No one has ever argued this point, one day digital downloads will be the future. The thing is, it is not happening now, it will not happen tomorrow, it will be a long time in the future.
No it isn't. For the vast majority of consumers the way to purchase or rent movies is via optical disc, this will continue to be the way for a number of years. The infrastructure to support full movie digital downloads/streaming to happen over the current internet connections doesn't exist in the majority of the world.
If you only think about your little piece of the world, then maybe it is the current way of doing things, but that would explain a lot of things, especially if you can't think of others situations in this subject.
Sure for right now the majority of content is consumed on physical media. But right is just right now.
You seem to ignore the fact and reason why brick and mortar media stores are closing. Blockbuster is on its last legs.
The reason why Netflix just spent $1 Billion for streaming rights is because it is the fastest growing part of their busines. Netflix is looking for similar deals because its growth is in streaming.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfanning
No it isn't. For the vast majority of consumers the way to purchase or rent movies is via optical disc, this will continue to be the way for a number of years. The infrastructure to support full movie digital downloads/streaming to happen over the current internet connections doesn't exist in the majority of the world.
Sure for right now the majority of content is consumed on physical media. But right is just right now.
You seem to ignore the fact and reason why brick and mortar media stores are closing. Blockbuster is on its last legs.
The reason why Netflix just spent $1 Billion for streaming rights is because it is the fastest growing part of their busines. Netflix is looking for similar deals because its growth is in streaming.
Your case is even stronger than that. The majority of content is already delivered electronically, not via physical media. That is, when you include cable, satellite, fios; both in their regular lineups and via PPV.
The distinction you're probably shooting for revolves around the concept of being able to watch exactly what you want to watch, when you want to watch it. Otherwise, "streaming" would include regular cable programming.
As it stands now, the comparison can be a bit hard to nail down. It all depends on one's preferences when choosing between broadcasts, streaming (including PPV), and physical media. One might say, with streaming I can choose from thousands of unseen titles at any given instant. Yet this can be countered by comparing the available selection of titles on physical media vs a streaming library like netflix. Then this too is countered by, well what do you have at home tonight to watch?
Eventually, the differences in preference will decrease and almost completely disappear. That is, when streaming libraries overtake and eventually dwarf the inventory at physical media stores. At that point, streaming will be the preference for pretty much everyone with sufficient bandwidth.
I think the real debate is about how far out this "eventually" is.
So I finally got around to picking up a Samsung BR player with internet/Netflix.
Holy God. That has to be the single worst set-up/UI experience I've ever had in my life. They should be deeply, deeply ashamed to have shipped such an utter clusterfuck of a hack of an abortion of an "internet experience."
Now that it's up and running it's only mildly blind-rage inducing, in that it routinely forgets its internet settings, decides it can't see the Airport Express all of 10' away, or just mysteriously blanks out when I change inputs.
But the set-up! Where to begin? The completely different data entry scheme for each and every instance where text or numbers are required? The utterly uninformative "user manual"? The near impossible task of even getting it to work with an Apple wireless access point? The different and conflicting menu designs? Wait, I know, the crown jewel: on the ugly internet services screen, there are awkwardly placed icons for Netflix, Pandora, whatever "Samsung@TV" is supposed to be, etc. There's also a very large panel that says "Samsung Internet!" with a picture of cables and apps flying off a screen. You can navigate to it. It gets a blue border when selected, just like, say, the Netflix icon. And when you select it you get a bigger version of the graphic. That's all. Dead end. Really Samsung? You thought that was reasonable? Nobody pointed out that this is pretty much a slap in the face to your customers, a frank admission that you really don't give a shit?
Clearly, the Samsung internet services people got a few square inches of circuit board space and made their interface far, far away from where the Blu-Ray people work. They literally have nothing to do with each other.
I've given Ireland shit for holding out for an Apple branded TV, but this thing makes me long for one.
Oh yeah, and I picked this up cheap, open box at Best Buy (gee, I wonder why they have so many of them?), and it turned out to have the prior owner/victim's Netflix account still on it. How do you delete that and input your own? You wouldn't guess in a million years, and god knows the manual has nothing to say on the topic. Took a call to Netflix, whose brisk efficiency on this count made it sound like they field 1000 calls a day on just that topic. So you navigate to a particular screen and press "Info" on the BR remote. And that brings up the account delete screen. (Begins to cry blood).
