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

[Boccaccio]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

What do I think of digital codes? They go in the trash where they belong.

Yeah, I've never used a digital code in my life.
I really don't see the point if you've just bought the disc.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by veritas

Warner bros is expiring all their digital copy codes.

Not sure what you mean. If you mean they no longer redeem expired codes then there is no gripe. To own and operate a server farm is not free, someone has to pay and most of us know who that someone is.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

It appears just staying afloat is the new game in streaming.

HBO Max, Disney, and Paramount Shift Strategies to Keep Streaming Alive S&V article here.

But, but……..ummmmmmm………profit is just around the corner, I read it here!

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by Boccaccio

Yeah, I've never used a digital code in my life.
I really don't see the point if you've just bought the disc.

I agree. I understand people who value the convenience and minimalism of streaming over the ownership rights and AV quality of disc. But why would anyone need the same movie on both streaming and disc?

I throw out the digital codes, sell the Blu-ray discs from 4K combo packs, and donate the DVDs from Blu-ray combo packs to my local library. I don't need multiple copies of any movies or TV shows.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Boccaccio

Yeah, I've never used a digital code in my life.
I really don't see the point if you've just bought the disc.

I never thought about, I always redeemed them when possible and recycled the slip.

Years later my kids away at college have access to 1301 movies in my iTunes thanks to family sharing which fully works. I gave them each an ATV4K which is a good dorm room system because it's compact.

[cheez avenger]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

I think you're right that it's the rental services dying off, not the discs. I was a DVD Netflix subscriber off-and-on over the years, but lately I am having to wait over a month before they ship new releases to me. They just sit in "Long Wait" forever. And they're getting slower and slower sending me discs, even with the 3-discs Blu-ray Unlimited option.

Picked up these today:

I've never seen Escape from Alcatraz but have it in my queue over at GameFly. They also sell it for $17.99, so we'll see if it's worth owning after I have rented it.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by cheez avenger

I've never seen Escape from Alcatraz but have it in my queue over at GameFly. They also sell it for $17.99, so we'll see if it's worth owning after I have rented it.

I say it's a safe blind buy if you like Eastwood at all.

[bhampton]

Will Stream for Ana de Armas



Looking forward to ATV+ Ghosted releasing 4/20 (dude)

NOTE - The trailer gives away too much if you ask me even though I only watched part of it.

[cheez avenger]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Will Stream for Ana de Armas



Looking forward to ATV+ Ghosted releasing 4/20 (dude)

NOTE - The trailer gives away too much if you ask me even though I only watched part of it.

I posted in the main thread of it that it looks creepy and stalker-ish until the twist.

[veritas]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Not sure what you mean. If you mean they no longer redeem expired codes then there is no gripe. To own and operate a server farm is not free, someone has to pay and most of us know who that someone is.

You know it probably costs more money to expire them overall. You now need to pay a guy to turn off 1000s of codes at the right time and deal with customer service getting multiple times as many calls. Its not like you have to pay for unused digital copy codes.


It also devalues all your movie releases. I was going to buy beetle juice 4k eventually but now a release that's already a few years old has lost even more value. I probably wont buy it until I can get it for 5 dollars or they waste the money doing an entirely new sku with new digital copy codes. Removing functionality from an older product that already has slowing sales sounds like a terrible business model especially for the stores selling your product that your intentionally accelerating the deprecation on.

Also ya some of the digital codes they expired are within their use window still.

Anyway like I said before It will probably shift my spending per Warner titles up 10% with my spending per year going from like 250 to 55 on Warner titles lol.

[bhampton]

Edit - ok ... I mis read the post above.

I would not say this lowers the value of Beetlejuice. I guess I don't value the digital copy much. Didn't your Blu Ray come with a Digital Copy ?

[veritas]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Edit - ok ... I mis read the post above.

I would not say this lowers the value of Beetlejuice. I guess I don't value the digital copy much. Didn't your Blu Ray come with a Digital Copy ?

It doesn't really matter if it does or not since the code doesn't work anymore.

As for the value of the digital copy that is a bit tricky as the value isn't really rational at least for me. I don't buy digital copies but do like having them. If an items missing a digital copy I value it like a used item so beetle juice is now valued at 5 to 8 dollars for me when before I was looking at buying it at 10 to 16.

[veritas]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

I agree. I understand people who value the convenience and minimalism of streaming over the ownership rights and AV quality of disc. But why would anyone need the same movie on both streaming and disc?

I throw out the digital codes, sell the Blu-ray discs from 4K combo packs, and donate the DVDs from Blu-ray combo packs to my local library. I don't need multiple copies of any movies or TV shows.

I mean their are quite a few obvious values.
A friend wants to borrow a movie or watch a movie at a friends house then you can share a screen pass and give them access to the movie without loaning them your Blu ray.

