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

[bruceames]

Originally Posted by alchav21

If you were a betting person would you put your money on Discs or Streaming?

For movie purchases it would be disc. But neither are going anywhere so why do you think it has to be one or the other?

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Sure, sure, just keep thinking that way don't pay attention to the facts. No Blu-ray Players at CES 2020. Disc sales going down, only a few Blu-ray Disc Manufactures left. Firmware upgrades on BD Players lagging like Panasonic. Oppo Players on their last leg with problematic Players being sent back. If you were a betting person would you put your money on Discs or Streaming?

You are the LAST person who should even use the word "facts" in a sentence; they are as alien to you as you are to reason itself.

We don't need new models of disc players announced every year unless there are significant improvements being offered. Plenty of nice disc players remain on the market and the Playstation 5 equipped with a 4K disc drive is coming.

I haven't seen any new AVRs announced at CES, either. I'm sure that you similarly deduced with that cranial muscle of yours that there is no longer any consumer interest in them, too.

Purchases in general are in decline, not just discs, but you are the only person here so dense as to suggest that purchasing content is in danger of complete collapse based upon nothing more than yet another one of your idiotic visits to a single store- and to one that is apparently closing for good at that.

Firmware updates continue to be offered when necessary; it is not uncommon to go a long time without any. Two or three per year is typical for an established player.

I own two Oppos and both are just fine. Neither have ever required any servicing and they are nowhere near to being on their "last legs." Every make and model of anything made have a few defective units in circulation; it is why manufactured goods carry warranties. Oppo is still honoring their warranties and they continue to service out of warranty models as well. You continually speak about things of which you know nothing, but I guess if you didn't you would be a mute.

Buying something that you do not actually own is a sucker's bet and that is why it suits you so well. Some of us value actual ownership along with the best quality and these are two concepts utterly lost upon the likes of you. You go ahead and put all of your faith in a corporation to safeguard your purchases; what could possibly go wrong?

Here is a product that was announced at CES that you can use: a robot that brings you more toilet paper when you run out. Someone as chronically full of it as yourself could really benefit from this gadget; I hear you can load it with digital code sheets, too.



https://www.techradar.com/news/ran-o...ng-you-a-spare

[Trekkie313]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Physical media isn't dying and likely never will. It's just the way physical media is being sold that is changing. For example, I don't think I have been able to buy any CDs at a Best Buy for a few years. Even Walmart, who still has a CD section, barely has anything except recent popular music releases. But you go on Amazon or even eBay and you can get almost anything you want. Movies will be the same way. Big box stores may stop carrying them but go online and it's usually all available.

My nearest Best Buy still has CDs

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Trekkie313

My nearest Best Buy still has CDs

I can still readily buy everything that all of these Nostradumbasses have said that I would no longer be able to even here in my little rural corner of Americana. Every year since at least 2014 I have been told that physical media of every type is dead and yet I am still buying all of it that I want here and now in 2020.

You'd think being dead wrong for 7 consecutive years, and for far longer with CDs, would cause them to STFU, but nope, they just keep going like a bunch of Energizer dumb bunnies.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Sure, sure, just keep thinking that way don't pay attention to the facts. No Blu-ray Players at CES 2020. Disc sales going down, only a few Blu-ray Disc Manufactures left. Firmware upgrades on BD Players lagging like Panasonic. Oppo Players on their last leg with problematic Players being sent back. If you were a betting person would you put your money on Discs or Streaming?

Certainly not Digital HD. Only a idiot would bet on a good future for that format. Subscription streaming and disc for the quality lovers.

You also ignoring the pretty huge deal of PS5 playing UHD/Blu-ray/DVD. That’s the next decade of playback guaranteed. 106 million people own PlayStation 4. The next Xbox will do the same. That’s a audience (estimated) of 180-190 million people, all with access to disc playback. People who are serious about quality don’t buy Samsung imo. Firmware updates are not a issue for these consoles.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Certainly not Digital HD. Only a idiot would bet on a good future for that format. Subscription streaming and disc for the quality lovers.

You also ignoring the pretty huge deal of PS5 playing UHD/Blu-ray/DVD. That’s the next decade of playback guaranteed. 106 million people own PlayStation 4. The next Xbox will do the same. That’s a audience (estimated) of 180-190 million people, all with access to disc playback. People who are serious about quality don’t buy Samsung imo. Firmware updates are not a issue for these consoles.

There’s just sooooooo much not available on digital to buy or on streaming. I dont find myself buying new releases much less, but so many classic and foreign films especially from botique labels or films that I love and want supplements for I can only get on physical

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

There’s just sooooooo much not available on digital to buy or on streaming. I do find myself buying new releases much less, but so many classic and foreign films especially from botique labels or films that I love and want supplements for I can only get on physical

You have to remember going forward, titles that are considered controversial or not ‘woke’ enough (I hate that word already) will probably not be considered for digital. If you want certain catalogue titles, get them now on Blu-ray before the snowflake culture takes over.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

You have to remember going forward, titles that are considered controversial or not ‘woke’ enough (I hate that word already) will probably not be considered for digital. If you want certain catalogue titles, get them now on Blu-ray before the snowflake culture takes over.

