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

[The_Donster]

Be safe and make smart choices in the new year my friends

[dublinbluray108]

Dublin has just rung in the New Year in the last 20 minutes. Here's a scene from the light show on Custom House Quay.





Happy New Year to you all.

[Boccaccio]

I wish everyone here the best for the new year and a lot of Blu ray/UHD spending. Enjoy life.

[Wendell R. Breland]

It appears Walmart has ceased the use of a PC to do DVD2HD. Now you will need their mobile device app and scan the UPC.

Changes Afoot at Vudu: Vudu — rumored to be up for sale by owner Walmart, which executives told The Information considers it a non-core business — quietly downsized support for its Vudu To Go/In-Home Disc to Digital app, effective Jan. 1, 2020. The digital movie transactional service will still allow users to convert DVD and Blu-ray movies for digital access by scanning UPC codes on the Vudu app via select portable devices such as a mobile phone and tablet.

[Wendell R. Breland]

My audio rating for some TV fare:

The Game of Thrones, S8 ● A+ ● Lossless Dolby Atmos ● Blu-ray Disc

The Witcher, S1 ● B- ● Lossy Dolby Atmos ● Netflix

The Mandalorian, S1 E1 ● D+ ● Lossy Dolby Digital + (7.1) ● Disney+

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

It appears Walmart has ceased the use of a PC to do DVD2HD. Now you will need their mobile device app and scan the UPC.

This is old news for Vudu people, and it was D2D. To convert from Blu-ray to HDX it was $2 and from DVD $5. Now with an Android or iOS Phone you can convert, BD to HDX for $2 and DVD to SD for $2 or HDX for $5. I tried my App on my PC, and it still works but I haven't used it in a while. Converted most of my DVD's and Blu-rays.

WalMart better think twice about selling Vudu if they want to stay in the Streaming Game. Some YouTubers have been claiming WalMart doesn't want to sell non Top-Grossing Movies for more than $15. So Distribution should be the key for Streaming Providers.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

This is old news for Vudu people, and it was D2D. To convert from Blu-ray to HDX it was $2 and from DVD $5. Now with an Android or iOS Phone you can convert, BD to HDX for $2 and DVD to SD for $2 or HDX for $5. I tried my App on my PC, and it still works but I haven't used it in a while. Converted most of my DVD's and Blu-rays.

WalMart better think twice about selling Vudu if they want to stay in the Streaming Game. Some YouTubers have been claiming WalMart doesn't want to sell non Top-Grossing Movies for more than $15. So Distribution should be the key for Streaming Providers.

The studios are the owners of their intellectual properties and they decide what the Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price is, not Walmart, regardless of the distribution method. Furthermore, Walmart is not the only place to buy movies, be they disc or digital. Despite what you may think, Walmart is not the center of the universe.

Walmart's income from Vudu is a pittance. Walmart makes half a trillion dollars a year in sales; Vudu is a microscopic portion of it.

All digital sales in 2018 from every digital provider combined was $2.46 billion and that is only 0.5% of Walmart's revenue. All of digital sales is barely a fraction of a blip of Walmart's income with Vudu being an even tinier sliver of that. The entire digital sales market could vanish right now and it would not faze Walmart in the slightest.

Walmart doesn't need streaming in any way, shape, or form. They are stinking rich, regardless.

Lastly, Boobtubers say many things, much of it bunk pulled straight out of their arse.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by flyry

I bought myself an OLED for the bedroom as I am going through a divorce and figured it would distract me. I love it. it's insanely thin.

I was just at best buy buying some screen cleaner and was amused at some couple buying IT 2 on 4k. the woman said "but we don't have a 4k player". and they almost put it back.. "but it has a digital code!".. why not just buy digital then?

I am sorry to hear about your divorce. Congratulations on your new TV; I am glad that you are happy with it.

Maybe the male shopper that you observed hopes to buy a 4K disc player someday, perhaps when the wife/girlfriend isn't along to complain about the purchase? Who knows? Observing the public in action can be as entertaining as any movie that we watch.

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

My audio rating for some TV fare:

The Game of Thrones, S8 ● A+ ● Lossless Dolby Atmos ● Blu-ray Disc

The Witcher, S1 ● B- ● Lossy Dolby Atmos ● Netflix

The Mandalorian, S1 E1 ● D+ ● Lossy Dolby Digital + (7.1) ● Disney+

If you haven’t had a chance to come across it yet, the Atmos mix on season 1 Blu-ray of Jack Ryan is also outstanding. Great show too!

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by flyry

I bought myself an OLED for the bedroom as I am going through a divorce and figured it would distract me. I love it. it's insanely thin.

I was just at best buy buying some screen cleaner and was amused at some couple buying IT 2 on 4k. the woman said "but we don't have a 4k player". and they almost put it back.. "but it has a digital code!".. why not just buy digital then?

Sorry to hear about the divorce. Hopefully the process does not become a heated one.

[The_Donster]

Originally Posted by flyry

I bought myself an OLED for the bedroom as I am going through a divorce and figured it would distract me. I love it. it's insanely thin.

