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

[stonesfan129]

I see it being around for awhile yet. They're still making music on CDs and vinyl records given that those formats have been around for decades.

[thecooldud]

Streaming continues to be for suckers.

Don't be a sucker.

[MazeRunner]

Originally Posted by CharlesLeeDay

As long as you guys continue to put more money in Netflix and other streaming services pockets, the physical market will continue to dry up. I'm telling you, Netflix will be the end of the physical media if allowed to continue to get bigger and bigger. It's buying up so many licenses and properties that we won't know what the heck happened to our physical media until it's too late.

Netflix will be in trouble when Disney leaves.

[AmishParadise]

Originally Posted by svenge

The Japanese DVD for True Lies is anamorphic.

Yeah, I keep forgetting that. My reply was an attempt at humor more than anything else which is all this thread deserves. :-P

[DukeTogo84]

I have a friend who was a hard core physical media guy. About six months ago, he sold most of his blu-ray collection and rebought everything on digital in terms of what is available.

It's almost like he was brainwashed, and he constantly talks about how digital only is the future and he is always trying to get me to convert to that format

I don't think I would ever pay for a digital movie. It's the old school in me, but I need something I can hold and look at for it to feel like I bought something.

The only time I've actually bought something digital was a video game called Cuphead. I'd rebuy it in an instant if they release it in a physical format as well.

Dunno. I think the format has time left, and hopefully there won't be a point where the things I really love are impossible to buy in the physical.

I'm already worried about the new Scorsese film being Netflix only, for who knows how long.

[MazeRunner]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

I have a friend who was a hard core physical media guy. About six months ago, he sold most of his blu-ray collection and rebought everything on digital in terms of what is available.

It's almost like he was brainwashed, and he constantly talks about how digital only is the future and he is always trying to get me to convert to that format

I don't think I would ever pay for a digital movie. It's the old school in me, but I need something I can hold and look at for it to feel like I bought something.

The only time I've actually bought something digital was a video game called Cuphead. I'd rebuy it in an instant if they release it in a physical format as well.

Dunno. I think the format has time left, and hopefully there won't be a point where the things I really love are impossible to buy in the physical.

I'm already worried about the new Scorsese film being Netflix only, for who knows how long.

Why not both?

I have 690-ish blu-rays and like 15 4Ks, and 366 digital movies.

[stonesfan129]

Buying digitally you don't really "own" it. You are just renting indefinitely. The content provider or rights holders can lock you out at any time. I'm curious, what happens if they were to do that? Will there be some gigantic class-action lawsuit? And then there is the whole other issue of lower quality than the equivalent disc format.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by jackinbox

CDs are still being made and people have been predicting the death of CD since iTunes first launched.

Physical media is declining at a far lower rate overseas than it is here. So even if that time comes, imports will still be an option. In the coming years, a region-free player is going to be essential to those who love to collect films.

I wanted to repeat this post because it's such an important point.

Entertainment corporations in America have decided for us that streaming is the only way going forward for both movies and music. It's basically already happened in the music industry for CDs and will soon happen for movies.

The good news is that foreign countries, due to a variety of factors, are much more heavily invested in physical media than we are here in America.

The future of both CD and Blu-ray is outside North America. If you want to remain a heavy consumer of physical media in the coming years - importing will play a larger and larger role for movies.

[cynatnite]

I prefer physical media. My daughter likes digital plus she's perfectly happy taking all the digital codes when I buy physical media. I could've made a pretty penny with the 150-some codes I've given her.

Thing is, our needs and wants are different. That's the way it is with the public.

Consider the fact that DVD's are still around despite BD being of far better quality. DVD's are a huge part of the market and they've not gone anywhere.

Honestly, though, I don't think BD is going anywhere. I don't think DVD's and UHD are going anywhere and neither will digital, IMO. I see all of them being more options for the public.

Plus, enough with the Netflix-shaming. Just because folks subscribe to Netflix and the rest of them doesn't mean they're going to be responsible for a unlikely demise of physical media. It's just ridiculous.

[shinobipopcorn]

DVD is still a legitimately purchased and enjoyed product. And before anyone jumps in with "but..." let me just say this: the county next to mine does not have high speed internet. In 2018. For real. Some of those people don't care about high definition when they just want to watch NCIS or whatever for cheap.

