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

[The_Donster]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

So not a true film fan then? Got ya.

Bud, you’ve got to stop with the labeling

Originally Posted by gotmule

Don’t know if everyone in the States saw that it was going on again, but Target online is doing their Buy 2 Get 1 for free on movies. I just picked up 12 4K discs that never seem to drop in price, and I got them for about $16 a title plus free shipping.

I’m broke and currently playing catch up on paying off some bills to take advantage of this sale. Not to mention to preoccupied with the new job to watch anything longer than 30 minutes or play a game once I’m home. Right now I’m listening to Spotify and playing catch up in the forum before I head off to work.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by johndoyle123

As I previously stated the ps5 is now officially confirmed as a 4k player, so that’s a nice boost to the format

I may have to buy one then. It would be my first new console since the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I may have to buy one then. It would be my first new console since the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii.

Get a VR headset then you can join me in VR space.

[sapiendut]

So the Ps5 can be connected to VR headset? I’m interested. Is it by using PS VR?

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Interesting thread. I'm in my late 40's, and grew up with physical media. I remember buying cassettes & CD's as a kid/young adult, and also renting VHS tapes & later buying/renting DVD's...and finally getting my first Blu player & Blu's in late 2012.

Streaming is great & very convenient. But, the PQ is usually....just OK. And, you can't always find whatever you want to see available for streaming.

That being said:

1) I know some younger movie/TV show fans (20's/early 30's) who don't even have a Blu/DVD player at all, and stream exclusively. So, they have given up on physical media altogether (at least when it comes to movies/TV shows).

2) Going along with this, earlier this year I was looking for a new Blu player & went to Frye's Electronics - which is a huge store. And, they didn't have any for sale at that time; and, this was in April, so it wasn't a time when they would have had low stock due to selling out over the holidays, etc.

3) The physical media section (DVD's/Blu's/CD's) in all major stores has shrunk considerably in the last 5-7 years.

So - while I think physical media will always be around in some capacity, as time goes on & less people want to deal with buying physical players & disks, it will continue to become even more of a niche format. And, it's obvious this has already happened to a great extent.

[rui no onna]

Originally Posted by AnamorphicWidescreen

2) Going along with this, earlier this year I was looking for a new Blu player & went to Frye's Electronics - which is a huge store. And, they didn't have any for sale at that time - and this was in April, so it wasn't a time when they would have had low stock due to the holidays, etc.

One reason I'm grateful for game consoles. No doubt the PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 greatly helped with CD, DVD and Blu-ray adoption. It really is a shame that Sony delayed 4K Blu-ray support to the PS5 instead of including it with the PS4 Pro.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by AnamorphicWidescreen

Interesting thread. I'm in my late 40's, and grew up with physical media. I remember buying cassettes & CD's as a kid/young adult, and also renting VHS tapes & later buying/renting DVD's...and finally getting my first Blu player & Blu's in late 2012.

Streaming is great & very convenient. But, the PQ is usually....just OK. And, you can't always find whatever you want to see available for streaming.

That being said:

1) I know some younger movie/TV show fans (20's/early 30's) who don't even have a Blu/DVD player at all, and stream exclusively. So, they have given up on physical media altogether (at least when it comes to movies/TV shows).

2) Going along with this, earlier this year I was looking for a new Blu player & went to Frye's Electronics - which is a huge store. And, they didn't have any for sale at that time; and, this was in April, so it wasn't a time when they would have had low stock due to selling out over the holidays, etc.

3) The physical media section (DVD's/Blu's/CD's) in all major stores has shrunk considerably in the last 5-7 years.

So - while I think physical media will always be around in some capacity, as time goes on & less people want to deal with buying physical players & disks, it will continue to become even more of a niche format. And, it's obvious this has already happened to a great extent.

Nothing to do with the fact that discs are easier to buy from the likes of Amazon?

Seriously, if discs were as barren as some anecdotes make out, they wouldn’t still be making millions. It’s that simple.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

So the Ps5 can be connected to VR headset? I’m interested. Is it by using PS VR?

Yep. Although we should expect a next gen VR headset around 2022. Obviously, the PS5 will allow higher resolution, more detail and better experiences when thee new headset hits. I would imagine the current headset will benefit from the PS5 also.

