Press Release Wired Press Release: Blu-rays are back; Streaming Isn’t Everything (1 Viewer)

[Thomas T]

So, who cares as their opinion is just that, their opinion.

So, are you saying you don't care about other people's opinions? Do all opinions have equal weight. Does my Aunt Emily's opinion on a movie count the same as Manohla Dargis' opinion? Just askin'? Speaking only for myself, I value some people/friend/critic's opinion more than others and only use the "Who cares?" when I don't value someone's opinion. But hey, that's just me!

 

[Robert Crawford]

So, are you saying you don't care about other people's opinions? Do all opinions have equal weight. Does my Aunt Emily's opinion on a movie count the same as Manohla Dargis' opinion? Just askin'? Speaking only for myself, I value some people/friend/critic's opinion more than others and only use the "Who cares?" when I don't value someone's opinion. But hey, that's just me!

I don’t value that person’s opinion because he doesn’t have any data to back up his opinion in that article. It’s a lazy article. Did any of us learn anything new from that article? Many of us shop the boutique labels for many of our disc titles. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

 

[Edwin-S]

Streaming is great right up until a favorite film or series is pulled, never to be seen again.

If a blu-ray has been released in the meantime then losing the film or series is no big deal; however, if streaming becomes the only avenue for home release then having something pulled is a big deal, especially if it is a property that appeals to a niche audience.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

A couple random thoughts:

1) I dislike the way this article (and many before it) lump in all kinds of streaming as if they're all equal, and intended to fulfill the same role, when that just isn't the case. Just as there's a difference with physical media between buying a disc and renting a disc, there's a difference between making a purchase at a digital retailer like iTunes and joining a curated subscription service like Netflix. I don't think it's reasonable to expect a service like Netflix to offer everything ever made in perpetuity for all of time - that was never their goal and never their business model. On the other hand, it is reasonable to expect that a purchase you make in iTunes will remain valid in perpetuity. While there have been occasional examples of things not working out properly (examples which are usually overblown), in general, digital purchases have worked as advertised.

2) When all of these different services, which aim to do different things and attract different segments of the market, are all lumped in together as "streaming," it doesn't really help with having an honest conversation about where the future of our hobby - home theater - is going.

 

[B-ROLL]

For what it's worth, I know a number of people in their thirties and younger who have no disc players of any kind - not blu-ray, not DVD, not even CD. And that includes people who work in the film and television industry.

They prolly aren't aware that they can play most disks on their XBox (XBox One will play 4K UHD with a 4K monitor) or PlayStation X with a software app download

 

[Craig Beam]

Not gonna lie, it's a bit disheartening to see members of this forum---- a haven for film collectors/hobbyists---- proudly proclaiming that they aren't even buying discs anymore, and touting the Age of Streaming like it's some sort of evolutionary step up. This is a Home Theater Forum, not a compressed-to-hell-convenience forum. Streaming will need to improve a GREAT deal before it comes close to competing with the quality of Blu-ray (and UHD) media, and even then---- I'll keep buying discs, because I'll own them no matter what. If the internet permanently crashes or comes under some Draconian-type government control--- I'll still have my collection. It's a tangible, demonstrable manifestation of my love of cinema.

And I do stream stuff, but mostly to weed out films I'm on the fence about buying on disc. And yes, I collect music on vinyl too. Christ, maybe I'm too old to keep up with the kids anymore.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I have room in my heart for both.

Streaming has been perfect for me for shows and movies I only want to see once; it’s a lot better than having to go to a store to pick up a physical object and then having to bring that object back to the store a day later. It’s better than Netflix-by-mail where the wait to get a title could be days or weeks.

I still like having the physical disc for favorites of mine. And due to the collapse of the physical market, I’ve picked up a lot of discs I would have otherwise just rented, because it was actually cheaper to buy the disc than to rent the movie digitally.

But on the flip side to that - I’m revisiting my Star Trek: The Next Generation Blu-rays. I bought each season the day it came out and have taken care of them. And yet, at least one disc in every season has at least one skip or freeze on it that it didn’t have when they were newly purchased five years ago. They’re by no means unwatchable - but I don’t feel as secure about my physical purchases as I once did. I think the sad truth is that while many of the discs will be mostly fine for a long time to come, that it’s possible that some may not be, through no fault of my own. And I know that it’ll be next to impossible to get a studio to issue a replacement copy so long after the original purchase. As a result, im starting to get a little wary about purchasing discs if my only reason is because it’s onsale at a good price. If it’s something I want to watch immediately, I won’t hesitate to buy. But I’m substantially cutting back on purchases where the thought process had been, “That’s a good price for this disc, I’ll buy it now but probably won’t watch it for a year.”