On the other hand, some people even have high speed internet and are starting to get leery about streaming because Big Brother Comcast is getting wise and is starting to put data caps on home service instead of offering unlimited home service like it used to be. In that case, build up the BD collection because you're not going to be able to stream thousands of HD/4K movies a month on your Vudu or Amazon accounts if Comcast can help it. People will wise up and BDs will stick around.

[WaverBoy]

Streaming is great for certain things, like watching movies on the go. Or for binge watching a TV series that I wouldn't want to buy. A supplemental purpose. Nice to have around for convenience. But it doesn't replace the security of a physical collection. I'm hoping both can continue to coexist. They each have their benefits.

[CinephileKing]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

It won't disappear in the near future, but people should start facing the facts that streaming and digital downloads are 100% the future, and will take over physical media at some point sooner rather than later. You will have a scenario where the biggest blockbusters are available on disc, but most other titles (just like CDs) are not. It's not a matter of if, but a matter of when, and since Internet speeds are capable of 4K streaming now in many areas (yet haven't been offered for sale yet), you'll start to see more of a gravitational move to streaming once that happens.

The fact that you can still buy DVDs has nothing to whatsoever on the lifespan of blu-ray. It's still the cheapest means of replication and many people don't care about HD quality any way and think DVD is good enough. I would honestly think blu-ray might disappear BEFORE DVD, for those 2 factors alone, unless blu-ray costs plummet. There's so many QC errors on discs now that companies have to spend extra money to fix, that it's driving the market into the ground. And why are there errors? Because profits are in the toilet, and the costs of replicating, shipping, printing artwork, physics cases, overstock, etc, can all be eliminated with streaming and/or downloads. Plain and simple.

I don't know where to begin on how much I find inaccurate & misguided here. You state what you're saying as all "fact" when actually, there is a lot of holes in what you're saying. For example: You mention that we have a scenario where the biggest blockbusters are available on disc, but most other titles (just like CDs) are not? What are you seeing or looking at? There is more content available on disc then ever before & that's not an opinion, that's a fact. Saying that just the "biggest blockbusters" are available on disc & most others are not? Is entirely inaccurate & grossly wrong. I get the impression you're speaking with ignorance here. I could go further but I'm not going to break down every aspect of your entire statement here.

As for physical media being taken over by streaming and/or digital media? No one knows the answer & nothing is certain in either respects. Even within the inner circles of the home entertainment industry no one actually know the answers. There are many that believe there is a market for all formats (which there is actually based on studies). The only market that is shrinking to certain respects is DVDs (not to the hype that the media is trying to proclaim though) & technically, Blu-Ray sales have been rising each & every year since its origin something the entertainment media & to certain extents, the major studios keep trying to hide that facet. The funny thing is...there is a real possible scenario where streaming and digital media could easily falter here & it would be done by the major studios themselves but that's another story for another time.

I will say, I don't think streaming and/or digital media are certain by any means & there is a variety of assets within the circumstances that make such claims. Furthermore, streaming and/or digital media data that has been shown lacks in-depth analysis on how the content is being used through those services which is another subject matter altogether. To say for certain that streaming & digital media will be 100% the future? Is 100% inaccurate as nothing is for certain as the home entertainment industry itself doesn't remotely know & the market is showing to be highly diverse in the matter.

[Region_unlocked]

Originally Posted by CharlesLeeDay

As long as you guys continue to put more money in Netflix and other streaming services pockets, the physical market will continue to dry up. I'm telling you, Netflix will be the end of the physical media if allowed to continue to get bigger and bigger. It's buying up so many licenses and properties that we won't know what the heck happened to our physical media until it's too late.

Many many people on this forum seem to loath Netflix with a burning passion like this for this some reason. "Streaming is killing physical media!" they say. IMO this viewpoint misunderstands the way most people treat Netflix. It's usually a much more passive viewing experience than someone pulling a disc off the shelf, sitting down and watching something. I'm not saying people never settle in and seriously watch a movie on Netflix, but in my experience, more often than not, the much more common use of the service is to burn through 6 seasons of tiny house hunters or some crap while you're doing housework. It's more similar to how people treated cable television (that's what streaming is actually killing BTW). Movies become available on it, but I don't think anyone ever sees them being there as owning them. People are aware of the impermanence of streaming, so usually if they really like something they'll buy it. Streaming and physical media compliment each other, neither one supersedes the other because they serve different functions.

