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

[Groot]

The same choices you got now....

Companies usually like having multiple income streams, not sure why you think they’d cut the head off one to favor another when they can have both.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I’m just imagining (apparently) the mobile revolution and the trend of watching content on tiny screens.

The part you're imagining is this dystopian future in which TVs disappear and movies are all ten minutes long. That's all in your head.

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Are YOU happy with watching blockbuster films on a cellphone as your ONLY option, yes or no?

Virtually nobody would be happy with cellphones as our ONLY option for watching blockbuster films.

Which is precisely why cellphones will never be our ONLY option for watching blockbuster films.

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It’s what I’m passionate about since I was a little boy.

And how would you describe the trajectory of home video in the years since you were a little boy?

Do we more options or fewer options? Have TVs gotten bigger or smaller? Have projectors gotten cheaper and easier to use or more expensive and harder to use?

Here on Earth One the last thirty or forty years have been pretty freaking amazing. We've gone from heavy analog displays limited to interlaced low-resolution content to displays that are bigger and lighter and cheaper and better. We've gone from a handful of broadcast networks showing movies in butchered aspect ratios and edited for content and language and runtime and commercial interruptions to having an entire world of film and TV at our fingertips at quality levels that rival (if not surpass) theatrical exhibitions.

But yeah, that could all be undone because phones.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Not really because it's just been the gangsta party line arguing over reliable internet speeds. I tuned out for awhile. I think VUDU's system is an acceptable compromise for convenience.

I never thought of myself as a gangsta before; makes me feel kinda badass.

I have gone 3 days without mentioning my ISP, but I guess I just killed that streak by pointing that fact out.

While all options to watch movies remain, I am not bothered that some people choose convenience over quality. I suspect many do a mixture of both. Streaming is not a choice I make very often, and I have never rented a movie in this manner, but your choosing Vudu has not slowed the growth of my disc collection by a single title.

All's quiet on the gangsta front.

[stonesfan129]

Sick of the high prices of digital HD movies too. I just watched Carlito's Way at a friend's house and it's $13.99 for HDX on VUDU. Really? I bought the Blu-ray new for $10. Until these digital distribution places can compete on price they are going to be an alternative, not the norm. I'd rather watch digitally, but it's dumb to spend an extra $4 for less quality.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Read the link I posted. Despite Octagon disputing it, the author suggests (in my opinion) that the world is shifting to mobile for video via the internet. Can’t see any other meaning for it but as usual, I’m wrong and the elders are correct. I’m just imagining (apparently) the mobile revolution and the trend of watching content on tiny screens.

Even if there is a shift to mobile viewing, it is not automatically a harbinger of doom for watching long form content on big screen TVs, projectors, and listening to the same with our multi-channel home theaters. I can not even fathom why anyone would ever want to give that up entirely. Mobile viewing can in no way compete with that experience.

We have had a shift towards subscription streaming for several years, and yet there are more physical media releases each and every week than I can keep up with. Netflix's growth has exploded and they have even overtaken Disney in overall wealth, but my buying of discs remains limited only by my wallet. Shifts, even when they do happen, do not automatically spell extinction for whatever the shift is being made from.

I know you really worry about this, but I think our enjoyment of movies, from disc and by streaming, will continue unabated. The home theater will not be replaced by a 5.7" phone screen and a pair of earbuds. I may be an elder, but my experience has shown that our home video/ audio options have vastly expanded, not contracted.

[flyry]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

The only reason I haven't entirely switched to VUDU is because rentals are $5.99 for HDX. A Blu-ray rental at Redbox is $2.

I enjoy the tmobile tuesday credits for VUDU and get rentals for 50 cents usually.

They're doing $3.50 credits every tuesday this month instead of the usual $5.50 so the rentals are $2.50 ish.

Renting Unsane on Tuesday.

Should be free with the credit and the 50% off rental I got in an email the other day.

I often use the credits for Disney UHD purchases as well since they wanna charge $5.00 than everyone else ($10 for some studios)

[Vilya]

^ Welcome back!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

^ Welcome back!

Quick! Post a update!

[stonesfan129]

What's wrong with ripping and doing your own encodes as long as you bought a retail copy of the disc? At least then the movie companies are still making their sale on the disc and you get to fairly use what you paid for. And if you're not putting it up on pirate sites or sharing it to other people, no harm no foul right?

[Groot]

I have no issue with it as the only person who would know would be the person doing it.