Sure for right now the majority of content is consumed on physical media. But right is just right now.
exactly, I am glad you have finally understood this concept. Tomorrow will be a difficult place to get to with the current infrastructure in place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell
You seem to ignore the fact and reason why brick and mortar media stores are closing. Blockbuster is on its last legs.
You ignore the fact that I don't live in the US, so I don't see these stores closing. Like I said, people currently, and will do for a while to come, purchase and rent the majority of their movies via optical disc.
And don't forget that the likes of Amazon are a major reason for stores that sell physical media failing, they can't compete with them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell
The reason why Netflix just spent $1 Billion for streaming rights is because it is the fastest growing part of their busines. Netflix is looking for similar deals because its growth is in streaming.
Like I said, one day digital downloads/streaming will be the market leader method of watching movies, I agree with this point, I don't agree with your "now" timeframe.
So I finally got around to picking up a Samsung BR player with internet/Netflix.
I purchased a samsung DVD player once, it is the last Samsung player I will purchase, I have no issue with their TV's, but their DVD players aren't good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by addabox
I've given Ireland shit for holding out for an Apple branded TV, but this thing makes me long for one.
What makes you think they will do any better, I hate the interface on my Apple TV, it is very poor, and should be an embarrassment for Apple.
Compared to what Samsung's done it's the freaking ceiling of the Cistine Chapel.
Software interface can/will get improved over time. Not a huge issue for most people right now. If Samsung and others decide it is a critical feature, it can be updated via firmware update......
Consumers these days are little more smarter and will find the means to get it work, if they need the feature. However, I do agree that the interface should be as easy as turning on the unit and scrolling through menu with a remote to find all features.
My kids have no problem playing with Wii GUI/interface. I think DVD player interface can also be simplified with proper efforts in the future.
Software interface can/will get improved over time. Not a huge issue for most people right now. If Samsung and others decide it is a critical feature, it can be updated via firmware update......
Consumers these days are little more smarter and will find the means to get it work, if they need the feature. However, I do agree that the interface should be as easy as turning on the unit and scrolling through menu with a remote to find all features.
My kids have no problem playing with Wii GUI/interface. I think DVD player interface can also be simplified with proper efforts in the future.
But software doesn't get better over time just magically, as a matter of course, like the increases in CPU speed or memory. It has to be something a given company thinks is really valuable and important. I would say the Samsung design suggests that those values are not extant at that company. That they see hardware/software/functionality as a collection of parts and features, as stipulated by engineering and marketing people, and that there's no reason on earth to think that they'll make ever make it "better", but rather that they'll just keep sticking more shit in there in response to what they imagine to be competitive pressure.
And I would say even if Samsung took a mind to improving things, that a good quality, integrated UI experience definitely doesn't just get bolted on at some point when a manufacturer gets around to it. They would have to think in terms of platforms, and what they have with this internet stuff is about as far from a platform as it's possible to be.
I think that's why so many manufacturers are swallowing their pride and just going the full Android: they have no idea whatsoever as to how to put together a cohesive experience across devices in such a way as to not cause their customers to just throw up their hands and give up. Pretty obviously analogous to all those "smart phones" pre-iPhone that we kept hearing were way more power than anything from Apple and had had that power for years, so what was the big deal about the iPhone anyway? Which conveniently left out the fact that almost no one used almost any of those features, because they were so horribly implemented.
I'm willing to be that relatively few of the Samsung internet enabled Blu-Ray players are actually accessing the internet (remember, there were a dozen or so open box returns on my local Best Buy shelves). And claiming that people are getting more tech savvy so that hideously ill-designed, tear-off-you-face stupid nonsense is acceptable is insulting.
But software doesn't get better over time just magically, as a matter of course, like the increases in CPU speed or memory. It has to be something a given company thinks is really valuable and important. I would say the Samsung design suggests that those values are not extant at that company. That they see hardware/software/functionality as a collection of parts and features, as stipulated by engineering and marketing people, and that there's no reason on earth to think that they'll make ever make it "better", but rather that they'll just keep sticking more shit in there in response to what they imagine to be competitive pressure.
