The bright future of Physical Media.

[JTK]

A friend of mine another forum linked to this article and I liked his commentary enough that I'm just going to leave it as is and speak for itself.

MS won't like this very much, though.

Originally Posted by Paul M on some other forum

An interesting Variety article about Walmart and other proposed internet movie download services (and the previous failed attempts at this)...

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryid=10&cs=1


I think physical media is here to stay. Downloads of movies and music are convenient, but I don't see them as replacing physical media.

Since the 70s, it has been possible to hook a tape deck to your stereo and record your favorite songs off the radio (for free). Yet this did not phase-out LPs (or, remarkably, even pre-recorded cassettes). CDs supplanted LPs of course, but CDs are physical media. Likewise the ability of VCRs to record movies off TV (again for free) did not put an end to home video releases. Indeed the VCR created the demand for home video releases.

Its the same with software -- you can either purchase software via download, or go into CompUSA and buy the phyical software on disc. Judging by the vast inventory the last time I was in CompUSA, downloaded software isn't eradicating physical media in the that business either.

Besides, video offerings from iTunes are so far unsatisfactory to me. For starters you cannot burn them to a DVD-R -- you can only watch them on your computer. I have an iBook. And I'm not going to watch Lawrence of Arabia on an iBook.

So (to quote Fahrenheit 451) what do YOU think, Linda?

^^ He's grazing the tip of a much larger iceburg.

Until you get FIOS like setups up in the mountains and out in the middle of the boonies and it all costs less than $50 a month?

Physical Media isn't going anywhere folks. Someone better send Microsoft the memo.

[hyperdine]

Agreed. I need the whole package. I want the art work...I want to be able to transport it easily, and on demand...I want to be able to let friends borrow it...I want to be able to see it on my shelf, so that I can see my collection grow...most importantly, I want the utmost highest quality available. Same reason I don't do mp3's. For me, there's just no substitute.

[Blackraven]

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Give me super-fast internet before they can bring massive download services to everyone.

Heck, I'm not even on a 1mbps connection (still at super-slow 768 kbps).

Until we reach super-fast speeds, I'd go with the physical form of optical disc.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Blackraven

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^^

[KenThompson]

I have paid for music downloads and when I replaced my computer and tried to move the music over it would not work on new unit. So you have to buy it all over again. Something about DRM. So downloads are not for everyone

[dialog_gvf]

If downloads take off, they will do so overwhelmingly in SD well before they become feasible for HD.

Right now the downloads for HD are long GOP 1280x720 VC-1: Compression pushed to the limit, barely HD, HD. That is supposed to catch on?

Gary

[JTK]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

If downloads take off, they will do so overwhelmingly in SD well before they become feasible for HD.

Right now the downloads for HD are long GOP 1280x720 VC-1: Compression pushed to the limit, barely HD, HD. That is supposed to catch on?

Gary

Only in MS's Bizarro World and even that's probably pushing it.