Is Disney Done with DVD? (The Never Ending Blu-Ray Debate)

[2099net]

Surely the bigger "scam" is Disney selling a now-substandard product (the Sleeping Beauty Platinum DVD) to millions of people when they have a better quality product available? Especially when the Blu-ray comes with a DVD!!!

But that DVD that comes with the Blue Ray does NOT have all of the bonus features. Making it USELESS in my eyes, as a fan who wants a MEATY release with bonus features!

You can't please all of the people all of the time. It's just impossible to - especially on a budget!

Actually, I can relate to everything you said in your well-written post other than this last part that I quoted.

Thanks

I am NOT anti Blue ray, but the original post in this thread was asking if studios might adapt a model in the near future where the ONLY way to get a standard DVD was to buy the version that comes bundled with a blue ray.

I can't ever see that happening. Who else does it apart from Disney? Nobody. Universal sometimes have special features that overflow from the main Blu-ray disc on second DVDs, but not copies of the movies. Even Disney's only doing it for "big" titles, and I predict they will only continue to do so for a year or so.

Besides, hybrid discs are being experimented with, so perhaps soon most discs will be BD25/DVD9s and compatible on both players (of course, at BD prices).

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2196

[Kyle]

if the hybrid thing worked out that would be the best thing for everyone I would think. that way us videophiles get our high def, and your soccer moms don't get frustrated when they find they cant play the movie they just bought on their 13 inch set with a dvd player.

[ZOOMBOOM0688]

if the hybrid thing worked out that would be the best thing for everyone I would think. that way us videophiles get our high def, and your soccer moms don't get frustrated when they find they cant play the movie they just bought on their 13 inch set with a dvd player.

People STILL wouldn't be happy, They will complain about the price AND it seems some people are so against upgrading to BLU-Ray they would say "I don't even want to have the option" just like they say with the free DVD version.


I KNOW it seems expensive (it isn't) or whatever but I find it so funny that people don't just drop their DVD collections now because BLU-Ray is future proof! So you buy DVDs now THEN in a few years upgrade them?? Doesn't make sense...

[Elladorine]

Some people feel the higher definition is worth the extra price. Some don't. I'd say it's as simple as that. And whether or not it's a "better" format, people resist change. I think what some people are afraid of is that they'll be "forced" to switch formats before they're ready and *have* to spend the extra money on it.

However, I imagine DVD will be around for a few years yet, and knowing that Blu-Ray players are backwards-compatible with DVD's should be reassuring that our current movie collections won't be as obsolete as our old VHS's any time soon (gah, I don't even have a VCR anymore).

As for myself, these days I haven't even been able to keep up with the Disney DVD's I've been wanting like I used to. I imagine I'd be much further behind in trying to keep up with even the handful of Blu-Ray titles Disney is announcing. Yes, they've gotten cheaper overall and so have the players, but when every penny counts DVD can look as good as it did to you back when VHS was still the norm.

My main concern way back when I was trying to upgrade my VHS's to DVD's was not really the higher quality (although it's something I definitely enjoyed), but the fact that DVD's survive so much longer than VHS's. I guess it was a similar mindset to when CD's were replacing audio cassettes; it's a good feeling to know that your little investment is going to keep you entertained for a long, long time.

I can't see myself upgrading my DVD's to Blu-Ray for the sake of upgrading to a better picture, at least not at this point in my life. Maybe when I've got more money to waste.

[MK Sharp]

I KNOW it seems expensive (it isn't) or whatever but I find it so funny that people don't just drop their DVD collections now because BLU-Ray is future proof! So you buy DVDs now THEN in a few years upgrade them?? Doesn't make sense...

"Blu-ray is future-proof"? Well, I'm sure they said the same thing about the microgroove LP in the 1950s...

Given that the vast majority of DVD releases (even, I daresay, of Disney DVD releases) are not released on Blu-ray, it would be somewhat of a pyrrhic victory to buying DVDs on the off-chance that at some point down the track the studios might rerelease the material on Blu. If the studios were really committed to converting the industry to Blu then they'd be issuing many more of their releases in both formats. For all that blu-ray supporters want to insist that DVD is dead, it does appear that in fact the industry has adopted a two-tier system and isn't about to give away DVD for run-of-the-mill releases quickly.


I'm also becoming less and less convinced by the "Blu-ray offers better extras" argument, principally because I've reached the conclusion that a lot of the extras on a lot of DVDs are just rubbish. I've encountered very few supplemental features that have significant rewatch value, and most commentary tracks are an outrageous waste of time. This received wisdom that a DVD / Blu release is not much cop unless it's full of bonus material strikes me as just so much nonsense. A good feature will remain a good feature even if it's released with nothing else on the disc, and a lousy feature will still be awful even with a comprehensive array of additional blether.

