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

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

The world isn't black & white. There's no debating that Blu-ray is the best quality. I have tons of them, but that hasn't stopped me from also picking up digital copies when they're on sale or have exclusive extra features (or they contain the features that were added to a double dipped version on Blu-ray) or when a Blu-ray version doesn't exist.

As great as Blu-rays are, they can (and do) add clutter to the household (unless you have a dedicated room for them), they can succumb to disc rot/scratches, take longer to load (and I'm not referring to the act of standing up and physically loading the disc into the player, but the player itself and all the forced trailers/warnings/etc) and sometimes have awkward packaging/disc hubs.

To say that streaming is only for those who don't want quality is snobbish and rude. If you have a decent home internet connection and streaming device then quality isn't much of an issue most of the time. It doesn't feel like you're slumming it. Every title in my Vudu collection is a minimum of HDX (1080p) quality. Every title I buy on iTunes is in HD (unless it's an old TV show like Monty Python). Yes, streaming lacks lossless audio, but I've never been an audiophile, so it could be two-channel stereo and I wouldn't mind (it's usually surround sound, though).

I'm super weird about my discs. I don't even like my wife to watch them when I'm not there to load it into the player myself, so the fact that she can just access a large portion of my collection on our Roku/Apple TV with the click of a button eliminates that issue.

So if I buy a new Blu-ray, I prefer it to include a digital copy. It doesn't mean I'll never watch the Blu-ray, but if that happens, so what? It's the movie itself that matters, and special features appeal to me too. I'm getting a little tired of scrutinizing the quality of the presentation to the extreme. I'm not saying that quality doesn't matter because it still does to me. At my viewing distance (6-8ft) on my TV screen (65"), I'm pleased with the quality of streaming almost as much as Blu-ray.

I'm not all-digital all the time, but mixing the two formats works for me, and that doesn't mean I don't truly value movies or don't care about quality. I love movies and I love quality. But I also really like this new(ish) discovery. If it's not THE future of home cinema, it's definitely still going to be a big part of it. Get used to it (or don't, but please stop judging the way you are).

I can't see how it CAN be the future of HT when a whole generation are watching On smartphones and tablets. That is the threat here. Home cinema cannot thrive in that scenario. In a little as 20 years home cinema could be close to obsolete ( once people that do care die out) as I am 39, that could affect me big time.

Finally, it's just how I feel. I can't lie just to appease people. It's not me.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I can't see how it CAN be the future of HT when a whole generation are watching On smartphones and tablets. That is the threat here. Home cinema cannot thrive in that scenario. In a little as 20 years home cinema could be close to obsolete ( once people that do care die out) as I am 39, that could affect me big time.

Finally, it's just how I feel. I can't lie just to appease people. It's not me.

I know where you are coming from with the viewing methods today of the younger generation and i agree but Home Cinema won't die out steedeel, just look at the passion for it among members on here or check out Home Cinema Choice where they go to peoples homes to showcase their movie room or Home Cinema set up.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I can't see how it CAN be the future of HT when a whole generation are watching On smartphones and tablets. That is the threat here. Home cinema cannot thrive in that scenario. In a little as 20 years home cinema could be close to obsolete ( once people that do care die out) as I am 39, that could affect me big time.

Finally, it's just how I feel. I can't lie just to appease people. It's not me.

That's a fair thing to worry about. If there's any threat to home cinema because of digital then that just plain sucks. I don't quite understand how digital will kill home cinema, though, unless everyone starts watching movies/TV on their phones and tablets and TVs go extinct. I really don't see that happening. How can a person text on their phone if they're also watching a movie? How can they watch movies with friends from a phone?

Watching things on portable devices is fine for traveling or lunch breaks or youngsters that don't own a TV, but most people own a TV or want to own one when they're older I'd have to imagine.

I'm more worried about home cinema putting an end to movie theaters and then big budget movies and all the bells and whistles that comes with it. Home cinema isn't limited to digital, though.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

That's a fair thing to worry about. If there's any threat to home cinema because of digital then that just plain sucks. I don't quite understand how digital will kill home cinema, though, unless everyone starts watching movies/TV on their phones and tablets and TVs go extinct. I really don't see that happening. How can a person text on their phone if they're also watching a movie? How can they watch movies with friends from a phone?

Watching things on portable devices is fine for traveling or lunch breaks or youngsters that don't own a TV, but most people own a TV or want to own one when they're older I'd have to imagine.

I'm more worried about home cinema putting an end to movie theaters and then big budget movies and all the bells and whistles that comes with it. Home cinema isn't limited to digital, though.

Well, that's exactly how it will go down. Everyone will start watching on phones and tablets. Maybe 20 years is me taking it to extremes but the wheels are in motion now. Older folks will have tablets, younger people phones and smartwatches.

[JMS1223]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

younger people phones and smartwatches.

Do people really use smartwatches? I have yet to meet anyone actually using a smartwatch. I thought when Apple introduced their smartwatch it did not take off as they had hoped. I just don't see them becoming a thing to be honest.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by JMS1223

Do people really use smartwatches? I have yet to meet anyone actually using a smartwatch. I thought when Apple introduced their smartwatch it did not take off as they had hoped. I just don't see them becoming a thing to be honest.

