Downloads vs. Discs - An Analysis

[majorloser]

Forgetting the idea of steaming media for now. The bandwidth needed is just not available.

But I have always said the DL world will quickly catch up to physical media. It will most likely not surpass physical media, but can easily give excellent audio and video results. And I really don't see why the time it take to actually download really matters.

Let's take Netflix for example. You place movies you wish to receive in your queue. These may be movies not yet released or even current run movies. Now I don't know about how fast your Netflix service is, but I certainly don't receive same day service and in most cases it might take weeks to receive a new release movie.

If I had the ability to have my unused internet bandwidth utilized for downloading the movie I would surely get it faster. Even if it took 24 hours to download. And the movies in the queue could continue to download until the entire list is satisfied.

I would even pay for a subscription service "set top" DVR device, as long as I receive full bandwidth audio and video. And I don't have a problem with DRM that limits the time a movie can remain active. You have to return rental discs now, so what's the difference.

 

[lsiberian]

Exactly. You phrased it better than I would, and you made it so that I didn't have to try. Thanks!

As for the concept of freely shared knowledge, we keep things secret for several reasons - and those reasons would need to be addressed before sharing everything with everybody would be a good idea.

"Jimmy seems depressed, but we think that building that fusion bomb will help cheer him up."

Yeah that's for sure. But most knowledge isn't that dangerous. Thankfully building a nuke is very hard to do. Almost as hard as posting on this forum.

 

[Lordoftherings]

Only one winner will remain at the end.

It's not the side that we choose that is the right side between Downloading vs. Physical Discs, it's the one that will eventually kill them all, and that we'll follow, like it or not. After all, it's all about money.
And we certainly know by now which one it is.
And I'm all for, screw the greed of Hollywood and the big Studios.

And the people that stay on the wrong side, they're the ones that like to be screw further.

The cheapest way is always the winning way, everything else being equal.

Bob

 

[Bryant Trew]

I've already replaced several DVDs as new "special editions" come out. I've spent a whole lot of money on movies. Hollywood expecting me to spend such a premium to replace my old movies again is just insane. I don't want to buy the DVD only to find the bluray at the same price a year later. I don't want to buy the bluray, for fear of a special edition bluray to come out later (eg. Lord of the Rings). So in the end the pricing model has stopped me buying DVDs as well. Further, the film reviewers these days seem to be right in Hollywood's pockets, further deepening my skepticism. This slap in the face has actually pushed me into renting, and much is being done via AppleTV.

PS: I've got a $30k home theatre, yet I'm simply not going to budge on these high bluray prices.

 

[Robof83]

A Drobo, which is an expensive way to get storage, is only 900 bucks for the Drobo unit and 4 terabytes of storage. Someone who wanted to spend some time shopping could get 4 terabytes muucchh cheaper. A decent looking piece of furniture to store movies in costs more than 900 bucks.

I bought a decent looking DVD shelf for $30. Not saying this is the norm, but if you shop around for a bit you can find a good deal. You definitely don't have to pay more than $900.

 

[Lordoftherings]

I bought a decent looking DVD shelf for $30. Not saying this is the norm, but if you shop around for a bit you can find a good deal. You definitely don't have to pay more than $900.

DVD shelf for $30??? About a Blu-ray shelf for your computer storage space (inside)?

Storage (terabytes) will only get cheaper and cheaper, and high res. will only get better and faster to download (fiber optic anyone). Heck, we're already at the door of 4K. And wireless HDMI too. And HDMI version 1.4b... Well...

 

[MidnightSensi]

It's not the side that we choose that is the right side between Downloading vs. Physical Discs, it's the one that will eventually kill them all, and that we'll follow, like it or not. After all, it's all about money.
And we certainly know by now which one it is.
And I'm all for, screw the greed of Hollywood and the big Studios.

And the people that stay on the wrong side, they're the ones that like to be screw further.

The cheapest way is always the winning way, everything else being equal.

Bob

That's right. And every trick and encryption and code and this and that they come up with, some 15 year old will crack it and give it to everyone for nothing.

I bought a decent looking DVD shelf for $30. Not saying this is the norm, but if you shop around for a bit you can find a good deal. You definitely don't have to pay more than $900.

Well, yeah, but, a lot of nice looking furniture is pretty expensive. My girlfriend sure doesn't buy 30 dollar furniture. I sure would. haha

I just said that to make a statement though.

 

[MDS]

That's right. And every trick and encryption and code and this and that they come up with, some 15 year old will crack it and give it to everyone for nothing.

Right, and the 'hacker' in a sci-fi flick cracks multiple layers of encryption in 60 seconds with a gun to his head (think Swordfish).

Reality check...if encryption were so poor, it would be absolutely worthless.