[Goliath]

I think it is better to collect Blu-rays than DVDs because HDTV and BLU will NOT change for a while.

I think I stick to collecting 'regular' DVD's, because honestly, on my normal tv (not HD) and with my regular dvd-player I still get cristal-clear images and sound. The quality is top-notch. I just think it's not worth it to spend a lot of extra money on BlueRay when the picture quality I have now is perfect. BlueRay may stick around, but I don't think it will ever really catch on.

I for one, do NOT think Blue ray is a "scam". However, a marketing tactic that would force consumers to buy Blue Rays in order to get a version on DVD without the Disc 2 bonus features at a time when DVD still outsells Blue Rays buy a large margin WOULD be a scam, IMO!

I don't think that will happen anytime soon, but it is what the OP was asking about and I think that is why this thread may seem negative towards blue rays. We have nothing against blue rays, we just want a fair choice and if DVD is going to die off, IMO it should be because the public rejects it, NOT because of being prematurely phased out while still getting the lions share of sales.

Well, for me it wasn't the reason to rail against BlueRay. I simply think BlueRay is nothing more than a slick marketing technique to make people spend twice as much money for a product that is not or only very slightly better than the original product (that being a DVD). Surely you will say consumers have a choice whether they will buy it or not, but if this were really true, nobody would buy any crap they don't need, would they? Advertisement would become useless. The fact is a lot of people can get tricked into buying things they neither need nor have any use of.

Now, since many of you own a BlueRay-player and HD tv, let me make it clear that I was not attacking you. Why would I? I was attacking certain marketing mechanisms and the industry as a whole. I did not intend to attack, patronize, insult or in any other way offend you. I just feel very strongly about this.

I stick with DVD, you stick with BlueRay. "No big." (Which Disney heroine?)

[ZOOMBOOM0688]

"Blu-ray is future-proof"? Well, I'm sure they said the same thing about the microgroove LP in the 1950s...

What I meant by that is that any thing better than blu-ray quality would not be noticeable with the human eye. DVD to Blu is very noticeable, so EVEN if something better than blu comes around then you can TRULY say I have a perfect picture and will stick to that...

I think I stick to collecting 'regular' DVD's, because honestly, on my normal tv (not HD) and with my regular dvd-player I still get cristal-clear images and sound. The quality is top-notch. I just think it's not worth it to spend a lot of extra money on BlueRay when the picture quality I have now is perfect. BlueRay may stick around, but I don't think it will ever really catch on.

The above comment also applies to this AND What happens when your NON-HDTV breaks and you have to buy a NEW one?? They ONLY sell HDTVs now... Then you WILL see the difference...


I am ALSO not trying to attack anyone...I just think some of the comments made seemed like the person was Misinformed and some people seem BITTER because all of a sudden there is something new and the feel they are getting BURNED because (IDK when everyone started collecting DVDs) but some people are pretty new and I can see why they would feel burned or if you have hundreds of DVDs...

LASTLY

BlueRay may stick around, but I don't think it will ever really catch on.

TOO LATE!! Blu ray HAS caught on and more people know about BLU and HAVE BLU then they did about DVD at its age....

[Goliath]

The above comment also applies to this AND What happens when your NON-HDTV breaks and you have to buy a NEW one?? They ONLY sell HDTVs now... Then you WILL see the difference...

They ONLY sell HDTV's now? Not where I live they don't...

I am ALSO not trying to attack anyone...I just think some of the comments made seemed like the person was Misinformed and some people seem BITTER

I don't know if you were talking about me, but I am neither misinformed or bitter.

TOO LATE!! Blu ray HAS caught on and more people know about BLU and HAVE BLU then they did about DVD at its age....

As fas as I know, very little people own a BlueRay player (only about 8% of the American population).

[ZOOMBOOM0688]

No that comment WAS NOT aimed at you... SOME PEOPLE (even Blu-hatters NOT on this board) ARE MISINFORMED OR BITTER...

ALSO, You don't live in the US maybe that's why BUT here in BURBANK, CA where I live, the only STANDARD DEF TVs are SMALL, you have to really search for them and the PRICE is not worth it. (I just think in that aspect BLU IS FUTURE PROOF)

LASTLY, from what I've seen BLU-RAY is doing VERY well for itself and WAY more NON-TECHY people actually know what it is then they did when DVD was new. (That's what I meant) and IDK the actually statistics BUT like I said from what I've seen/heard BLU is doing VERY WELL, EVEN BETTER than DVD did in the same time frame...


NOW I feel like we are all beating a dead horse!!

If you like DVD FINE...
If you like BLU FINE...(you're SMART! ) J/K



PS. I'm sure other BLU-Supporters don't feel this way (right?) BUT I HATE DVD because I feel like in some ways it is keeping BLU from "BLOSSOMING" FASTER , in a way VHS didn't to DVD...