Your traveling and away from home but you still have access to your collection.

You Just want to watch a few scenes so you jump all over the movie. Its pretty hard to do that on a blu ray but extremely easy with a digital copy.

Your to lazy to bother to find the disc and put it into the blu ray player .

You want to just watch something on your iPad in bed.

Do you drive around with 100s of cds on your person at all times or do you use a digital form to listen to music for of the convenience? Its really the same scenario with movies.


Its kind of ironic you guys throw away digital copy codes I guess as a symbolic gesture to support physical media while I buy less physical media because I want to get a digital copy also. Send me your digital copies and then I can buy more physical media its a win win

[Wendell R. Breland]

For years I gave away UV codes to family and friends. After reading the TOS/EULA more closely I stopped doing that and started redeeming for myself. To date I have never watched a movie via streaming if I own the BD or UHD BD copy. Only watch via streaming for titles not on disc that were purchase or DVD2HD purchase.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by veritas

I mean their are quite a few obvious values.
A friend wants to borrow a movie or watch a movie at a friends house then you can share a screen pass and give them access to the movie without loaning them your Blu ray.

I have no problems with loaning out my discs.

Your traveling and away from home but you still have access to your collection.

When I travel (very rarely) I just take a few DVDs with me. I would never watch any of the movies or TV shows that are available on Blu-ray or 4K Blu-ray in inferior quality.

You Just want to watch a few scenes so you jump all over the movie. Its pretty hard to do that on a blu ray but extremely easy with a digital copy.

That sounds like a terrible way to watch a movie.

Your to lazy to bother to find the disc and put it into the blu ray player .

I am nowhere near that lazy.

You want to just watch something on your iPad in bed.

I have a TV and Blu-ray player next to my bed.

Do you drive around with 100s of cds on your person at all times or do you use a digital form to listen to music for of the convenience? Its really the same scenario with movies.

All of my CDs have been to ripped to FLAC. They are identical quality to the CDs and their continued availability doesn't rely on connecting to an official server.

Its kind of ironic you guys throw away digital copy codes I guess as a symbolic gesture to support physical media while I buy less physical media because I want to get a digital copy also. Send me your digital copies and then I can buy more physical media its a win win

If you had all of our digital copies then you'd have a huge amount of movies and would be unlikely to buy many movies in any format.

[veritas]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

If you had all of our digital copies then you'd have an absolutely huge amount of movies and would be unlikely to buy many movies in any format. Which is exactly why I don't sell or give away my digital copies: I don't want to give anyone access to cheap or free movies and encourage them to buy less.

Statistically I end up buying more when given a digital copy lol. At least that's how its worked out for almost every digital copy I have been given so far.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by veritas

Statistically I end up buying more when given a digital copy lol. At least that's how its worked out for almost every digital copy I have been given so far.

The studios know how many people redeem digital copies. Anytime someone redeems a digital copy it is sending the message that they'd still be willing to buy movies if they were only available via streaming. Less people redeeming digital copies shows that there are still people who are only willing to buy movies and TV shows if they are released on disc.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

I have no problems with loaning out my discs.

I am very glad the days of people borrowing discs are long over.

Friends used to ask and the energy to borrow is high but you have to nag the heck of of them or in one case I had to actually just swipe a movie back when I was at a friends house for a party.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by veritas

I mean their are quite a few obvious values.
A friend wants to borrow a movie or watch a movie at a friends house then you can share a screen pass and give them access to the movie without loaning them your Blu ray.

Your traveling and away from home but you still have access to your collection

Agree with the travel. I rarely travel but my discs are always safe at home.

You Just want to watch a few scenes so you jump all over the movie. Its pretty hard to do that on a blu ray but extremely easy with a digital copy.

This is when you abuse the art. The intention if fully lost at this point. This is sad.

Your to lazy to bother to find the disc and put it into the blu ray player .

I never feel lazy thank goodness.

You want to just watch something on your iPad in bed.

Nope. I would never do that. My bed and my theater both exist. I'm glad it works for you. I only ever found a single use for my iPad so far which is to run the Audyssey app.

Do you drive around with 100s of cds on your person at all times or do you use a digital form to listen to music for of the convenience? Its really the same scenario with movies.

I use Apple Music in the car but I don't see it as the same scenario for movies. Streaming music offers full quality with still managable file sizes. Video is on another level in terms of data.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by bhampton

I am very glad the days of people borrowing discs are long over.

Friends used to ask and the energy to borrow is high but you have to nag the heck of of them or in one case I had to actually just swipe a movie back when I was at a friends house for a party.

Yeah, I never let people borrow discs. If they want to see a film that much, they can rent it.