 

[MidnightSensi]

Right, and the 'hacker' in a sci-fi flick cracks multiple layers of encryption in 60 seconds with a gun to his head (think Swordfish).

Reality check...if encryption were so poor, it would be absolutely worthless.

Reality check. Every encryption they have come out with so far has been broken. Not only have all of them been broken, but they make tools so that any idiot like me can rip them.

 

[Lordoftherings]

Blu-ray gets Online Database.

Just some quick news.

* http://www.hometheatermag.com/news/062509bludbase/

 

[Crackinjahcs]

Physical media fan here.

If I buy something (please don't bring up license to use and all that) I actually want an original physical copy of the item in my possesion.

I travel to some pretty remote places where I'm lucky to have power for more than a few hours a day, let alone cellphone signal and internet access. I can bring a small library of titles that take up about as much space and weight as a portable hard drive and are usually at least as durable.

If I want to take the time to rip an "archive" copy of my media to a stick or portable hard drive I can. If the drive craps out I can rip it again because I still have the original stored in a safe place. So that argument is a wash for both sides if people are smart enough to back up their data.

What really grinds my gears is when you need both, the physical media and an internet connection, to use something you purchased. I recently bought a game that requires an active internet connection to even play the single player portion of the game. (See my comment about power and internet access earlier.)

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

For music, I definitely download. Even WAV music files are small enough in size.

But a 50GB blu-ray movie with DTS-HD MA or LPCM? Forget about it!

 

[Lordoftherings]

Physical media fan here.

If I buy something (please don't bring up license to use and all that) I actually want an original physical copy of the item in my possesion.

I travel to some pretty remote places where I'm lucky to have power for more than a few hours a day, let alone cellphone signal and internet access. I can bring a small library of titles that take up about as much space and weight as a portable hard drive and are usually at least as durable.

If I want to take the time to rip an "archive" copy of my media to a stick or portable hard drive I can. If the drive craps out I can rip it again because I still have the original stored in a safe place. So that argument is a wash for both sides if people are smart enough to back up their data.

What really grinds my gears is when you need both, the physical media and an internet connection, to use something you purchased. I recently bought a game that requires an active internet connection to even play the single player portion of the game. (See my comment about power and internet access earlier.)

Ever heard of wireless internet? Or battery pack solar energy rechargeable?

 

[GlocksRock]

Ever heard of wireless internet? Or battery pack solar energy rechargeable?

That's not always practical, and who wants to carry all that extra crap around with them.

 

[Lordoftherings]

That's not always practical, and who wants to carry all that extra crap around with them.

It's already in your cell phone! Next, it'll be in your watch! Then, in your special glasses!
And finally, inserted in your skin through a miniature micro-chip!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Okay, today we have 1080p & 50G BD.

Soon we will have 8K resolution & 150G BD.

Who wants to download 150G?

Like my 6 yr old daughter always says, "Not I!"

 

[Lordoftherings]

Who wants to download 150G?

Like my 6 yr old daughter always says, "Not I!"

LOL, love that one. I can just see her face when she says that.

 

[ZeosPantera]

As a computer person I would rather have the convenience of a copy on my hard drive. But unless I am willing to use 25-50 gigs of space per movie in an uncompressed 1080P rip form, Discs have the advantage just not the convenience.

 

[chris357]

I guess for me if my pc never crashed, my hard drive never failed and the internet was always 100% instant and reliable ... well... then it would be my audio system already

i'm in the camp that likes physical media... in fact before my ipod I woudl copy all my discs so i had a copy for my car that if it got stolen or damaged i woudl still have my original safe at home.

in this I love my ipod, I'm not one for walking with headphones anymore so for me its all about the car and having my whole cd selction everywhere i go. much nicer than having 300 burned cd's rolling around.

i also have an apple tv so when i'm lazy and just listening around the house I have everything available.. beside the cool factor of the remote feature in my iphone (the chicks dig it)

this being said I still have everything ripped at apple lossless sound so it is space hungry. which is why I have teh 160 gb ipod and apple tv.

but i will always buy my cd's they may sit in a corner and not come out very often, only when some better way coes to rip them, or my computer crashes and i loose everything or my ext hard drive crashes and I loose everything (yeah I need to work on my back up abilities) so yes I'm on my 3rd time ripping 400 plus cd's

i also used to buy DVD's now i rent mostly via block buster online or netflix.. and I still like the actual disk but I may try the down load deal for kicks.. (to many scratched dvd's) but for keepers I'll buy them.. and if they are that good then I will buy the blu ray as well..

anyway thats my long winded 5 cents

 

[Lordoftherings]

^ I'll go for that. ^

^ This is absolutely a very valid point.