And I would say even if Samsung took a mind to improving things, that a good quality, integrated UI experience definitely doesn't just get bolted on at some point when a manufacturer gets around to it. They would have to think in terms of platforms, and what they have with this internet stuff is about as far from a platform as it's possible to be.
I think that's why so many manufacturers are swallowing their pride and just going the full Android: they have no idea whatsoever as to how to put together a cohesive experience across devices in such a way as to not cause their customers to just throw up their hands and give up. Pretty obviously analogous to all those "smart phones" pre-iPhone that we kept hearing were way more power than anything from Apple and had had that power for years, so what was the big deal about the iPhone anyway? Which conveniently left out the fact that almost no one used almost any of those features, because they were so horribly implemented.
I'm willing to be that relatively few of the Samsung internet enabled Blu-Ray players are actually accessing the internet (remember, there were a dozen or so open box returns on my local Best Buy shelves). And claiming that people are getting more tech savvy so that hideously ill-designed, tear-off-you-face stupid nonsense is acceptable is insulting.
If the manufacturers are convinced that good UI will move their product off the store shelves, it will happen.
It is already happening with some DVD/Universal player manufacturers. The recent UI on Oppo/Denon players have very easy to use graphical UI for audio set up. This wasn't the case three years ago.
Many consumer end AVR's now include self audio calibration feature, but this was not the case unless you invest in the higher end units within last 5 years.
Give your business to the company/product with features you want. I am sure everyone will eventually catch up to be more competitive. Don't give up just yet. This is why I am still waiting on the right standalone BD player.
exactly, I am glad you have finally understood this concept. Tomorrow will be a difficult place to get to with the current infrastructure in place.
Exactly where did I ever say that people don't use physical media today?
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You ignore the fact that I don't live in the US, so I don't see these stores closing. Like I said, people currently, and will do for a while to come, purchase and rent the majority of their movies via optical disc.
And don't forget that the likes of Amazon are a major reason for stores that sell physical media failing, they can't compete with them.
I did not know you don't live in the US. so I couldn't ignore something I don't know. If stores aren't yet closing in your country yet. It just means you are behind the curve.
Netflix has a billino dollars that says people won't continue to consume physical media the way they have in the past.
Can you show anyone putting up a large investment in continuing physical media distribution?
iTunes is far larger than Amazon.
Quote:
Like I said, one day digital downloads/streaming will be the market leader method of watching movies, I agree with this point, I don't agree with your "now" timeframe.
Your presumption is that streaming doesn't count until it has surpassed physical media. The growth curve has to start before it can replace physical media. The growth is happening right now. Everyone can see where this is going and are preparing for it.
Netflix has acknowledged that more people stream movies than request Blu-ray. Streaming is the fastest growing segment of their business.
Exactly where did I ever say that people don't use physical media today?
You didn't, and I didn't imply that you did.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell
I did not know you don't live in the US. so I couldn't ignore something I don't know. If stores aren't yet closing in your country yet. It just means you are behind the curve.
I have stated that fact a number of times in different threads. Stores close for a number of reasons. In a number of countries Amazon has dramatically changed the way people purchase physical items. LIke I have said, eventually digital downloads will be the way the majority of people purchase/rent movies, but that is still some time away, and it isn't the current reason stores are closing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell
Netflix has a billino dollars that says people won't continue to consume physical media the way they have in the past.
Again, I have agreed with the digital download future, and I will repeat again since you seem to want to ignore this, it will take place in the future, not now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell
Can you show anyone putting up a large investment in continuing physical media distribution?
No, because I don't make it a habit of looking into the business practices of companies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell
iTunes is far larger than Amazon.
Are you claiming that Apple is selling more movies via iTunes than Amazon sells physical DVDs/Bly-rays?
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell
Your presumption is that streaming doesn't count until it has surpassed physical media. The growth curve has to start before it can replace physical media. The growth is happening right now. Everyone can see where this is going and are preparing for it.