[Wendell R. Breland]

If anyone needs help finding a Blu-ray player then just post here. Just don't expect to find one at Circuit City, HH Gregg, Sears, K-Mart, Penny's, etc. because the B&M's are gone or nearly gone.

And none here have explained why Walmart is investing big in these new disc displays like these:

[Show spoiler]

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

If anyone needs help finding a Blu-ray player then just post here. Just don't expect to find one at Circuit City, HH Gregg, Sears, K-Mart, Penny's, etc. because the B&M's are gone or nearly gone.

And none here have explained why Walmart is investing big in these new disc displays like these:

[Show spoiler]

Yes I wonder how BD and 4K Players are doing, probably not good at all. I use to shop at Fry's all the time, and they had huge Discs Displays. I guess WalMart Buyers haven't gotten the word, but ours are not that big. Like I said before, I'm usually the only one there!

[johndoyle123]

Originally Posted by AnamorphicWidescreen

Interesting thread. I'm in my late 40's, and grew up with physical media. I remember buying cassettes & CD's as a kid/young adult, and also renting VHS tapes & later buying/renting DVD's...and finally getting my first Blu player & Blu's in late 2012.

Streaming is great & very convenient. But, the PQ is usually....just OK. And, you can't always find whatever you want to see available for streaming.

That being said:

1) I know some younger movie/TV show fans (20's/early 30's) who don't even have a Blu/DVD player at all, and stream exclusively. So, they have given up on physical media altogether (at least when it comes to movies/TV shows).

2) Going along with this, earlier this year I was looking for a new Blu player & went to Frye's Electronics - which is a huge store. And, they didn't have any for sale at that time; and, this was in April, so it wasn't a time when they would have had low stock due to selling out over the holidays, etc.

3) The physical media section (DVD's/Blu's/CD's) in all major stores has shrunk considerably in the last 5-7 years.

So - while I think physical media will always be around in some capacity, as time goes on & less people want to deal with buying physical players & disks, it will continue to become even more of a niche format. And, it's obvious this has already happened to a great extent.

That extent being it’s still worth 13 billion annually, even when it hits vinyl numbers of around a billion in however many years time it will eventually settle as a collectors niche and will be more about licensing etc by some people’s account you would think it makes a few million a year ....

Games however remain largely untouched by the digital shit, whilst numbers of digital games grow exponentially year on year physical game sales aren’t budging. This shows the market is growing around them , a fate films sadly didn’t have and they plummeted.

PS4 yoy has sold more physical units than the ps3 each consecutive year, and each PS4 year has again seen a rise in physical units sold. 2019 is set to drop slightly but 2020 will be the biggest year for physical game sales this side of the decade.

PS4 2016 217 million units
PS4 2017 246 million units
PS4 2018 257 million units

Nintendo switch also continues to have record breaking physical sales and is a predominantly physical market with most games shifting 75% physical vs digital

The decline of games to digital only will take a lot longer than any other formats currently. However unlike films and games there is no room for a niche market Once it does shrink like blu and vinyl etc

[Vilya]

I do my tech shopping online. I even bought my new TV from Amazon.

The selection of both hardware and discs is unrivaled online, so what brick & mortar stores choose to stock, or not, does not concern me very much. So long as I have no problem finding what I want to buy, where I buy it, and from whom, is largely irrelevant.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Yes I wonder how BD and 4K Players are doing, probably not good at all. I use to shop at Fry's all the time, and they had huge Discs Displays. I guess WalMart Buyers haven't gotten the word, but ours are not that big. Like I said before, I'm usually the only one there!

That dumb 'ol Walmart just keeps stocking stuff nobody wants; how they remain in business is a complete mystery. How your local store survives with you being the "only one there" is even more amazing.

As for 4K disc player sales figures, this quote is from the Digital Entertainment Group's 1st Quarter report of 2019:

"There is continued significant growth among 4K Ultra HD hardware products. There are currently
an estimated 53.4 million households, an increase of 55 percent versus last year, and 14 million 4K
UHD Blu-ray player households, an increase of 63 percent over last year. "

https://www.degonline.org/wp-content...rnote_grid.pdf

4K disc player sales are doing just fine and including a 4K disc player on the upcoming Playstation 5 will only help the format even more.