I think there are valid reasons to prefer discs and valid reasons to prefer streaming. I think both can co-exist for enthusiasts. But I also don’t see any evidence in this article to suggest what its title implies, that streaming is losing popularity and that disc sales are rebounding.

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

I just read an article about Netflix testing a feature called “watch that scene again.” You literally see a prompt over the movie that lets you... watch that scene again. Yes, it’s optional. But it’s claptrap, unnecessary horseshit like this that continually thwarts any interest I may develop for streaming.

 

[B-ROLL]

Not gonna lie, it's a bit disheartening to see members of this forum---- a haven for film collectors/hobbyists---- proudly proclaiming that they aren't even buying discs anymore, and touting the Age of Streaming like it's some sort of evolutionary step up. This is a Home Theater Forum, not a compressed-to-hell-convenience forum. Streaming will need to improve a GREAT deal before it comes close to competing with the quality of Blu-ray (and UHD) media, and even then---- I'll keep buying discs, because I'll own them no matter what. If the internet permanently crashes or comes under some Draconian-type government control--- I'll still have my collection. It's a tangible, demonstrable manifestation of my love of cinema.

And I do stream stuff, but mostly to weed out films I'm on the fence about buying on disc. And yes, I collect music on vinyl too. Christ, maybe I'm too old to keep up with the kids anymore.

The Kids are apparently the ones buying the vinyl now ... apparently some of the recording artists are requiring their product to be released on Vinyl
https://www.thenational.ae/arts-cul...vinyl-is-starting-to-make-a-comeback-1.718196

 

[Josh Steinberg]

But realistically speaking, how is that any different from DVDs and BDs having chapter stops that allow you to go back and forward as you please?

I find fast forwarding and rewinding on a stream to be somewhat obnoxious to use. If Netflix is testing out a feature that’ll make those functions work better, that sounds like a nice little bit of tech work on their end.

 

[Osato]

From the digital bits:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/121218-1130

There’s also a great story over at Wired about dedicated supporters of physical media and their passion for Blu-ray. You can read that here.

First, let me just say this: Attaboy, guys! Second, let me give you a sense of how far the home video industry has fallen, at least in terms of the major studios, and where we currently are: Hollywood juggernaut Disney has just released the crown jewel of their classic animated catalog The Lion King on 4K Ultra HD. And they did it with no fanfare, no official press release (at least not that we’ve seen), no real promotion, no marketing support, and barely a blip even on social media. And the quality of the release is superb. I’ll be reviewing it likely next week. Ten years ago, even five years ago, the studio would have made this a HUGE deal. TV commercials, hype, the whole nine yards. This is their animated JEWEL. But now, in 2018, they just quietly dump it out on 4K disc as if it’s just nothing special.

And THAT ladies and gentlemen, is the real shame of this push to digital streaming and the quiet dismissal of physical media: Hollywood is devaluing their own content. They’re sending the message to consumers that none of this is special. It’s just channel filler. Once you’ve burned that bridge… once you’ve basically convinced your customers of it… you can never go back. There is nothing special about a stream.

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

Chapter stops are invisible. This is an on-screen pop up.

Netflix said people are getting used to seeing overlays, like the litany of moving garbage you see on news broadcasts, station bugs, and digital aids for sports like football to show down markers and baseball to show strike zones. So they’re testing this out to see if people dig it.

I, for one, hate all that stuff.

 

[jcroy]

Not gonna lie, it's a bit disheartening to see members of this forum---- a haven for film collectors/hobbyists---- proudly proclaiming that they aren't even buying discs anymore, and touting the Age of Streaming like it's some sort of evolutionary step up. This is a Home Theater Forum, not a compressed-to-hell-convenience forum. Streaming will need to improve a GREAT deal before it comes close to competing with the quality of Blu-ray (and UHD) media, and even then---- I'll keep buying discs, because I'll own them no matter what. If the internet permanently crashes or comes under some Draconian-type government control--- I'll still have my collection. It's a tangible, demonstrable manifestation of my love of cinema.

I have more or less stopped buying current/recent movies on bluray. I largely wait two or three years to watch them, when they start to show up on basic cable channels (such as big budget superhero and scifi movies).

The stuff I still buy on disc, are mostly television shows and really horrible D-list scifi movies released by bottom feeder companies (such as The Asylum, Cinedigm, etc ...). The latter stuff is so terrible, that the scifi channel (on basic cable) doesn't even play them. Basically in either case this stuff is rarely (or never) released on bluray, and mostly dvd-only.