Again, you are trying to put words into my mouth, I haven't presumed anything of the sort. I will say this again, and I think I have said it multiple times in this message, I don't disagree with the digital download future, but you want to ignore this fact.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell
Netflix has acknowledged that more people stream movies than request Blu-ray. Streaming is the fastest growing segment of their business.
Very good, again, I think this is the forth time I have said this, I don't disagree with you, it will be a growth segment. And obviously the US has some good infrastructure in place to support this. You must have large data caps, and fast broadband to let you to do this. I hope your internet companies continue to allow you to have these large caps.
Personally, they have to solve a large number of issues associated with the current movie digital downloads before I will use it. A couple of the top of my head that I would like fixed are, they need some quality improvements, personally I don't want to move backwards in quality, they need to solve the interoperability issues, and they need to fix the pricing issues, digital downloads are currently dramatically overpriced.
Is Bluray really better than regular DVD movies? It is quite expensive to buy.
lol. Oh this is gonna be good. (The answer to this question is completely subjective.)
That subjective answer depends on quality of TV, distance from screen, quality of your eyesight, and to some degree, whether you have a personality that pays attention to such differences. The only real answer to this question is to make up your own mind after seeing the difference in person.
With that said... If you have yet to actually see a blu-ray, chances are you aren't the type of person on a quest for the best possible picture quality.
I have stated that fact a number of times in different threads. Stores close for a number of reasons. In a number of countries Amazon has dramatically changed the way people purchase physical items. LIke I have said, eventually digital downloads will be the way the majority of people purchase/rent movies, but that is still some time away, and it isn't the current reason stores are closing.
Stores that sell/rent physical media have little reason to close if people are buying/renting physical media.
Yeah..........Amazon sees the future in shipping paper books is so huge that they made the Kindle......hmmmm.......
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Again, I have agreed with the digital download future, and I will repeat again since you seem to want to ignore this, it will take place in the future, not now.
What you don't seem to understand is that companies wouldn't invest billions into entirely new market segments if the change in the market was not happening right now.
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No, because I don't make it a habit of looking into the business practices of companies.
Obviously..........
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Are you claiming that Apple is selling more movies via iTunes than Amazon sells physical DVDs/Bly-rays?
Its difficult to say they don't break out their individual sales in this way. But yes iTunes as a media store is far bigger than Amazon's media sales.
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Personally, they have to solve a large number of issues associated with the current movie digital downloads before I will use it. A couple of the top of my head that I would like fixed are, they need some quality improvements, personally I don't want to move backwards in quality, they need to solve the interoperability issues, and they need to fix the pricing issues, digital downloads are currently dramatically overpriced.
You say this as I ride the New York City subway and see people watching content on portable devices every day.
Is Bluray really better than regular DVD movies? It is quite expensive to buy.
This depends on a lot things. Just to address your question in the PQ scale of 1 to 5, the best BD master can reach 5 on the PQ scale and the best superbit DVD PQ can reach around soft 4 out of 5. Same thing can be said about audio quality. This is the maximum potential of both technology for home theater environment.
However, the real world impact depends on your AV gear and your set up as mentioned by dfiler.
Bluray is short lived. I received a BR player for xmas but I can't tell you the last time I actually visited a movie rental place, including those rental stands at the g store.
Every aspect of downloading and streaming movies is so much easier and convenient than the in-store purchase that even companies like Blockbuster and Netflix are embracing downloads. Plus, it satisfies my movie craving right then and there without having to leave the living room
Additionally, future movie codecs will get better, rural areas will soon enter the 21st century, and internet connections continue to increase in speed.
Hi, I can't agree with you. High definition is the future. After watching HD movies, I can't tolerate any SD or regular movies anymore.
though I dare not say Bluray is the only choice for HD, currently it seems the only choice I can take.
Is Bluray really better than regular DVD movies? It is quite expensive to buy.
This is DVD. This is Blu-Ray. Do an A/B comparison at full size and you'll see that Blu-Ray is obviously significantly better. Like I've said before, if a person saw the world the way DVD looks their optometrist would prescribe them some hefty corrective lenses.
