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

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

Im very reserved when it comes to buying titles, I personally only buy movies that im likely to watch again (more than 2, 3, 4 times), like Home Alone (as a typical example)

I get that but for me there is

1) personal reality: how do you know, before watching a film that you won't want to watch it again. And if you rent it and then decide it would be something you will want to watch and buy it, don't you end up paying for it twice and go through the trouble twice?

2) social reality: I am not an island, I have family members and I have friends, what will the kids/gf want to watch again (or at a different time than me) Christmas dinner on the 27 I had 26 people here for supper do I know if they will choose something I have watched before to make it the second of third time, three of my nephews stayed the 27/28 because they came from out of town, how can I know what they would want to see, then we all left and went to my sister cottage until this morning, I threw 30 films in my bag and we could choose what we felt like when we felt like it.

I am in a stage of life where I can easily afford the few bucks for a movie and I don't see any value in braking my head trying to predict if I or others will want to watch it a second or third time in the future. Also if I compare my time to the price of a film there i9s a lot more value lost in watching a bad film then the cost of that movie.

why do some people keep large collections of titles?

simple, choice.

Like do you ever go back to rewatch them?

yes, me and others when ever we feel like it. Sometimes you want an old classic, other times you want a new experience and some other times you would not re watch it but you want someone else to experience it.

I kinda understand about steelbooks, yeah, they're nice to look at/keep on display but standard blurays nnnnahhh,

I have paid more for steelbooks and collectors editions but it is not a poster aor a piece of art, you buy it for the film.

and this is where the whole thing starts where people start selling their titles (because they dont have the space anymore)

As for space, if they need to be stored in a small bedroom (i.e. you are a kid at home, you are in a dorm...) you are in a small one room apartment or tiny home (or something similar), then I can understand complaining about space, but even with cases (since there is option of storing them in sleeves) you can fit ~25 films per foot of shelf and 10 shelves to a wall you "sacrifice" one foot of wall space 6" deep for ~250 films, we are not talking about something like tables or couches that need to a lot of floor space.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

There will be IMAX Enhanced Experience at Xperi booth with AudioControl used as a pre-pro. More OLEDs from Chinese brands.

Will this be the Maestro M9 or a new device?

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by PhysicalMediaNut

What put things into perspective for me is adding up the run time of all of my content on disc (approx.) and comparing that to the amount of free time I get throughout the year. There just isn’t enough time to watch the stuff I own. That slowed things down for me. If I don’t even have time to watch the stuff I own, there isn’t a lot of incentive to keep buying media regularly. I still buy occasionally but it needs to be something I really want.

I have an unwatched shelf (technically at this point it is a box until I add an other shelving unit, which I will probably build this summer) it helps keep me more grounded, when it is too full I slow down my purchase to "*I wil probably watch it first chance I get" or " that is an awesome deal and I won't find it cheaper so who care if it sits there a few months" and when it is too empty I buy more easily.

[Krizzle1]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

I get that but for me there is

1) personal reality: how do you know, before watching a film that you won't want to watch it again. And if you rent it and then decide it would be something you will want to watch and buy it, don't you end up paying for it twice and go through the trouble twice?

I usually see the movie at the cinema before considering on a purchase, otherwise it'd be a digital viewing

Originally Posted by Anthony P

2) social reality: I am not an island, I have family members and I have friends, what will the kids/gf want to watch again (or at a different time than me) Christmas dinner on the 27 I had 26 people here for supper do I know if they will choose something I have watched before to make it the second of third time, three of my nephews stayed the 27/28 because they came from out of town, how can I know what they would want to see, then we all left and went to my sister cottage until this morning, I threw 30 films in my bag and we could choose what we felt like when we felt like it.

Why would you go through a hassle of selecting "just" 30 when you can have your whole collection digitally, available to stream anywhere? Does your sisters cottage have the same setup as you? (screen size, sound setup, seating, etc?) not everyone is a movie buff, you never know they might just be happy with a Netflix stream. Which brings me to my question of having large collections, chances are you're the only one that might care highly of movies (wanting the best quality, best setup, etc), so why not shrink your physical collection, and keep a bigger digital collection for guests/family?


Maybe im trying to convert you to digital, maybe im just talking to myself

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

Maybe im trying to convert you to digital, maybe im just talking to myself

More like doing the 's work.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

I usually see the movie at the cinema before considering on a purchase, otherwise it'd be a digital viewing



Why would you go through a hassle of selecting "just" 30 when you can have your whole collection digitally, available to stream anywhere? Does your sisters cottage have the same setup as you? (screen size, sound setup, seating, etc?) not everyone is a movie buff, you never know they might just be happy with a Netflix stream. Which brings me to my question of having large collections, chances are you're the only one that might care highly of movies (wanting the best quality, best setup, etc), so why not shrink your physical collection, and keep a bigger digital collection for guests/family?