[alchav21]

What do you guys think of the comments made by Martin Scorsese of Marvel Movies not being Cinema? I was thinking the same thing that Hollywood and the Studios are just making too many of these Movies. I liked Iron Man and Deadpool, but really haven't watched anything else. The Studios get on a kick just to make money. What do you guys think?

https://www.mic.com/p/martin-scorses...rrect-19191648

[Vilya]

^Just to make money? Exactly what do you think the purpose of a business is?

These MCU movies are made because audiences love them and they are very profitable. Profit is the primary objective of any business; movie studios are no exception.

Martin Scorsese is entitled to his opinion and he can label these movies anything that he wishes, but these movies will continue to be made while their success endures. People want them and they make money- a lot of money; it would be a stupid business decision not to offer a product that is both very popular and that is extremely profitable.

The most successful movie of all time, to date, is a Marvel movie, namely Avengers Endgame. As of late summer, this one comic book movie alone made $2.795 BILLION worldwide at the box office and another $77.76 million, and counting, in just domestic home video sales. That is an awesome return on investment for a movie with a $400 million production budget. Lucrative results like these more than explain why this was the 22nd Marvel comics movie made.

As for your opinion, how can you even have one other than for the whole two titles, out of 22, that you have seen? Criticizing movies that you have never watched lacks any credibility. If you have a dislike for the genre in general, then your opinion about any movie within that genre would be suspect at best.

[Trekkie313]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

If anyone needs help finding a Blu-ray player then just post here. Just don't expect to find one at Circuit City, HH Gregg, Sears, K-Mart, Penny's, etc. because the B&M's are gone or nearly gone.

And none here have explained why Walmart is investing big in these new disc displays like these:

[Show spoiler]

I wish my Wal*Mart had that!

[spider-neil]

I never by digital games for the main reason you can't sell them on when you've finished. I think Sony know this hence the physical drive in the PS5.

The PS5 including a 4k player may be a huge shot in the arm for the 4k market, we'll see.

[spider-neil]

Originally Posted by alchav21

What do you guys think of the comments made by Martin Scorsese of Marvel Movies not being Cinema? I was thinking the same thing that Hollywood and the Studios are just making too many of these Movies. I liked Iron Man and Deadpool, but really haven't watched anything else. The Studios get on a kick just to make money. What do you guys think?

https://www.mic.com/p/martin-scorses...rrect-19191648

Scorsese opinion that Marvel movies don't have emotional resonance is nonsense. Also, if a movie is shown at the cinema then it is 'cinema'. Brilliant film maker and he is entitled to his opinion but that opinion would hold more weight if he saw the material.

[Ender14]

Originally Posted by alchav21

What do you guys think of the comments made by Martin Scorsese of Marvel Movies not being Cinema? I was thinking the same thing that Hollywood and the Studios are just making too many of these Movies. I liked Iron Man and Deadpool, but really haven't watched anything else. The Studios get on a kick just to make money. What do you guys think?

https://www.mic.com/p/martin-scorses...rrect-19191648

I think this is an extremely limited view of cinema. I love the Marvel movies and they sit comfortably on my shelf next to more "cinematic" fare. What cineaste elitists forget is it wasn't My Dinner with Andre or The Seventh Seal that instilled a love for movies in them when they were young. For me it started with Star Wars, Ghostbusters and movies of that ilk. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. My appreciation for more "serious" film grew out of my initial love of well done entertainment. There is a place for both entertainment and art. One does not preclude the other. Yes, popcorn movies will generally make more money. If that money can then be turned around and invested in a more prestige film then the system is working.

People keep lamenting that only cash-grab blockbuster films are being made and that smaller films are being squeezed out. I can understand that perception but don't agree with it. Joker is essentially an art film, but because it's origins lie in the comic book realm it is doing blockbuster numbers. If not for the Batman connection, it would have been a small prestige film. So in that instance the comic book connection actually helps a smaller film.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Looks like Netflix will disappear from most of the older Roku players, story here. Apparently Hulu has already disappeared from most Roku players. I had a similar situation with Amazon Prime and my LG players.

On the flip side all my disc media, some > 35 years old, play just fine on my all my disc players.