Comments
No one has ever argued this point, one day digital downloads will be the future. The thing is, it is not happening now, it will not happen tomorrow, it will be a long time in the future.
Its not happening now? Really?
No it isn't. For the vast majority of consumers the way to purchase or rent movies is via optical disc, this will continue to be the way for a number of years. The infrastructure to support full movie digital downloads/streaming to happen over the current internet connections doesn't exist in the majority of the world.
If you only think about your little piece of the world, then maybe it is the current way of doing things, but that would explain a lot of things, especially if you can't think of others situations in this subject.
You seem to ignore the fact and reason why brick and mortar media stores are closing. Blockbuster is on its last legs.
The reason why Netflix just spent $1 Billion for streaming rights is because it is the fastest growing part of their busines. Netflix is looking for similar deals because its growth is in streaming.
No it isn't. For the vast majority of consumers the way to purchase or rent movies is via optical disc, this will continue to be the way for a number of years. The infrastructure to support full movie digital downloads/streaming to happen over the current internet connections doesn't exist in the majority of the world.
Sure for right now the majority of content is consumed on physical media. But right is just right now.
You seem to ignore the fact and reason why brick and mortar media stores are closing. Blockbuster is on its last legs.
The reason why Netflix just spent $1 Billion for streaming rights is because it is the fastest growing part of their busines. Netflix is looking for similar deals because its growth is in streaming.
Your case is even stronger than that. The majority of content is already delivered electronically, not via physical media. That is, when you include cable, satellite, fios; both in their regular lineups and via PPV.
The distinction you're probably shooting for revolves around the concept of being able to watch exactly what you want to watch, when you want to watch it. Otherwise, "streaming" would include regular cable programming.
As it stands now, the comparison can be a bit hard to nail down. It all depends on one's preferences when choosing between broadcasts, streaming (including PPV), and physical media. One might say, with streaming I can choose from thousands of unseen titles at any given instant. Yet this can be countered by comparing the available selection of titles on physical media vs a streaming library like netflix. Then this too is countered by, well what do you have at home tonight to watch?
Eventually, the differences in preference will decrease and almost completely disappear. That is, when streaming libraries overtake and eventually dwarf the inventory at physical media stores. At that point, streaming will be the preference for pretty much everyone with sufficient bandwidth.
I think the real debate is about how far out this "eventually" is.
Holy God. That has to be the single worst set-up/UI experience I've ever had in my life. They should be deeply, deeply ashamed to have shipped such an utter clusterfuck of a hack of an abortion of an "internet experience."
Now that it's up and running it's only mildly blind-rage inducing, in that it routinely forgets its internet settings, decides it can't see the Airport Express all of 10' away, or just mysteriously blanks out when I change inputs.
But the set-up! Where to begin? The completely different data entry scheme for each and every instance where text or numbers are required? The utterly uninformative "user manual"? The near impossible task of even getting it to work with an Apple wireless access point? The different and conflicting menu designs? Wait, I know, the crown jewel: on the ugly internet services screen, there are awkwardly placed icons for Netflix, Pandora, whatever "Samsung@TV" is supposed to be, etc. There's also a very large panel that says "Samsung Internet!" with a picture of cables and apps flying off a screen. You can navigate to it. It gets a blue border when selected, just like, say, the Netflix icon. And when you select it you get a bigger version of the graphic. That's all. Dead end. Really Samsung? You thought that was reasonable? Nobody pointed out that this is pretty much a slap in the face to your customers, a frank admission that you really don't give a shit?
Clearly, the Samsung internet services people got a few square inches of circuit board space and made their interface far, far away from where the Blu-Ray people work. They literally have nothing to do with each other.
I've given Ireland shit for holding out for an Apple branded TV, but this thing makes me long for one.
Oh yeah, and I picked this up cheap, open box at Best Buy (gee, I wonder why they have so many of them?), and it turned out to have the prior owner/victim's Netflix account still on it. How do you delete that and input your own? You wouldn't guess in a million years, and god knows the manual has nothing to say on the topic. Took a call to Netflix, whose brisk efficiency on this count made it sound like they field 1000 calls a day on just that topic. So you navigate to a particular screen and press "Info" on the BR remote. And that brings up the account delete screen. (Begins to cry blood).
