Do we actually need a disc? Blu-Ray's future uncertain

[Crim122]

http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/cont...40832-135.html

I hate that I agree with a lot of these articles

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by Crim122

http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/cont...40832-135.html

I hate that I agree with a lot of these articles

If you're worried about blu-ray's success, you don't have to invest.. Personally I enjoy having the absolute best at excellent prices thanks to blu-ray

[Alan Gordon]

Do we actually need a disc?

No! I'll take a hologram... just give me something physical!

~Alan

[Crim122]

I have no problem buying them for CHEAP, I will never buy retail until they are priced more realistic. I enjoy having them in my collection so I can say "yeah I have planet earth...ON BLU RAY"

But the stats does not make me feel good about the future of it...

But until it dies I will continue to buy and be loyal! give me a physical disc all day long.

[Marquoz]

Streaming is worthless. If I want to watch say Hackers, I still have to track down a place that I can download it versus a couple point and clicks and I can run to Best Buy, pck it up and have it. Then next time in the middle of the night I want to see it, bam, I've got it, I don't need to re-stream it again. It's also why my DVD collection is collecting dust in my living room. I've got a lot of movies there that I don't have on Blu yet.

They also mention On Demand, I am assuming they mean with your cable/satellite provider. That's even more useless. I've had months where I've seen the two movies on it I want to see and there's nothing new for weeks on end I want to watch. It's a random jumble of half garbage, and half new releases I saw a month before in movie theaters.

Finally, one thing for parents that are divorced to consider... if I download say Lion King, my son can't bring it to his mothers to watch it there. I've got a few DVDs that make the trip back and forth every week between the two houses. I can't do that with a TV show that I downloaded. It's much better for parents to own a hard copy. Easier to keep track of them.

[dialog_gvf]

"The Blu-ray format is in jeopardy simply because the advent of downloadable HD movies is so close," said Roger L. Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates. a research and consulting company told the New York Times. "Streaming video from the Internet and other means of direct digital delivery are going to put optical formats out of business entirely over the next few years."

Quick, get out our army of minions to fight the Blu-ray onslaught.

It's just another phase of the same old propaganda war we've been fighting for years.

Gary

[Crim122]

Originally Posted by Marquoz

Streaming is worthless. If I want to watch say Hackers, I still have to track down a place that I can download it versus a couple point and clicks and I can run to Best Buy, pck it up and have it. Then next time in the middle of the night I want to see it, bam, I've got it, I don't need to re-stream it again. It's also why my DVD collection is collecting dust in my living room. I've got a lot of movies there that I don't have on Blu yet.

They also mention On Demand, I am assuming they mean with your cable/satellite provider. That's even more useless. I've had months where I've seen the two movies on it I want to see and there's nothing new for weeks on end I want to watch. It's a random jumble of half garbage, and half new releases I saw a month before in movie theaters.

Finally, one thing for parents that are divorced to consider... if I download say Lion King, my son can't bring it to his mothers to watch it there. I've got a few DVDs that make the trip back and forth every week between the two houses. I can't do that with a TV show that I downloaded. It's much better for parents to own a hard copy. Easier to keep track of them.

I hate streaming too, but it seems that EVERYONE is doing it. I know so many people who Torrent movies to their laptops then just hook the laptop up to their TV to watch. I cant see me ever doing that.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Crim122

I hate streaming too, but it seems that EVERYONE is doing it. I know so many people who Torrent movies to their laptops then just hook the laptop up to their TV to watch. I cant see me ever doing that.

That's not streaming. That's download.

Streaming is accessing a video stream from a remote server and playing that stream real-time.

Gary

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by Crim122

I hate streaming too, but it seems that EVERYONE is doing it.

Are they jumping off cliffs as well?

Seriously, I don't know a single person who streams anything more than a YouTube video or news clip! You just happen to hang around rather technically-inclined people.

~Alan

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by Crim122

I have no problem buying them for CHEAP, I will never buy retail until they are priced more realistic. I enjoy having them in my collection so I can say "yeah I have planet earth...ON BLU RAY"

I never buy Blu-ray movies for retail either, but then I never bought DVDs for retail either. Amazon generally sells Blu-ray movies for 30% off retail... sometimes more!

~Alan

[Crim122]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

That's not streaming. That's download.

Streaming is accessing a video stream from a remote server and playing that stream real-time.

Gary

I know the difference I was just stating lol without being to clear

My gf always wants to stream TV shows off the web via PS3, I cant stand that either lol.

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

Are they jumping off cliffs as well?

Seriously, I don't know a single person who streams anything more than a YouTube video or news clip! You just happen to hang around rather technically-inclined people.