The only example i can think of is Song of the South. I don’t think not being woke will be a requirement. Only, will this make enough money

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

The only example i can think of is Song of the South. I don’t think not being woke will be a requirement. Only, will this make enough money

I guess we will see.

[cheez avenger]

So this is the year I go 4K and Atmos. Budget is a definite consideration. I've already bought the Atmos speakers (satellites) and the 4K player. This means that I am halfway there and just need the new receiver and television. The majority of my audio set-up will be legacy equipment. It's a blend of JBL and Infinity speakers and they still rock hard to this day.

I still live with and am okay with both formats (digital/physical), but it was time to gradually upgrade. Since the AVR/TV will be the more expensive of the new components, I have no timeframe as to when I will get the new equipment.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by cheez avenger

So this is the year I go 4K and Atmos. Budget is a definite consideration. I've already bought the Atmos speakers (satellites) and the 4K player. This means that I am halfway there and just need the new receiver and television. The majority of my audio set-up will be legacy equipment. It's a blend of JBL and Infinity speakers and they still rock hard to this day.

I still live with and am okay with both formats (digital/physical), but it was time to gradually upgrade. Since the AVR/TV will be the more expensive of the new components, I have no timeframe as to when I will get the new equipment.

Just don’t go feeding it crap Digital HD. Treat it well.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by cheez avenger

So this is the year I go 4K and Atmos. Budget is a definite consideration.

If you go 7.x*.4 then I would buy the largest screen your space/wallet could accommodate. IMHO, big sound needs/demands a big screen.

x* = 1 or more subs.

[cheez avenger]

Wow, and I was thinking of starting out 5.1.2 just to test the waters and then possibly 7.1.2 at the very most. Space is also a consideration. The screen will be 65" - 75".

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by cheez avenger

Wow, and I was thinking of starting out 5.1.2 just to test the waters and then possibly 7.1.2 at the very most. Space is also a consideration. The screen will be 65" - 75".

No matter what size and budget you have there is probably a configuration that will fit your needs. Guides here. Links to Leaf and Amaze trailers there as well. If interested, I can provide links to more immersive trailers.

[avs commenter]

EST up 5.1%
Disc down 18.2%

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/digita...-heights-2019/

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by avs commenter

EST up 5.1%
Disc down 18.2%

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/digita...-heights-2019/

Overall purchases continue to drop. Total sales, disc and digital combined, are down 9.4% totaling $5.9 billion, according to the article that you linked to above. In 2013, combined sales were $8.49 billion. In 2018, combined sales were $6.494 billion.

Last year EST was up 14.43%, so it's growth rate is barely a third of what it was. People are buying less, period, as they have every single year since 2013, and they are simply subscribing instead.

More precisely, disc sales are down 18.29% and EST is up 5.12% for 2019. Combined sales of both totaled $5.876 billion.

https://www.degonline.org/portfolio_...ment-report-2/

[avs commenter]

Yep. I'd expect EST to decrease and disc to have another double digit drop next year

[Ender14]

Originally Posted by avs commenter

EST up 5.1%
Disc down 18.2%

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/digita...-heights-2019/

Yes, but if you look at the dollar figures EST made $2.6 billion while Disc made $3.29 billion. Purchasing of content in general, whether through EST or Disc, was down 9.4% from the previous year. Whereas subscription streaming jumped 23.7% compared to the previous year. So the big takeaway is people are purchasing less and subscribing more. I would hazard a guess that most of the losses on the physical side were due to people switching from DVD to streaming.

At the bottom of the article it states the following:

"At the same time that the DEG released its annual year-end numbers, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment shared some of its “Attitudes and Usage” study findings.

The key point: Home entertainment has evolved into a true multi-platform business. Universal found that consumers are using around three platforms on average, the most common bundle being disc purchase, disc rental and subscription streaming."

Notice that EST is not mentioned in Universal's findings when it comes to the most common 3 platforms being used. I'm sure they are not the only studio to observe this trend.

So as usual, nothing to worry about for those of us that enjoy discs.

[avs commenter]

Originally Posted by Ender14

Yes, but if you look at the dollar figures EST made $2.6 billion while Disc made $3.29 billion. Purchasing of content in general, whether through EST or Disc, was down 9.4% from the previous year. Whereas subscription streaming jumped 23.7% compared to the previous year. So the big takeaway is people are purchasing less and subscribing more. I would hazard a guess that most of the losses on the physical side were due to people switching from DVD to streaming.

At the bottom of the article it states the following:

"At the same time that the DEG released its annual year-end numbers, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment shared some of its “Attitudes and Usage” study findings.

The key point: Home entertainment has evolved into a true multi-platform business. Universal found that consumers are using around three platforms on average, the most common bundle being disc purchase, disc rental and subscription streaming."

Notice that EST is not mentioned in Universal's findings when it comes to the most common 3 platforms being used. I'm sure they are not the only studio to observe this trend.

So as usual, nothing to worry about for those of us that enjoy discs.

There will be at least another 20% drop by this time next year. Might be something to be a little worried about..

[Ender14]

Originally Posted by avs commenter

There will be at least another 20% drop by this time next year. Might be something to be a little worried about..

Laserdiscs were around for years and had much less market share. There will always be a profitable market for discs because some of us have more refined tastes and common sense .