Maybe im trying to convert you to digital, maybe im just talking to myself

I collect for me, not my family. If my family do fancy watching a film at mine (rare, as we are normally catching up with each other after a busy week) then they have a choice from over 900 Blu-ray/UHD. If you deeply cared for film, I think you want that video/audio quality that only disc offers.
My dream was a HT. That was back in the day when I was a teenager sitting in my local cinema. I have achieved that now, why would I, or anyone like me, want to give all that up for a lesser format that won’t take advantage of my setup? Why would any dedicated film fan and HT enthusiast? It’s not like Digital HD has been a roaring success, it hasn’t really got legs imo. It’s all subscription now and that genie is not going back in the bottle. Digital HD is stuck in the middle, it’s like those cheap action man imitations that we’re on sale in the 80’s. A poor relation that no kids wanted because they wanted the real deal. Digital HD isn’t the format for quality lovers, it’s for those that are easily led and get excited at the prospect of watching Star Wars on their mobile phone.

Subscription is just pay tv on steroids, that’s sadly the future. Collectors who went digital caused this, as they abandoned the only format that offered a superb experience on projectors. Hang your heads in shame and don’t call yourselves film fans.

Your suggestion is that we stop supporting a high quality format (fully) to support the poor relation that is digital HD so that the family may enjoy our films? My family would never expect that, they know how much I love HT and A/V quality.
You say some maybe don’t care about movies that much and are happy with Netflix? Why would you cater to those people in that case?

You sound like a part timer Krizzle. Maybe you have fell out of love with film?

[Krizzle1]

Haha Steedeel, i guess you could call me a "part timer", probably because I dont have the expensive/high quality setups as many of you here, maybe because I dont watch that many movies, maybe because I enjoy the convenience of digital

This thread is for part-timers too y'know

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Krizzle1

Why would you go through a hassle of selecting "just" 30 when you can have your whole collection digitally, available to stream anywhere?

A cottage here is a term used for a secondary place out in the country. There is no internet, cell service only works if you take the road up the mountain or go down onto the lake. There is a land line if that would do

also I am curious, how do you stream your collection?

Does your sisters cottage have the same setup as you? (screen size, sound setup, seating, etc?)

no it is a cottage where old equipment goes for retirement. In the Great room there is a 65" TV and 7.1 sound system and a couple of couches.
in the basement a 42" TV with 5.1 and there is a projector we use in the winter (in the summer we use the projector outdoors).

not everyone is a movie buff, you never know they might just be happy with a Netflix stream.

I don't think so, also if they were they would not have picked movies for us to bring along.

Which brings me to my question of having large collections, chances are you're the only one that might care highly of movies (wanting the best quality, best setup, etc), so why not shrink your physical collection, and keep a bigger digital collection for guests/family?

1) why should I watch bad quality when I am spending my money and I care what it looks and sounds like?

2) it is easier to pick something to watch with a physical collection (especially when more people are involved)

3) digitizing a film means putting extra time and effort while simply pressing play does not

4)storing DVD/BD/UHD BD like I do now costs next to nothing under (100$ of wood/tint/screws for 750 films for shelves) If I were to digitize my collection (over 3k DVD over 4k BD over 300 UHD BD) it would cost a small fortune for such a large RAID array. Why waste that money when it brings me nothing?

5) it takes a minute to pack up a bunch of films to bring, while transferring the same number of films to portable storage to bring with me would take much longer. And the other place would need something compatible with my storage instead of a cheap BD player.

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Will this be the Maestro M9 or a new device?

I’m not sure. Considering how new the Maestro M9 is, I think it won’t be a new device.

[Vilya]

I watched a standard definition stream from Amazon Prime last night and did it ever look bad. I am fairly forgiving of SD content, but this was far worse than a typical DVD performance.

It was a direct comparison, too. I was lent the first season of an old TV show on DVD; I watched all 32 episodes of it. The DVDs looked quite decent considering the format and the age of the source material.

I then decided to stream some episodes from season two via Amazon Prime and they were somewhere above VHS quality, but well below that of the DVDs that I had just finished watching. Every artifact and deficit that you can name was on full and obvious display. SD streams, at least from Amazon Prime, are just .

I had no stalling or buffering issues with Amazon Prime last night; I was just another victim of their pathetic 1.5 mbps SD bitrates. Yuk!

Anyway, the experience convinced me to buy the seasons on DVD, so it all ends well.

[Boccaccio]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I watched a standard definition stream from Amazon Prime last night and did it ever look bad. I am fairly forgiving of SD content, but this was far worse than a typical DVD performance.

It was a direct comparison, too. I was lent the first season of an old TV show on DVD; I watched all 32 episodes of it. The DVDs looked quite decent considering the format and the age of the source material.

I then decided to stream some episodes from season two via Amazon Prime and they were somewhere above VHS quality, but well below that of the DVDs that I had just finished watching. Every artifact and deficit that you can name was on full and obvious display. SD streams, at least from Amazon Prime, are just .

I had no stalling or buffering issues with Amazon Prime last night; I was just another victim of their pathetic 1.5 mbps SD bitrates. Yuk!

Anyway, the experience convinced me to buy the seasons on DVD, so it all ends well.

Well, you should know better than to watch crappy sd streams on your new 4K tv.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I had no stalling or buffering issues with Amazon Prime last night; I was just another victim of their pathetic 1.5 mbps SD bitrates. Yuk!