I usually just copy a dozen or so movies/episodes from the dvd discs onto the computer, and watch them one after another on the computer on a loop in the background when I'm at home.

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

From the digital bits:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/121218-1130

There’s also a great story over at Wired about dedicated supporters of physical media and their passion for Blu-ray. You can read that here.

First, let me just say this: Attaboy, guys! Second, let me give you a sense of how far the home video industry has fallen, at least in terms of the major studios, and where we currently are: Hollywood juggernaut Disney has just released the crown jewel of their classic animated catalog The Lion King on 4K Ultra HD. And they did it with no fanfare, no official press release (at least not that we’ve seen), no real promotion, no marketing support, and barely a blip even on social media. And the quality of the release is superb. I’ll be reviewing it likely next week. Ten years ago, even five years ago, the studio would have made this a HUGE deal. TV commercials, hype, the whole nine yards. This is their animated JEWEL. But now, in 2018, they just quietly dump it out on 4K disc as if it’s just nothing special.

And THAT ladies and gentlemen, is the real shame of this push to digital streaming and the quiet dismissal of physical media: Hollywood is devaluing their own content. They’re sending the message to consumers that none of this is special. It’s just channel filler. Once you’ve burned that bridge… once you’ve basically convinced your customers of it… you can never go back. There is nothing special about a stream.

Good point about devaluation. We already live in a world where someone will lay out a grand for a smartphone, yet balk at paying more than 99 cents for an app. Hard to put a cap on that particular genie.

 

[Osato]

Good point about devaluation. We already live in a world where someone will lay out a grand for a smartphone, yet balk at paying more than 99 cents for an app. Hard to put a cap on that particular genie.

Agreed. It’s hard to stop now.
I know that if I wait longer a title is cheaper.
So now digital copies are $10 instead of the $14.99 blu ray new releases that used to be common.

It seems all disc releases are $20-30 typically now.

 

[Tino]

Streaming will need to improve a GREAT deal before it comes close to competing with the quality of Blu-ray (and UHD)

It already has in my opinion. My Apple 4K streams look and sound as good as the physical discs. But I still buy both.

 

[Sam Favate]

Streaming can't replace discs IMO. I've lived with both for years now and there's no comparison. The discs - blu-rays, primarily - offer the best visuals and sound by far, and they're available when I want them, unlike streaming which is at the whim of the streaming service (Netflix, Amazon, etc.). It will always be that way. Also, very rarely have I had to stop a disc from playing to clear a smudge off of it which was impairing its ability to play. Nearly every day, streaming is interrupting by buffering, a lost connection, etc. I roll my eyes at the spinning wheel we get when buffering starts.

Also, I don't know about you, but for decades I have given and got movies and TV shows as gifts, from VHS to CED to laser disc to DVD to blu-ray and UHD. I have never gotten a gift of a streaming film, nor have I given one. It's not the same. Even if and when bandwidth in the United States becomes something that can really support 4k films (a long way off, IMO), the disc-as-gift thing is something that cannot be rectified.

 

[Worth]

It already has in my opinion. My Apple 4K streams look and sound as good as the physical discs. But I still buy both.

The problem with discussing streaming quality is that different people are seeing very different things depending on their connections and set ups. Having recently upgraded to fibre-optic gigabit internet, I can honestly say there's a barely perceptible difference between iTunes titles and blu-ray on an Apple TV 4 connected directly to the modem via ethernet. No buffering and maybe once or twice in a two-hour movie, I might notice a compression artifact or bit of banding that I think wouldn't be visible on disc. Netflix also looks excellent, maybe just a notch below that. But watching the same Netflix stream through the cable box, also connected directly to the modem, looks significantly worse - softer and with much more noticeable compression issues.

 

[JQuintana]

They prolly aren't aware that they can play most disks on their XBox (XBox One will play 4K UHD with a 4K monitor) or PlayStation X with a software app download

Odds are they don't really care about that feature.

 

[JQuintana]

It already has in my opinion. My Apple 4K streams look and sound as good as the physical discs. But I still buy both.

Now that I have my replacement 4K TV which now has HDR I've been browsing the Netflix 4K UHD stuff and it looks fantastic. I still have zero desire to buy anything on disc at this point. 20 years ago, I would have been total opposite, I'd buy everything that hit the streets day one, of course most were still $20 a pop. I learned my lesson slowly but surely to stop the madness and thanks to 100mb internet, Google Wifi, my Roku 4K TV and Firestick, I am all set to be entertained for years to come and never have to store another dino disc again. I'm close to jut pulling my BD player from the entertainment center to free up space and have two less wires snaked around back of the TV stand.