[CinephileKing]

Originally Posted by Cinema74

The major studios no longer support physical media except for tentpole titles that make them money. Paramount will continue to fall back on films like Grease, The Godfather and even Friday the 13th because those properties always make them money. The problem lies with studios that refuse to license to third parties, which creates a vacuum of product that in all likelihood won't see the light of day. The studios that do license will continue to rake in the money and keep physical media supporters happy for years to come.

As far as 4K UHD, I haven't been 100% impressed with the format to be honest. I still think Blu-ray presents a very satisfying picture most of the time and if you have a good upscaling player it'll probably be good enough

The major studios no longer support physical media? Who says? If they didn't support it then physical media would already be gone. They clearly do still support it in many ways & I think in more ways then you know but I won't go into all that. I'll just say that the major studios no longer support physical media? Is misguided & pretty inaccurate.

[guachi]

Originally Posted by CharlesLeeDay

As long as you guys continue to put more money in Netflix and other streaming services pockets, the physical market will continue to dry up. I'm telling you, Netflix will be the end of the physical media if allowed to continue to get bigger and bigger. It's buying up so many licenses and properties that we won't know what the heck happened to our physical media until it's too late.

The number of movies that stream on Netflix is down about 25% from its peak. There may be more money being put there by consumers but there are fewer movies to watch.

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by CharlesLeeDay

As long as you guys continue to put more money in Netflix and other streaming services pockets, the physical market will continue to dry up. I'm telling you, Netflix will be the end of the physical media if allowed to continue to get bigger and bigger. It's buying up so many licenses and properties that we won't know what the heck happened to our physical media until it's too late.

If anything, it's the opposite, Netflix is LOSING licenses. Unless you just mean Netflix as the ubiquitous term for "anything digital". Netflix itself is more about original content at this point.

I've never once "bought" something digitally, but I'm a big believer in the streaming model. I'm ok with not "owning" TV shows and just watching them via subscription streaming - subscribing to Netflix is not unlike subscribing to HBO - and with it all being on-demand now, it's actually substantially better than the old days. Frankly, there is just too much content to "own" it all anyway

That being said, I do believe the market is speaking - and eventually we will have no choice but digital. But that's still a few years off. I think the real first signs of trouble will be when the specialty labels fold up shop (Criterion, Arrow, Shout, etc). The main studios will probably keep new releases coming for a long time after that, but catalog will be a thing of the past.

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by guachi

The number of movies that stream on Netflix is down about 25% from its peak. There may be more money being put there by consumers but there are fewer movies to watch.

This is because the studios that were licensing to Netflix weren't getting enough of the cut, they are deciding to make their own streaming services. Netflix has been more about original content for awhile now, and once Disney goes away that will be even more apparant.

Netflix has never really been that great for selection of catalog films. If i had a random thought to watch some catalog movie, it's probably never been more than a 1% chance it would be available on Netflix.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by JustinB13

Blu-ray in itself never goes away. If you have the disc, you will always have the Blu-ray.

[Show spoiler]Streaming is not concrete. It can disappear at any second. And that is why Blu-ray is superior and that is why it will last.

To me that's always been beside the point.

The question is, when does blu-ray become a dead technology?

...meaning when do they stop producing new content on blu-ray?

That's when it becomes the new VHS.

[mca213]

Vinyl is still ticking.. There will always be physical media... it will just become more and more niche and more and more a collectors market.

[The Batman Professor]

Didn’t Synapse say that as long as they could sell 1000 units of a title, they would still be in business? If so, that gives me hope, but I think physical has about 6-8 years left.

I do an informal survey of my students each semester, and ask them to raise their hands if they’ve purchased a movie on disc in the last twelve months. This semester, out of 62 students, one raised their hand. These are art students, whom you would think value PQ...

uh, no.