more time.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Settle down guys don't get all excited, I did say that Endgame could be bought for $30. Now the Digital Version for the UHD 4K at FN or Vudu cost $25, but you can find MA Codes for $8. With UV out of the picture MA are the Codes, and you can shop for some real good prices. I just think that Disc prices will keep going up, while Digital will be priced better.

https://www.blu-ray.com/ma/Avengers-...44/#Wanttosell

As Penguin pointed out, your cheap codes come from disc purchasers selling off the included code. Without discs, digital copies will cost about what discs do now.

Disc prices have been essentially flat for years; I know because I buy them every week. I buy 20-30 titles per month. If prices had risen substantially, I would be the first here to complain as I am on a fixed retiree income. You do not buy discs and you do not know what you're talking about. Yet, you keep talking out your arse, anyways, with your recent attempt to characterize Avengers Endgame 4K as costing $80.

While you insist on blathering about the prices of things that you do not buy, how about addressing the price increases of streaming and internet services? You continue to completely ignore these facts. The cost of Netflix has gone up 33% and my internet service has gone up 40% over the past two years; that's where the price gouging exists.

The costs associated with streaming have risen sharply and these will only continue to climb. My discs are a one time cost; once I own them they never cost me any additional money to enjoy them. The cost to stream is an ongoing expense that will only increase.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by CV19

That's the way to do it mate, get everything in one go. I still have movies to watch that I bought about 2 months ago, including the Jose Larraz boxset and the House set (both from Arrow), plus a whole load of stuff from Indicator. I really must make more time.

I must disagree. Getting 52+ deliveries a year is much more fun than just one big delivery once per year. It's Christmas every week here.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I’m 60% Blu-ray and the rest 4K at this point. 40 Blu-rays bought in bulk costs me around £500-£550. This will be the first year I have bought a stack of 4K discs at the same time. It will come in at less than £900 though altogether. That’s enough for 1 film per week on movie night, 7 films over the Christmas holidays and a few over the Easter holidays!

It's a start.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Meanwhile on the streaming front it looks like Google and Amazon have done a deal, Amazon on Google and YouTube on FireTV here.

DEG continues their slant by posting “DEG: Home Entertainment Spending Posts 7% Gain in First Half of 2019” while ignoring the loss of traditional pay TV revenue. Story here. These folks need to learn that DirecTV and Dish Network were digital delivery since day one and most traditional pay TV has been digital for several years.

Lumping SVOD revenue in with EST has got to be one of the craziest things I have seen an industry do. Who do they think they are fooling?