KILL DVD! LONG LIVE BLU-RAY!! (If For nothing it TAKES UP LESS SPACE!!)

[Neal]

Yeah, my Wal-Mart store just sold its last standard def TV unboxed (it was a display unit) for $300. It re-sided the wall so rather than the shelves they had for standard def TVs, it's just holes to mount HDTVs.

[David S.]

Neal's post made me curious about the availability of standard def 4:3 TVs, so I checked WalMart.com out of curiousity.

While hi-def widescreen TVs are the majority of what is available, I did find several standard TVs available from the site, mostly in the 100s or even below 100 dollars - with store locators to find places to buy them in person.

In any case, I won't have to worry about getting a new TV any time soon, as I currently have 3 working standard Tvs which have fantastic calibrations on which my lowly, supposed "piece of crap" DVDs look fantastic, like Goliath said! 2 of these sets are less than 2 years old!

Years from now when and if all three of these tvs break, I guess then I'll have to worry about how awful my beloved DVDs will supposedly look on the new sets.

SOME PEOPLE (even Blu-hatters NOT on this board) ARE MISINFORMED OR BITTER...

PS. I'm sure other BLU-Supporters don't feel this way (right?) BUT I HATE DVD because I feel like in some ways it is keeping BLU from "BLOSSOMING" FASTER , in a way VHS didn't to DVD...

I'm not bitter about Blue Ray but you seem to be towards DVD.

KILL DVD! LONG LIVE BLU-RAY!! (If For nothing it TAKES UP LESS SPACE!!)

Long live DVD!

[ZOOMBOOM0688]

Neal's post made me curious about the availability of standard def 4:3 TVs, so I checked WalMart.com out of curiousity.

While widescreen TVs are the majority of what is available, I did find several standard TVs available from the site, mostly in the 100s or even below 100 dollars - with store locators to find places to buy them in person.

Years from now when and if all three of these tvs break, I guess then I'll have to worry about how awful my beloved DVDs will supposedly look on the new sets.

I ALSO just checked BEST BUY & WAL-MART...

All I saw were 4 options, the biggest 27" and cheapest was $120...

27" SUX for any media type LOL I'm talking about buying a TV for the Familyroom...

Also, It sounds like you HAVE NOT seen a Blu-ray compared to a DVD on a HDTV... is that right? you said "SUPPOSEDLY LOOK..."

ALSO, a TV can be WIDESCREEN and NOT a HDTV... I am talking about HDTVs...

I'm not bitter about Blue Ray but you seem to be towards DVD.

I know I'm coming off as VERY DVD NEGATIVE, BUT I actually still love my DVDs and watch them on my HDTV... I think I just am ready to get a move on....

TECHNOLOGY MOVES WAY TOO SLOW!!!!! I'm ready for tomorrow, today!

[David S.]

27" SUX for any media type LOL I'm talking about buying a TV for the Familyroom...

The largest TV I have and have ever owned is only 27 inches and that is more than big enough for me as I like to sit close. 2 of my tvs are 20 inches and I enjoy them just fine! One has a headphone jack which I find convenient to hear the audio with my headphones without having to run it to another component to listen with phones...

Also, It sounds like you HAVE NOT seen a Blu-ray compared to a DVD on a HDTV... is that right? you said "SUPPOSEDLY LOOK..."

I was referring to the idea that DVDs will supposedly look "Bad" on hi-def TVs.

I have techie friends so actually I have seen the difference and it is IMO nowhere near the giant leap forward that DVD was over VHS. And I didn't think the standard DVDs looked any worse than they did on my standard TVs, which I am quite happy with.

In any case, I am happy with the quality of my DVDs as I am into movies more for the emotional journey they take me on rather than being able to see every last pore on someone's skin. The jokes won't be funnier in hi-def, and when I am welling up with tears during the "Baby Mine" sequence in Dumbo, the sequence will not somehow be even more touching in hi-def.

ALSO, a TV can be WIDESCREEN and NOT a HDTV... I am talking about HDTVs...

Yes, I know - I meant the new, modern, widescreen hi-def tvs. I will fix that in my post above.

[ZOOMBOOM0688]

27" SUX for any media type LOL I'm talking about buying a TV for the Familyroom...

The largest TV I have and have ever owned is only 27 inches and that is more than big enough for me as I like to sit close. 2 of my tvs are 20 inches and I enjoy them just fine! One has a headphone jack which I find convenient to hear the audio with my headphones without having to run it to another component to listen with phones...

Also, It sounds like you HAVE NOT seen a Blu-ray compared to a DVD on a HDTV... is that right? you said "SUPPOSEDLY LOOK..."