~Alan

lol yeah hanging out on here I have learned a lot of stuff, mainly terms. But seeing how I have only been Blu for a few months I still dont know THAT much and all these articles make me a bit shifty.

[Crim122]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

I never buy Blu-ray movies for retail either, but then I never bought DVDs for retail either. Amazon generally sells Blu-ray movies for 30% off retail... sometimes more!

~Alan

Shoot Em Up was 35 dollars at best buy last time I checked, got it on amazon new for 12 with shipping

[Marquoz]

Originally Posted by Crim122

I hate streaming too, but it seems that EVERYONE is doing it. I know so many people who Torrent movies to their laptops then just hook the laptop up to their TV to watch. I cant see me ever doing that.

I'll do that with TV shows that I miss, using my computer like a DVR, but not for movies and all that. I'm too lazy to spend an hour or two downloading a garbage quality file and then watch it in a small window on a laptop with my nose 5 inches away from it so it looks halfway decent and not horribly pixelated.

[camper]

Streaming has replaced DVD for me. Movies that I don't care about seeing in HD, I get on netflix and stream it. Movies that I care about the video/audio, I buy on BD. And I will continue to buy on BD, because I want to OWN something in my hands if I am paying for it. I bought some albums on MP3's over the weekend, and I could get NOTHING for them if I decide I don't want them some day.

But even the movies I don't care so much about, are much better quality on BD. I can't fathom something like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars as a digital download as opposed to Blu Ray. Maybe in 10 years, downloads will be more like BD and that might be more acceptable to me (as my needs change) but right now, in the next 5-10 years I do not see that happening and even then I can't see myself not wanting a physical copy.

camper

[Crim122]

My aunt swears that online renting and streaming is going to kill blockbuster in the near future

[Marquoz]

Originally Posted by Crim122

My aunt swears that online renting and streaming is going to kill blockbuster in the near future

That I can agree with, streaming is great for the rental business, but not for a long term collection model.

[EricJ]

Call me resentful, but...remember when we used to have MORE than 2 movies a week added to Playstation Network Store?

I used to faithfully check in every Tuesday and Friday to see what completely random (and studio test-marketed?) unexpected titles would show up for rental-download...
I've been with Netflix since before it was Netflix, but having a PS3, I liked being able to download a not-on-disk HD movie (Masters of the Universe? Clash of the Titans?), or something completely back-of-the-shelf on SD (Dumbo? Lil' Abner?), just to have over the weekend when Netflix doesn't ship.
(Yes, downloads as second-fiddle to overnight-shipped hard-disk Netflix. That's what they've been. That's what they are now. That's all they'll ever be.)

...Like I said, USED to.
Now, for the past two months, I tune in to PS3 Store twice a week by the clock to see what's been added to New Arrivals, and find only...only...overpriced $14.99-to-own New Release SD downloads of "Wall-E", "Tropic Thunder: Director's Cut", and "Get Smart"--since the studios don't want to spoil their hard-disk sales with real versions--plus whatever episodes of "Prison Break" have just aired on Fox.
What am I, in a freakin' HOTEL ROOM??...Bring back some real obscure cult/back-catalog movies to download after hours!

(That's what's called "Stagnation".
That's what happens to all greedy, un-thought-out industries that want money faster than they understand it, listen to their audience or develop the ability to be creative, that's what's happening to this one, and the industry hasn't even started yet.) -_-

[Crim122]

Originally Posted by Marquoz

That I can agree with, streaming is great for the rental business, but not for a long term collection model.

Well if I can still get my disc in the mail I will be fine, I dont want streaming to be the only form!

I am very interested to see what and where blu goes this year after reading this article...and hoping prices drop a bit so my collection can GROWWWWW

[Monkey]

I've never paid MSRP for a blu-ray, the majority I've paid $10-$15.. I've bought close to a hundred.. Paying MSRP is just being ultra lazy and careless.

[camper]

Originally Posted by Crim122

My aunt swears that online renting and streaming is going to kill blockbuster in the near future

It stands a chance, but it needs more time to germinate. Once connection speed increases and fios & wireless broadband becomes more prevelant (one of the goals of the DTV switch, btw) the possibility will increase more. Right now it's a niche, and limited only to those with fast connections and the technology to take advantage of it.

In 5 years the brick & mortar rentals will be far more sparse then they are now, but physical media will still be the norm. After 5 years things look hazy, it's a wait & see thing. But the Obama administration has its eyes on infrastructure improvement as a means to ending the recession, and IT infrastructure is a big part of that.

camper