I was just at best buy buying some screen cleaner and was amused at some couple buying IT 2 on 4k. the woman said "but we don't have a 4k player". and they almost put it back.. "but it has a digital code!".. why not just buy digital then?

Best to you during the divorce. I’m going through the same thing myself, but made sure I brought my Samsung and sound system with me. I haven’t set up that last one yet. I’m waiting until I get some furniture to work out my set up in this tin box I’m living in right now. I’ve been watching a lot of the commentary since I don’t have internet.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by alchav21

WalMart better think twice about selling Vudu if they want to stay in the Streaming Game. Some YouTubers have been claiming WalMart doesn't want to sell non Top-Grossing Movies for more than $15. So Distribution should be the key for Streaming Providers.

Originally Posted by Vilya

The studios are the owners of their intellectual properties and they decide what the Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price is, not Walmart, regardless of the distribution method. Furthermore, Walmart is not the only place to buy movies, be they disc or digital. Despite what you may think, Walmart is not the center of the universe.

Walmart's income from Vudu is a pittance. Walmart makes half a trillion dollars a year in sales; Vudu is a microscopic portion of it.

All digital sales in 2018 from every digital provider combined was $2.46 billion and that is only 0.5% of Walmart's revenue. All of digital sales is barely a fraction of a blip of Walmart's income with Vudu being an even tinier sliver of that. The entire digital sales market could vanish right now and it would not faze Walmart in the slightest.

Walmart doesn't need streaming in any way, shape, or form. They are stinking rich, regardless.

Here is the YouTube Video I was talking about:

DISNEY & WALMART ARE KILLING 4K BLU-RAY | Physical Media Still Matters! - YouTube

It has to do with 4K Movie Distribution, and the revenue stream might seem insignificant but for a Retail Giant like WalMart it could impact its' future growth. WalMart seems to have found a price point people are will to pay for Movies especially 4K. Blockbuster Movies $20+, non $15 or less, this sounds like a pattern listening to Posters here. We all like deals, but the Studios follow the money and it cost them more than a couple of bucks to Stamp out those Discs!

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Here is the YouTube Video I was talking about:

DISNEY & WALMART ARE KILLING 4K BLU-RAY | Physical Media Still Matters! - YouTube

It has to do with 4K Movie Distribution, and the revenue stream might seem insignificant but for a Retail Giant like WalMart it could impact its' future growth. WalMart seems to have found a price point people are will to pay for Movies especially 4K. Blockbuster Movies $20+, non $15 or less, this sounds like a pattern listening to Posters here. We all like deals, but the Studios follow the money and it cost them more than a couple of bucks to Stamp out those Discs!

And server farms run on fairy dust.

Here are some reactions to that video from some of our forum members in another thread that describe its worth:

Originally Posted by Nothing371

Grown man whines about alleged 4K disc merchandising decisions at Walmart. (with industry insider information from unnamed sources due to his "I get shit for free cuz youtube" lifestyle.)

you're welcome. I saved you 13minutes.

Originally Posted by Nothing371

Walmart can do whatever it wants with its own merchandising. The video comes off as nothing but a whine. There is no solution to his perceived problem. People buy their 4K blu-rays elsewhere and very few Walmart customers are buying them there. Hence the decision. Buyers stocked the stores well this year and 4K titles didn't sell. It's not some conspiracy. The flagship stores with large media sections are moving very few standard full priced movies, with a lot of floor space dedicated to that department. This is a fact. I know this bc I visit two of theses stores almost weekly and their stock hardly budges.

Finally, yes, Disney owns much of the market now thanks to their acquisition of Fox. What are any of us supposed to do about any of that? Watching and sharing crappy youtube videos doesn't move the needle in that department. "Raising awareness" has nothing to do with anything. People are either buying movies or they're not. Walmart has thousands of financial analysts that forecast and track these kinds of things.

Look at the brands that are selling in every other department at Walmart. They're not exactly known for their high-quality merchandise. It shouldn't come as any surprise.

Originally Posted by Vilya

The Walmarts in my area stopped selling LG OLED TVs. The only possible conclusion to draw from this is that OLED TVs are in deep trouble; if Walmart shoppers aren't buying them then no one does.

Originally Posted by Geoff D

We're all doomed! Though I'd be more worried about this "news" re: Disnee and Walmart if the Mouse really gave a crap about UHD to begin with. Yes I know they've like quadrupled their total virtually overnight with that massive dump of animated stuff nearer the end of 2019 but a cynic might think that D+ had just a little tiny part to play in that decision. Now it'll be back to business as usual: first run movies will come out on UHD - though even then not in all territories - and a trickle of catalogue stuff will follow. We'll have some more Star Wars stuff to be sure to be sure, but you didn't have to be Nostradumbass to see that coming.

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Even if they're dumping their biggest hits on the market as a final hoorah I don't see why that would be an evil thing for them to do. It's better than the alternative. Disney has always barely cared about catalog releases, so their biggest hits were probably all we were ever gonna get on UHD anyway.