Wonder how long it will be before we get ads inserted into our streaming pay TV (Netflix, Disney, Amazon, etc.). Looks like AT&T is gearing up to do so, here.

[The_Donster]

Originally Posted by Boccaccio

Well, you should know better than to watch crappy sd streams on your new 4K tv.

Exactly, it won’t put lipstick on a pig. Even mine is pretty unforgiving. Although with the move I’ve lost streaming and gaming for a bit. So I’ve been watching some of my old DVD’s or renting through Netflix BD/DVD service and something I’m really enjoying watching the supplementals and extras.

[stonesfan129]

I thought the stream quality was pretty decent with VUDU HDX. I do not have a 4K TV so I cannot comment on the quality of the UHD streams versus 4K Blu-ray discs. Blu-ray does look better, but it's not always night and day. I've pretty much switched to VUDU and I do have my Criterion Blu-rays and a few others left. I do get Disc+Digital from VUDU from time to time and just sell the digital code to get another movie. It's pretty hard to beat the convenience of VUDU (not having to rip and compress everything onto HDD and serve up with Plex anymore), but one thing you do give up is control. VUDU goes belly up and all your stuff is gone. I think if you are okay with the compromise of slightly less quality, convenience is pretty tough to beat. If you care about quality over everything else, then get the disc.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

I do not have a 4K TV so I cannot comment on the quality of the UHD streams versus 4K Blu-ray discs.

The top streaming UHD titles can look almost as good as the top standard Blu-ray disc. Even with the best of streaming there will be shots/scenes where there will be visible video artifacts. Streaming sound vs disc, forget bout it!!

If you read the reviews here one will see not that many titles get a reference quality rating. Has nothing to do with the disc and everything to do with the source and mastering. Now take that same master and compress it many times more than a disc and you end up with a product that will have artifacts.

As to MA, for any given title, one service may have the UHD version but no Dolby Atmos, the next service may have a UHD and Dolby Atmos but no Dolby Vision. It remains a big CF and will continue to do so because there is NO governing body for streamers.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Boccaccio

Well, you should know better than to watch crappy sd streams on your new 4K tv.

I stream some titles to decide if they are worth buying. I was on the fence about whether or not I wanted to actually own this particular title, but sampling Amazon's pathetic SD streaming easily tipped the scales in favor of buying the DVDs. The piss poor quality of their SD streams was an outright and continual distraction and anything worth watching even once deserves far better than that.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

The top streaming UHD titles can look almost as good as the top standard Blu-ray disc. Even with the best of streaming there will be shots/scenes where there will be visible video artifacts. Streaming sound vs disc, forget bout it!!

If you read the reviews here one will see not that many titles get a reference quality rating. Has nothing to do with the disc and everything to do with the source and mastering. Now take that same master and compress it many times more than a disc and you end up with a product that will have artifacts.

As to MA, for any given title, one service may have the UHD version but no Dolby Atmos, the next service may have a UHD and Dolby Atmos but no Dolby Vision. It remains a big CF and will continue to do so because there is NO governing body for streamers.

Knowing where to redeem the 4K digital code is another headache; do it at the wrong place and your title will redeem in HD instead. I know there is an online spreadsheet available to help with this dilemma, but it should not be necessary to research where to redeem the 4k digital code in order to actually get a 4K digital copy. A 4K digital code should redeem in 4K, period.

[dublinbluray108]

I watched the Blu-ray of Batman: Hush today because I did it as a little treat.

It is my birthday today. I am 30 years old.

It's turning out to be pretty good so far. I got some small gifts like a yellow & black scarf & some railway mugs with steam trains on them. I also got some money & a gift card too.

[cpr3584]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

The top streaming UHD titles can look almost as good as the top standard Blu-ray disc. Even with the best of streaming there will be shots/scenes where there will be visible video artifacts. Streaming sound vs disc, forget bout it!!

If you read the reviews here one will see not that many titles get a reference quality rating. Has nothing to do with the disc and everything to do with the source and mastering. Now take that same master and compress it many times more than a disc and you end up with a product that will have artifacts.

As to MA, for any given title, one service may have the UHD version but no Dolby Atmos, the next service may have a UHD and Dolby Atmos but no Dolby Vision. It remains a big CF and will continue to do so because there is NO governing body for streamers.

Agree, unless its a new transfer on digital, the regular BD will be better PQ and AQ than 4K streaming.
I noticed this when I tested Once Upon a Time In Hollywood on 4K HDR vs the regular BD (upscaled to my 4K TV).
The 4K stream struggled to retain the natural film grain that was evident on the BD. The BD also produced a sharper, more vibrant image. the HDR was nice on the 4K stream but it still could not match the video and sound clarity on the BD.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by dublinbluray108

I watched the Blu-ray of Batman: Hush today because I did it as a little treat.

It is my birthday today. I am 30 years old.

It's turning out to be pretty good so far. I got some small gifts like a yellow & black scarf & some railway mugs with steam trains on them. I also got some money & a gift card too.

Happy Birthday dublinbluray108!

I hope you have a great day with more fun surprises yet to come!