Streaming vs BD/DVD (Split From Blockbuster Thread)

[ssbtech]

Most people don't have an Ultrabook or tablet PC as their only device. They're usually purchased in addition to a standard desktop PC or a full laptop with optical drive.

[audacity]

Most people don't have an Ultrabook or tablet PC as their only device.

Give it a couple years. Just as laptops became the "primary PC" for many users, I believe Ultrabooks (and for some people tablets) will become their primary device.

This is a conversation about the future, right?

[Shiningblade]

Do you feel that Blu-ray and possibly DVD can continue to exist as niche products for those who prefer durable media? Sort of like LaserDisc seemed to hang on forever (20+ years).

Cheers

[ssbtech]

Thanks mods


Yes, I think blu-ray and DVD will stick around. There are plenty of people who do still value picture and sound quality and place a high importance on PQ/SQ as part of their overall enjoyment of the film.

Heck, there's even been a resurgence of vinyl records in the last couple of years.

If you're just an entertainment junkie then the masses of low/medium quality files available via online methods will likely suffice.

[eljay]

Yes, I think blu-ray and DVD will stick around.

I sure hope so.

[57]

Sure, but the "half-life" of many technologies is growing shorter and shorter:

Hand-written single-copy books/manuscripts, etc - thousands of years
Gutenberg-type books - hundreds of years
Vinyl & (Audio) Tape - a century (discounting a few vinyl audiophiles)
VHS, CDs, DVDs - a few/couple of decades
BDs - a decade?

There will probably always be a need for some "hard copy" for archiving, audio/video/history-philes, but the "masses" will drift towards non-hard copy.

[audacity]

Well, I think the "cloud format" will exist for a much longer time. Specifically I think it will last much longer than VHS did because it scales (unlike specific formats that cannot change). Companies like Netflix/Hulu can introduce new codecs, new resolutions, new encoding profiles without needing to "launch and promote" a new standard since all the people who have old hardware that cannot support the new formats will just get a stream with the old format. Streaming video is able to evolve gradually where physical formats cannot.

[Exid0r]

As DVD stores fade into the sunset, fringe providers grab centre stage

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail:

The combination of streaming video and rental kiosks devastated the U.S. video store industry over the past decade – stores’ markets share for rentals and sales fell to about 20 per cent, according to Convergence Consulting Group.

But the services were never seriously marketed in Canada and face content licensing difficulties that have diluted their offerings. Sixty per cent of all movie rentals and sales in Canada last year took place when someone walked into a store and grabbed a movie off the shelf, according to Convergence.

With a bankrupt Blockbuster Canada officially out of the game and Rogers stepping back, the race is on to build market share.

[eljay]

Originally Posted by Exid0r's linked-to article

While kiosks have made up a tiny fraction of the Canadian rental space, the companies that own them are accelerating their expansion plans. As Zip.ca looks to move across the country, electronics retailer Best Buy wants to double its machines – which are typically found in Western Canadian convenience stores – to 130 by the end of the year.

The dominant U.S. kiosk player, Redbox Automated Retail LLC, has said it intends to expand into Canada but hasn’t formally laid out its plan. It has 29,000 kiosks in the United States.

That's good news!

[ssbtech]

Originally Posted by audacity

Well, I think the "cloud format" will exist for a much longer time...

Once mom and dad realize how hard it is to now take a "cloud format" movie for the kids on a road trip, they'll be clamoring for the discs.

[jshel101]

Originally Posted by ssbtech

If you're just an entertainment junkie then the masses of low/medium quality files available via online methods will likely suffice.

Why do you keep bringing this up? This is not the case anymore, you can get high quality from downloaded or streamed content. We all know that you have a hate on for online/streaming content. I hate to break it to you though, you "videophiles/audiophiles" are in the minority. I personally never watch anything that I think is a low/medium quality. I only download HD quality TV Shows and stream HD quailty movies.

Originally Posted by ssbtech

Once mom and dad realize how hard it is to now take a "cloud format" movie for the kids on a road trip, they'll be clamoring for the discs.

You have not heard of tablets? They actually hold video files so the kids can watch movies/TV on road trips.

I think more parents will be bringing tablets on those long road trips. Tablets will entertain the kids a lot more than DVD's can. We have a DVD player in our minivan, but if I was to purchase a new vehicle today, I would not be picking the DVD option. Besides this options costs more than buying two iPads.

[vmpv]

I recently bought a TV series off I-Tunes only to discover no Closed Captioning to me which is mandatory. Does Netflix or Apple TV provide CC? I continue to be annoyed to find some DVD's I purchase not able to provide CC while played on my BD player forcing me to keep an old DVD player hooked up to watch said titles. And btw the series I bought off I-Tunes did have CC when I originally watched it on CBC years ago so there is really no excuse for this in my opinion.

[57]

not able to provide CC while played on my BD player

TVs cannot CC HD signals, therefore the sending device needs to do the CC. However, on BDs it's usually called subtitles, which you need to activate from the main title menu of the movie (if available), or via a subtitle button on the BD player remote. I believe it's the same for DVDs (subtitles), although if you're sending an SD (480i) signal to the TV, there might be CC as part of the signal. Even then, some TVs cannot CC component video or HDMI signals - depends on the make/model of TV so you may need to use composite or S-video to get the CC.

Whenever viewing HD signals, the TV cannot CC, so you need to look to the sending device to enable CC or subtitles, be that an HDSTB, HDPVR, BD player, ATV, WD, HTPC, etc. It's usually in the user menus somewhere, however, it's not always available in the actual material. I recently had a movie that didn't have subtitles (and could have used them) so a red circle with a line through it showed on-screen when I pressed the Subtitle button on my BD player. There was no subtitle option at the DVD/BD's main menu (usually under "audio settings" or similar) on this particular DVD/BD, however, most movies do have the option.

[vmpv]

Having been mostly deaf all my life I'm quite aware of CC/Subtitles. You are correct that some titles don't have this option thus requiring me to leave a DVD player hooked up in 480i to watch these. Not disputing anything you say 57 (ever it seems) just want to clarify for others who may be reading and wondering. Breaking Bad season 1 on DVD springs to mind as an example with the subtitles being offered in French, Portuguese and Spanish only. English is native when watched at 480i. Ridiculous in this day and age IMHO.

[ssbtech]

Originally Posted by jshel101

Why do you keep bringing this up?

I keep bringing it up because it has been my experience that streaming media is vastly inferior to blu-ray. The only exception to this has been with Shaw VOD HD which blows Netflix HD out of the water.

Originally Posted by jshel101

You have not heard of tablets? They actually hold video files so the kids can watch movies/TV on road trips.

Yep. I have. I have one too. But there's no Netflix for it. or iTunes. And regardless of what tablet you have, if you're not connected to the internet you're not streaming movies.