That video is nothing but the ramblings of a random paranoiac who has no more insight into the home video market than I do into the operation of the particle accelerator at Cern, Switzerland. Filming one's self saying stupid shit doesn't make it any less stupid; it just puts a face to it.

[Vilya]

In other fascinating news, I tallied my disc purchases for 2019 in terms of quantity only. In my usage of the word, a "title" can be a single movie, a single TV season, even a complete TV series set.

4K disc titles: 53
Blu-ray titles: 123
DVD titles: 5

178 titles total is an off year for me, but my movie budget for 2019 was partially derailed by pesky healthcare costs and my recent TV purchase. I will strive to do better in 2020.

[Wendell R. Breland]

A statement from Disney:

Even at Disney, where much of the focus is on the much-hyped Disney+ service, there’s room for transactional, according to David Kite, SVP of marketing for Disney Media Distribution.

“With this year’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, we remain committed to both digital and physical ownership,” Kite says. “We successfully integrated the Fox team into the expansive Disney home entertainment organization and have implemented a unified strategy that includes a more synergistic approach across key lines of business. We’re looking forward to another exciting year across both physical and digital platforms with a wide-range slate of home entertainment releases.”

In the first quarter of 2020, Kite says, “We will be releasing two very promising titles — the critically acclaimed awards contenders Jojo Rabbit and Ford v Ferrari. We’re also excited about the rollouts of Frozen II, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Marvel Studios’ Black Widow, Disney-Pixar’s Onward and the live-action Mulan as our customers continue to build their libraries.”

While disc sales will likely continue to decline in 2020, no one’s giving up on DVD, Blu-ray Disc or, in particular, 4K Ultra HD.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by gotmule

If you haven’t had a chance to come across it yet, the Atmos mix on season 1 Blu-ray of Jack Ryan is also outstanding. Great show too!

Have that one in my Prime Watchlist but been waiting till I got a device that could stream in Atmos. Never thought to see if it was available on BD or UHD BD.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by alchav21

This is old news for Vudu people, and it was D2D. To convert from Blu-ray to HDX it was $2 and from DVD $5. Now with an Android or iOS Phone you can convert, BD to HDX for $2 and DVD to SD for $2 or HDX for $5. I tried my App on my PC, and it still works but I haven't used it in a while. Converted most of my DVD's and Blu-rays.

WalMart better think twice about selling Vudu if they want to stay in the Streaming Game. Some YouTubers have been claiming WalMart doesn't want to sell non Top-Grossing Movies for more than $15. So Distribution should be the key for Streaming Providers.

No, it is new for 2020. This most likely is being implemented to keep cheapskates, like you, from renting a DVD or BD at Redbox and converting the disc to a streaming HD title.

The streaming game is most likely loosing them money and is the reason that it is for sale. The problem is this, who wants to buy a business model that looses money.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

No, it is new for 2020. This most likely is being implemented to keep cheapskates, like you, from renting a DVD or BD at Redbox and converting the disc to a streaming HD title.

The streaming game is most likely loosing them money and is the reason that it is for sale. The problem is this, who wants to buy a business model that looses money.

Okay Wendell you haven't changed starting off the year name calling again. You don't know anything about D2D because you never tried it. The Disc used can't be a rental, it has to be a regular Distribution Disc. Some Mom & Pop Rental Stores had these, but no all the ones I converted were bought.

You're right Vudu will have to change in order to start making a profit. I believe WalMart should keep Vudu because it will have both Physical and Digital Platforms covered. WalMart should also try to lure the other Studios that are not MA into a Vudu Type Locker.

[Ricky G]

Originally Posted by flyry

I bought myself an OLED for the bedroom as I am going through a divorce and figured it would distract me. I love it. it's insanely thin.

I was just at best buy buying some screen cleaner and was amused at some couple buying IT 2 on 4k. the woman said "but we don't have a 4k player". and they almost put it back.. "but it has a digital code!".. why not just buy digital then?

Curious as to what screen cleaner you use. I may need to get some for my TV soon, It has been a while since I opened it and it may need to be cleaned. How often do you clean the screen?

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

Okay Wendell you haven't changed starting off the year name calling again. You don't know anything about D2D because you never tried it. The Disc used can't be a rental, it has to be a regular Distribution Disc. Some Mom & Pop Rental Stores had these, but no all the ones I converted were bought.

Your right Vudu will have to change in order to start making a profit. I believe WalMart should keep Vudu because it will have both Physical and Digital Platforms covered. WalMart should also try to lure the other Studios that are not MA into a Vudu Type Locker.

Do you prefer being called "frugal?"

You have no way of knowing what Wendell has tried or has not tried.

Walmart is liking trying to unload Vudu because it is an under performing part of their business and thus it may not be worth their time, their resources, or their trouble to continue with it. Walmart in no way needs Vudu; it contributes next to nothing to their total revenue and they would do just fine without it.

Someone else may find Vudu to be worth buying and investing in and Walmart is simply looking for that someone. Walmart keeping Vudu would be like Jeff Bezos running a lemonade stand on his front lawn to supplement his income; neither want to spend their time and energy on trivial pursuits.