Sure for right now the majority of content is consumed on physical media. But right is just right now.
exactly, I am glad you have finally understood this concept. Tomorrow will be a difficult place to get to with the current infrastructure in place.
You seem to ignore the fact and reason why brick and mortar media stores are closing. Blockbuster is on its last legs.
You ignore the fact that I don't live in the US, so I don't see these stores closing. Like I said, people currently, and will do for a while to come, purchase and rent the majority of their movies via optical disc.
And don't forget that the likes of Amazon are a major reason for stores that sell physical media failing, they can't compete with them.
The reason why Netflix just spent $1 Billion for streaming rights is because it is the fastest growing part of their busines. Netflix is looking for similar deals because its growth is in streaming.
Like I said, one day digital downloads/streaming will be the market leader method of watching movies, I agree with this point, I don't agree with your "now" timeframe.
So I finally got around to picking up a Samsung BR player with internet/Netflix.
I purchased a samsung DVD player once, it is the last Samsung player I will purchase, I have no issue with their TV's, but their DVD players aren't good.
I've given Ireland shit for holding out for an Apple branded TV, but this thing makes me long for one.
What makes you think they will do any better, I hate the interface on my Apple TV, it is very poor, and should be an embarrassment for Apple.
What makes you think they will do any better, I hate the interface on my Apple TV, it is very poor, and should be an embarrassment for Apple.
Compared to what Samsung's done it's the freaking ceiling of the Cistine Chapel.
Compared to what Samsung's done it's the freaking ceiling of the Cistine Chapel.
Comparing yourself to a poor performer isn't the best option
Compared to what Samsung's done it's the freaking ceiling of the Cistine Chapel.
Software interface can/will get improved over time. Not a huge issue for most people right now. If Samsung and others decide it is a critical feature, it can be updated via firmware update......
Consumers these days are little more smarter and will find the means to get it work, if they need the feature. However, I do agree that the interface should be as easy as turning on the unit and scrolling through menu with a remote to find all features.
My kids have no problem playing with Wii GUI/interface. I think DVD player interface can also be simplified with proper efforts in the future.
Software interface can/will get improved over time. Not a huge issue for most people right now. If Samsung and others decide it is a critical feature, it can be updated via firmware update......
Consumers these days are little more smarter and will find the means to get it work, if they need the feature. However, I do agree that the interface should be as easy as turning on the unit and scrolling through menu with a remote to find all features.
My kids have no problem playing with Wii GUI/interface. I think DVD player interface can also be simplified with proper efforts in the future.
But software doesn't get better over time just magically, as a matter of course, like the increases in CPU speed or memory. It has to be something a given company thinks is really valuable and important. I would say the Samsung design suggests that those values are not extant at that company. That they see hardware/software/functionality as a collection of parts and features, as stipulated by engineering and marketing people, and that there's no reason on earth to think that they'll make ever make it "better", but rather that they'll just keep sticking more shit in there in response to what they imagine to be competitive pressure.
And I would say even if Samsung took a mind to improving things, that a good quality, integrated UI experience definitely doesn't just get bolted on at some point when a manufacturer gets around to it. They would have to think in terms of platforms, and what they have with this internet stuff is about as far from a platform as it's possible to be.
I think that's why so many manufacturers are swallowing their pride and just going the full Android: they have no idea whatsoever as to how to put together a cohesive experience across devices in such a way as to not cause their customers to just throw up their hands and give up. Pretty obviously analogous to all those "smart phones" pre-iPhone that we kept hearing were way more power than anything from Apple and had had that power for years, so what was the big deal about the iPhone anyway? Which conveniently left out the fact that almost no one used almost any of those features, because they were so horribly implemented.
I'm willing to be that relatively few of the Samsung internet enabled Blu-Ray players are actually accessing the internet (remember, there were a dozen or so open box returns on my local Best Buy shelves). And claiming that people are getting more tech savvy so that hideously ill-designed, tear-off-you-face stupid nonsense is acceptable is insulting.
