Is it Time to Dump the Silver Disc?

[panteragstk]

I really only purchase DC or Marvel movie discs anymore. Though, Disney continues to frustrate. I did not purchase the last couple of Disney Marvel movies on disc because the IMAX Enhanced versions with the expanded aspect ratios are available only on Disney+. Those IMAX Enhanced titles are something to see on my new TV.

Digital rentals are convenient but overpriced. If on sale, I have rented a few here or there. I usually wait for discs at the Redbox and use points or promos to get many of them for free.

Years ago, I made many digital purchases from Microsoft using my XBOX 360. The licenses expired and I was no longer able to view the content and was out a few bucks.

I saw a few had the IMAX Enhanced stuff, but haven't watched yet. I'll have to check some out to see what the fuss is all about.

 

[lovinthehd]

Seriously?? The "special edition" crap, IE a reason to re release in theaters to give something to say in the ads as new, with NEW scenes. They did a major clean up of the video and audio giving both the THX treatment, great. They did some re edits, OK. They created several new CG content that looks like crap, sticks out against the totally practically shot original and adds NOTHING to the story. Now if you go to Disney + to stream it that is all you can get. When they did the 30 anniversary release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, they included ALL version on the dvd. We have been waiting 20 years for them to do the same for Star Wars or at least offer a restored but unaltered version.

Never paid attention to the disc releases much, figured some day I might get a BR set reasonably priced once they finished the series but haven't really looked either....but do believe I saw a re-release in a favorite theater of ep.4 many years later (and now many years ago) with some edits....but I probably am not someone who would analyze differences or even notice them. It's not exactly great sci-fi to begin with....can be fun but....

 

[Bucknekked]

I'm a bit late to the party on this topic. But, like so many other topics that involve media I find it interesting what others think and what they are doing. For my own personal tastes, I keep original media and store it as part of my disaster plan in my gun safe. The original copy of a disc is the final arbiter of "the truth" when it comes to copies of data. Beyond the discs, I have ripped all my media (movies and music) in to a digital library that has many copies on many platforms. The labor is what's valuable and not losing any due to a failure somewhere is relatively easy to construct.

For new stuff however that I do not own a disc, I am happy to watch it via streaming and let it go at that. Most likely its because I am not seeing anything being produced lately that I want to watch more than once. In the odd occurance where something is really good, I will go ahead and buy the disc and put it in my library.

I have an RV and we travel. So having movies for movie night is a very nice feature. The easiest way to achieve that in an RV on the road is simply having the disc and dropping it in the player in the RV. I may try streaming someday but it hasn't happened yet on the road in my RV.

Love the topic. Its always good to know what the other brethren are thinking and doing

 

[mono-bloc]

I'm afraid my DVD / BR collection is restricted to Music concerts / performances. I only have a small collection compared to others here amounting to about 120 disc's. But music DVD's are restricted in both content and numbers produced.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think the theme is:
CD: buy CD and rip to music files
4K Movies: buy BD disc and rip to 4K ATMOS files for your favorite Reference-ATMOS movies, then stream the rest

Why rip CD and BD? Because the hard silver disc can go bad and become unplayable years later (happened to me).

 

[mono-bloc]

CD: buy CD and rip to music files

No you have that incorrect, or plain wrong. Don't buy , Hire from your local Blockbuster, Then copy and return..

 

[sterling shoote]

Sidebar: I have no doubt that buying Ultra Blu-ray Discs is better than buying/renting a download of same. It's a no brainer. Another no brainer is Apple Music. I have enjoyed iTunes since its introduction and until recently it was so so. Now, from its improvements, I am preferring it over all other means to recorded music with one exception, SACD. Thus, I am still buying SACDs. Yesterday, FedEx delivered this SACD to my door and first play just stunned me. It's a Mofi release and sounds great. I have the same album on vinyl and while the vinyl version has a very compelling tone the snap, crackle, and pop precludes a distraction free performance

 

[Mikado463]

Why rip CD and BD? Because the hard silver disc can go bad and become unplayable years later (happened to me).

interesting, with the 1200-1500 CD's I've acquired over the past 40 years I've never had an issue with failure to play. This includes copies I've made from friends originals that continue to 'march on'

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

interesting, with the 1200-1500 CD's I've acquired over the past 40 years I've never had an issue with failure to play. This includes copies I've made from friends originals that continue to 'march on'

Not CD. I meant Blu-Ray discs.

 

[Mikado463]

No you have that incorrect, or plain wrong. Don't buy , Hire from your local Blockbuster, Then copy and return..

too funny, man how long has it been since Blockbuster went under ?

 

[panteragstk]

too funny, man how long has it been since Blockbuster went under ?

Getting close to a decade at this point

 

[lovinthehd]

Getting close to a decade at this point

Well, the store in Bend (Oregon) still remains (last I checked, probably last year).....but seems gone down under https://www.vice.com/en/article/43zbb3/australias-last-blockbuster-is-finally-closing

Then again facts don't seem to be something ol' mono bothers with a lot.

 

[lovinthehd]

Not CD. I meant Blu-Ray discs.

What blurays have failed for you? I've yet to have an optical disc of any type fail (unless I did it with abuse).

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

What blurays have failed for you? I've yet to have an optical disc of any type fail (unless I did it with abuse).

I think one BD was one of the Predator vs Alien movies. The other one was one of the Underworld movies. Not a single scratch on them.

 

[lovinthehd]

I think one BD was one of the Predator vs Alien movies. The other one was one of the Underworld movies. Not a single scratch on them.

Was it a disc failure or a player failing to read the disc? No discoloration or delamination? Otherwise seems to point that way....

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Was it a disc failure or a player failing to read the disc? No discoloration or delamination? Otherwise seems to point that way....

The player could play all other discs. I assumed it was disc failure. I don’t recall any discoloration.

 

[lovinthehd]

The player could play all other discs. I assumed it was disc failure. I don’t recall any discoloration.

I suppose could have been bad manufacturing (or did the discs work for a while with same player then stop working?).....can remember posts where people have had issues with certain disc/player combos....but can't think of much in the way of disc failures (cd or dvd or bluray for that matter....altho there was a classic label that had some issues particularly IIRC for cd).

 

[panteragstk]

The player could play all other discs. I assumed it was disc failure. I don’t recall any discoloration.

I've had that happen. Nothing physically wrong with the discs that I could tell, but multiple players wouldn't read them. They were rentals and at the time I remember reading that there were some issues with those releases. This was a few years ago and I can't recall having the issue since though.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I suppose could have been bad manufacturing (or did the discs work for a while with same player then stop working?).....can remember posts where people have had issues with certain disc/player combos....but can't think of much in the way of disc failures (cd or dvd or bluray for that matter....altho there was a classic label that had some issues particularly IIRC for cd).

The discs worked initially. Then a few years later I was trying to watch the movies (can't remember why) and could not play them.

 

[lovinthehd]

The discs worked initially. Then a few years later I was trying to watch the movies (can't remember why) and could not play them.

Reminds me of that warning that appears at the beginning of so many blurays.....that your disc player may not be able to play without an update....but that would seem to perhaps more apply to a new disc and older player.