[Dustin44]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Sick of the high prices of digital HD movies too. I just watched Carlito's Way at a friend's house and it's $13.99 for HDX on VUDU. Really? I bought the Blu-ray new for $10. Until these digital distribution places can compete on price they are going to be an alternative, not the norm. I'd rather watch digitally, but it's dumb to spend an extra $4 for less quality.

Carlito's Way is a MD2D eligible title. So it will cost you $2. Have you used MD2D before?

Just download the Vudu app on your phone and scan the Carlito's Way barcode on the blu-ray you own. It will cost you $2.

There are 1,000's of movies that are D2D eligible on Vudu.



As for titles that are not MD2D, you just need to keep an eye out for deals on Vudu.

Vudu has a $4.99 weekend sale going on right now; and they also have a big Father's Day sale going on right now too. And they have a new group of $6.99 titles each month. Just be patient, eventually most titles will go on sale.

Vudu is also offering a special deal every Wednesday of this month:

http://www.watchvudu.com/summervacation/


You might want to keep an eye on this thread which talks about Vudu's latest sales and discounts:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=212222


(And like flyry says, t-mobile is offering a $3.50 Vudu credit every Tuesday of this month, if you are a t-mobile customer.)

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Quick! Post a update!

The only thing to report is that my internet has been stable for 5 consecutive days. Maybe I should post live webcam videos of my speed tests? It was once kinda requested and as I am immune to sarcasm, I take the request seriously.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

They'll never stop making discs. I expect there will continue to be thousands of titles released every year on disc. But thousands of other titles will be digital-only as well.

Us disc fans will never be lacking in content, but unfortunately there will likely be some great movies and TV shows that we miss out on. As time goes on even some popular titles won't get disc releases because the studios will want to keep them exclusive to their own streaming services.

Agree completely with your last sentence. Exclusives scattered everywhere and even people who subscribe to certain services are STILL going to miss out and will need ALL services. Digital lovers have taken us to this new scenario like (in my opinion) studio controlled Lemmings. Cheers guys.

[stonesfan129]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Agree completely with your last sentence. Exclusives scattered everywhere and even people who subscribe to certain services are STILL going to miss out and will need ALL services. Digital lovers have taken us to this new scenario like (in my opinion) studio controlled Lemmings. Cheers guys.

Can you name any popular titles where this has happened?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Can you name any popular titles where this has happened?

Annihilation. A title that I would have bought day one. In the UK, it’s a Netflix exclusive. Like I said, going forward as more and more mergers happen it will almost certainly be a thing. The services will need to differentiate.

[Steedeel]

The fact of the matter is you guys who support digital media have contributed to this almost certain scenario. The most worrying thing is these mergers may eventually lead to the movie studios pulling the plug on Blu-ray. Something I have been warning about since I joined in 2011. If you are a film lover, you should not be buying digital media.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Let's get back on topic. Does anyone really think they'll ever stop making discs? They're still selling music on CD and vinyl, I don't think movies on a disc will ever stop being sold. I love the convenience of VUDU, but there are some advantages other than quality that you get with a disc.

Yes, absolutely I do. These takeovers will accelerate and what would be the point of exclusives if people could just order the disc? I expect more and more exclusives and that will put the squeeze on the studios who have entered into a merger to pull the plug on more and more titles. It’s just common sense.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

The fact of the matter is you guys who support digital media have contributed to this almost certain scenario. The most worrying thing is these mergers may eventually lead to the movie studios pulling the plug on Blu-ray. Something I have been warning about since I joined in 2011. If you are a film lover, you should not be buying digital media.

I’m not going to apologize for how I spend my money or what works for me and countless others.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Groot

I’m not going to apologize for how I spend my money or what works for me and countless others.

Of course not, but can I presume you won't be complaining when the next GOTG is exclusive to Verizon or a Chris Hemsworth starring blockbuster is exclusive to Sprint/T-Mobile?

By the way, I know GOTG would be a Disney exclusive, I was just using examples of films and actors
I know you are fond of. It could apply to any future films starting out fave actors or film genres. It already is happening but this is going to accelerate. We might even get mobile phone exclusives like I have feared.

[stonesfan129]

Steeldeel, I said popular titles. I don't know anybody who is running out to buy those titles. The only exclusive I'm upset about is The Wonder Years which is only available on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Yes you can buy the DVD set, but how do Netflix and Amazon Prime have HD streaming of that series? Besides, the bootlegs are better because they have the original music.