I see them clicking into place when the 'essential piece of the jigsaw' is discovered. A killer app maybe.

[V40LLY]

Digital media rules!

[tob]

Originally Posted by V40LLY

Digital media rules!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by V40LLY

Digital media rules!

In a world of shit, maybe you are right!

[jmerr]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Which I find odd. Why buy them in the first place? You might as well have just continued buying DVD and then move onto Digital. You obviously don't care about quality?

Why buy discs? It depends on the price. A lot of times you can buy discs that comes with the digital cheaper than the just the digital. If the price is right, I buy digital.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by jmerr

said by Steedeel:
Which I find odd. Why buy them in the first place? You might as well have just continued buying DVD and then move onto Digital. You obviously don't care about quality?

Why buy discs? It depends on the price. A lot of times you can buy discs that comes with the digital cheaper than the just the digital. If the price is right, I buy digital.

It was Rhetorical, don't pay attention to Steedeel he thinks Little Kindergarten Kids are taking over The World of Home Theater, and putting it on a Watch. He also doesn't like the PQ of HDX Digital, even though he has never seen it.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

It was Rhetorical, don't pay attention to Steedeel he thinks Little Kindergarten Kids are taking over The World of Home Theater, and putting it on a Watch. He also doesn't like the PQ of HDX Digital, even though he has never seen it.

The smartwatch thing will happen. Everywhere a screen exists, they will put content on there. The result, younger folk watching stuff on it. It will happen.

By the way, it is the 18-34 age group that statistically are starting to get all their content on smartphones and maybe tablets. It's a small percentage but importantly, , it is rising year by year. If you guys want to bury your head in the sand, fine. Kids you say? They are using tablets according to the BBC more and more. This comes at th expense of the traditional tv.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by alchav21

It was Rhetorical, don't pay attention to Steedeel he thinks Little Kindergarten Kids are taking over The World of Home Theater, and putting it on a Watch. He also doesn't like the PQ of HDX Digital, even though he has never seen it.

It was a perfectly valid question. Just because someone has what you consider a far out view/opinion doesn't mean they don't deserve attention. They thought the world was flat once.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by jmerr

Why buy discs? It depends on the price. A lot of times you can buy discs that comes with the digital cheaper than the just the digital. If the price is right, I buy digital.

Ok, thanks. Maybe one day you will see the light?

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Ok, thanks. Maybe one day you will see the light?

And maybe one day you'll lighten up?

If they stop making TVs it will just be because something better will be available or because everyone will be using projectors or something similar. Yes, there will be more and more people watching content on small screens as time goes on, but the big screen is for the "wow" factor or the communal experience. People won't stop enjoying those things because of the advent of digital. Digital will only get better because Internet will also get better. We now have Gigabit internet speeds in the states. If that ever becomes standard, you better believe digital will be huge, and it won't mark the end of large screens. It'll mark the end of buffering and the beginning on theater-quality streaming.

The future is bright if you ask me.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

And maybe one day you'll lighten up?

If they stop making TVs it will just be because something better will be available or because everyone will be using projectors or something similar. Yes, there will be more and more people watching content on small screens as time goes on, but the big screen is for the "wow" factor or the communal experience. People won't stop enjoying those things because of the advent of digital. Digital will only get better because Internet will also get better. We now have Gigabit internet speeds in the states. If that ever becomes standard, you better believe digital will be huge, and it won't mark the end of large screens. It'll mark the end of buffering and the beginning on theater-quality streaming.

The future is bright if you ask me.

I don't share your optimism.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I don't share your optimism.

Obviously I don't share (or want to share) your pessimism.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

Obviously I don't share (or want to share) your pessimism.

Want or not, it's where we are heading. How much it affects you is reliant on your age, but it is coming. Behaviours are developing that won't change come the passing of time. Everyone can PM me and offer their apologies when it happens.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Well, that's exactly how it will go down. Everyone will start watching on phones and tablets. Maybe 20 years is me taking it to extremes but the wheels are in motion now. Older folks will have tablets, younger people phones and smartwatches.

Young people love their devices. I know a lot who watch TV/movies on their devices, AT HOME! I just don't get it. I have a 60 inch TV, why on earth would I want to watch something on a 5 to 10 inch device?

If i'm pulling an all nighter at work and there is waiting around, I'll put on a movie or something of my tablet. Good for traveling with the kids as well. Daily consumption though, I could not stand it.

Same thing with games. I play a couple of casual games on my phone, but my main gaming occurs on my big ass TV on my console. It's a much more engrossing and satisfying gaming experience.

[master gandhi]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Want or not, it's where we are heading. How much it affects you is reliant on your age, but it is coming. Behaviours are developing that won't change come the passing of time. Everyone can PM me and offer their apologies when it happens.

Predict all you want, but it's better to look forward to the evolution of technology and new innovative ideas, than it is to dread something that sounds incredibly short-sighted. Do you honestly think the technology of today will be the same 20-30 years from now (only worse)? We'll all just be using smartphones/watches and tablets just like today (what about VR?)? 20-30 years ago were we using these things? Change happens and it's only scary if you resist it. If you're open to it, it's exciting. No need to apologize to me in the future. I don't demand that kind of attention. I'll be too busy watching the latest blockbuster in my IMAX-at-home theater room.