But software doesn't get better over time just magically, as a matter of course, like the increases in CPU speed or memory. It has to be something a given company thinks is really valuable and important. I would say the Samsung design suggests that those values are not extant at that company. That they see hardware/software/functionality as a collection of parts and features, as stipulated by engineering and marketing people, and that there's no reason on earth to think that they'll make ever make it "better", but rather that they'll just keep sticking more shit in there in response to what they imagine to be competitive pressure.
And I would say even if Samsung took a mind to improving things, that a good quality, integrated UI experience definitely doesn't just get bolted on at some point when a manufacturer gets around to it. They would have to think in terms of platforms, and what they have with this internet stuff is about as far from a platform as it's possible to be.
I think that's why so many manufacturers are swallowing their pride and just going the full Android: they have no idea whatsoever as to how to put together a cohesive experience across devices in such a way as to not cause their customers to just throw up their hands and give up. Pretty obviously analogous to all those "smart phones" pre-iPhone that we kept hearing were way more power than anything from Apple and had had that power for years, so what was the big deal about the iPhone anyway? Which conveniently left out the fact that almost no one used almost any of those features, because they were so horribly implemented.
I'm willing to be that relatively few of the Samsung internet enabled Blu-Ray players are actually accessing the internet (remember, there were a dozen or so open box returns on my local Best Buy shelves). And claiming that people are getting more tech savvy so that hideously ill-designed, tear-off-you-face stupid nonsense is acceptable is insulting.
If the manufacturers are convinced that good UI will move their product off the store shelves, it will happen.
It is already happening with some DVD/Universal player manufacturers. The recent UI on Oppo/Denon players have very easy to use graphical UI for audio set up. This wasn't the case three years ago.
Many consumer end AVR's now include self audio calibration feature, but this was not the case unless you invest in the higher end units within last 5 years.
Give your business to the company/product with features you want. I am sure everyone will eventually catch up to be more competitive. Don't give up just yet. This is why I am still waiting on the right standalone BD player.
exactly, I am glad you have finally understood this concept. Tomorrow will be a difficult place to get to with the current infrastructure in place.
Exactly where did I ever say that people don't use physical media today?
You ignore the fact that I don't live in the US, so I don't see these stores closing. Like I said, people currently, and will do for a while to come, purchase and rent the majority of their movies via optical disc.
And don't forget that the likes of Amazon are a major reason for stores that sell physical media failing, they can't compete with them.
I did not know you don't live in the US. so I couldn't ignore something I don't know. If stores aren't yet closing in your country yet. It just means you are behind the curve.
Netflix has a billino dollars that says people won't continue to consume physical media the way they have in the past.
Can you show anyone putting up a large investment in continuing physical media distribution?
iTunes is far larger than Amazon.
Like I said, one day digital downloads/streaming will be the market leader method of watching movies, I agree with this point, I don't agree with your "now" timeframe.
Your presumption is that streaming doesn't count until it has surpassed physical media. The growth curve has to start before it can replace physical media. The growth is happening right now. Everyone can see where this is going and are preparing for it.
Netflix has acknowledged that more people stream movies than request Blu-ray. Streaming is the fastest growing segment of their business.
Exactly where did I ever say that people don't use physical media today?
You didn't, and I didn't imply that you did.
I did not know you don't live in the US. so I couldn't ignore something I don't know. If stores aren't yet closing in your country yet. It just means you are behind the curve.
I have stated that fact a number of times in different threads. Stores close for a number of reasons. In a number of countries Amazon has dramatically changed the way people purchase physical items. LIke I have said, eventually digital downloads will be the way the majority of people purchase/rent movies, but that is still some time away, and it isn't the current reason stores are closing.
Netflix has a billino dollars that says people won't continue to consume physical media the way they have in the past.
Again, I have agreed with the digital download future, and I will repeat again since you seem to want to ignore this, it will take place in the future, not now.
Can you show anyone putting up a large investment in continuing physical media distribution?
No, because I don't make it a habit of looking into the business practices of companies.
iTunes is far larger than Amazon.
Are you claiming that Apple is selling more movies via iTunes than Amazon sells physical DVDs/Bly-rays?
Your presumption is that streaming doesn't count until it has surpassed physical media. The growth curve has to start before it can replace physical media. The growth is happening right now. Everyone can see where this is going and are preparing for it.
Again, you are trying to put words into my mouth, I haven't presumed anything of the sort. I will say this again, and I think I have said it multiple times in this message, I don't disagree with the digital download future, but you want to ignore this fact.
Netflix has acknowledged that more people stream movies than request Blu-ray. Streaming is the fastest growing segment of their business.
Very good, again, I think this is the forth time I have said this, I don't disagree with you, it will be a growth segment. And obviously the US has some good infrastructure in place to support this. You must have large data caps, and fast broadband to let you to do this. I hope your internet companies continue to allow you to have these large caps.
Personally, they have to solve a large number of issues associated with the current movie digital downloads before I will use it. A couple of the top of my head that I would like fixed are, they need some quality improvements, personally I don't want to move backwards in quality, they need to solve the interoperability issues, and they need to fix the pricing issues, digital downloads are currently dramatically overpriced.
Is Bluray really better than regular DVD movies? It is quite expensive to buy.
lol. Oh this is gonna be good.
That subjective answer depends on quality of TV, distance from screen, quality of your eyesight, and to some degree, whether you have a personality that pays attention to such differences. The only real answer to this question is to make up your own mind after seeing the difference in person.
With that said... If you have yet to actually see a blu-ray, chances are you aren't the type of person on a quest for the best possible picture quality.
I have stated that fact a number of times in different threads. Stores close for a number of reasons. In a number of countries Amazon has dramatically changed the way people purchase physical items. LIke I have said, eventually digital downloads will be the way the majority of people purchase/rent movies, but that is still some time away, and it isn't the current reason stores are closing.
Stores that sell/rent physical media have little reason to close if people are buying/renting physical media.
Yeah..........Amazon sees the future in shipping paper books is so huge that they made the Kindle......hmmmm.......
Again, I have agreed with the digital download future, and I will repeat again since you seem to want to ignore this, it will take place in the future, not now.
What you don't seem to understand is that companies wouldn't invest billions into entirely new market segments if the change in the market was not happening right now.
No, because I don't make it a habit of looking into the business practices of companies.
Obviously..........
Are you claiming that Apple is selling more movies via iTunes than Amazon sells physical DVDs/Bly-rays?
Its difficult to say they don't break out their individual sales in this way. But yes iTunes as a media store is far bigger than Amazon's media sales.
Personally, they have to solve a large number of issues associated with the current movie digital downloads before I will use it. A couple of the top of my head that I would like fixed are, they need some quality improvements, personally I don't want to move backwards in quality, they need to solve the interoperability issues, and they need to fix the pricing issues, digital downloads are currently dramatically overpriced.
You say this as I ride the New York City subway and see people watching content on portable devices every day.
Is Bluray really better than regular DVD movies? It is quite expensive to buy.
This depends on a lot things. Just to address your question in the PQ scale of 1 to 5, the best BD master can reach 5 on the PQ scale and the best superbit DVD PQ can reach around soft 4 out of 5. Same thing can be said about audio quality. This is the maximum potential of both technology for home theater environment.
However, the real world impact depends on your AV gear and your set up as mentioned by dfiler.
Bluray is short lived. I received a BR player for xmas but I can't tell you the last time I actually visited a movie rental place, including those rental stands at the g store.
Every aspect of downloading and streaming movies is so much easier and convenient than the in-store purchase that even companies like Blockbuster and Netflix are embracing downloads. Plus, it satisfies my movie craving right then and there without having to leave the living room
Additionally, future movie codecs will get better, rural areas will soon enter the 21st century, and internet connections continue to increase in speed.
Hi, I can't agree with you. High definition is the future. After watching HD movies, I can't tolerate any SD or regular movies anymore.
though I dare not say Bluray is the only choice for HD, currently it seems the only choice I can take.
Is Bluray really better than regular DVD movies? It is quite expensive to buy.
This is DVD. This is Blu-Ray. Do an A/B comparison at full size and you'll see that Blu-Ray is obviously significantly better. Like I've said before, if a person saw the world the way DVD looks their optometrist would prescribe them some hefty corrective lenses.