I was referring to the fact that DVDs will supposedly look "Bad" on hi-def TVs.

I have techie friends so actually I have seen the difference and it is IMO nowhere near the giant leap forward that DVD was over VHS. And I didn't think the standard DVDs looked any worse than they did on my standard TVs, which I am quite happy with.

In any case, I am happy with the quality of my DVDs as I am into movies more for the emotional journey they take me on rather than being able to see every last pore on someone's skin. The jokes won't be funnier in hi-def, and when I am welling up with tears during the "Baby Mine" sequence in Dumbo, the sequence will not somehow be even more touching in hi-def.

ALSO, a TV can be WIDESCREEN and NOT a HDTV... I am talking about HDTVs...

Yes, I know - I meant the new, modern, widescreen hi-def tvs. I will fix that in my post above.

Well then I understand that. I guess for people with your preferences that's fine.

OMG. my cousins are so annoying, they had a broken down TV that didn't show the color green and everything was ORANGE!! they lived with that thing for over 5 years!!! until it finally died...and NOW they are fine with watching BLURRY videos online on those STUPID sites that are full of logos and stuff like SURFTHECHANNEL.com... THEY EVEN HAVE AN HDTV in the Familyroom but since that is the ONLY TV they have now they don't always use it..

I'm not saying you're like them BUT some people are just FUNNY to me... Especially when they come over and say "OMG Blu-ray is SOOO COOL, it's so much better" THEN they go back to that!!!!

[David S.]

OMG. my cousins are so annoying, they had a broken down TV that didn't show the color green and everything was ORANGE!! they lived with that thing for over 5 years!!! until it finally died...and NOW they are fine with watching BLURRY videos online on those STUPID sites that are full of logos and stuff like SURFTHECHANNEL.com... THEY EVEN HAVE AN HDTV in the Familyroom but since that is the ONLY TV they have now they don't always use it..

I'm not saying you're like them BUT some people are just FUNNY to me... Especially when they come over and say "OMG Blu-ray is SOOO COOL, it's so much better" THEN they go back to that!!!!

No, I'm not like that. For a "non-techie" I'm actually a bit fussy about the settings. When the colors get off like you mentioned I replace a TV.

Also, I'm really big on keeping the color level set right so the colors don't "bloom" and "bleed", and the contrast (white level) low enough so the whites don't blind me (I like to watch in darkness).

My biggest pet peave is when things look too dark and murky and you can't see shadow detail in dark backgrounds because the dark greys all look black. So I make sure the brightness (black level control) is high enough to reproduce the grey scale found on the various THX optimizers. (but not TOO high to lighten "true" black)

It is with all of these settings in the correct place that I am referring to when I say I am VERY happy with my standard TVs and DVDs!

[ZOOMBOOM0688]

For a "non-techie" I'm actually a bit fussy about the settings. When the colors get off like you mentioned I replace a TV.

HAHA, I actually don't refer to my self as a TECHIE or anything, but i guess I am. I just love technology and I do know a lot more about technology than the normal person but I don't think of myself as a "PRO"

I laugh when even ppl from like "BEST BUY" are labeled "PRO", They don't know more than the average techie. HOWEVER, the last time I was at BEST BUY I was impressed with the employee there, but a lot of times I feel like I have to teach the person who is supposed to HELP ME!

With that being said I think we have strayed off-topic from the "IS DISNEY DONE WITH DVD" subject.
This was SOOOO FUN!!! I always read these forums but RARELY post anything, so it was fun to contribute, especially on something I am passionate about...

[MK Sharp]

Blu ray HAS caught on

It's making up less than 2% of sales in Britain, France and Australian, and only 5% of the US market, according to a recent article in The Age.

But more telling is the large number of titles that are still being released on DVD only, particularly TV titles. Unless we start seeing a vast increase in the number of titles either released in parallel DVD and Blu, or in Blu only, Blu is hardly going to be much of a threat to the DVD. Disney, like all other studios, are a long way from being finished with DVD.

I agree that Blu is capable of delivering some very nice pictures on an HD display, but as has been pointed out, lots of people put up with crappy TV reception and never do anything about it, so the imperative to go to HD just isn't there for a lot of the population.

I foresee Blu existing alongside DVD rather like SACD exists alongside CD (albeit slightly more successfully) until both are swept away by the next significant medium change.

[blueleo65]

With the upcoming television broadcast transition to HD, it's clear that the future is in HD & BD. Virtually all new TVs sold are HDTVs and most are in 1080p. It is clear we are heading to a Blu-ray only universe simply because it's the true compatible format to HDTVs. Developing, marketing and producing two formats is more expensive and I could see why Disney and others want to push the Blu-ray format on the public. The quicker the market will adapt to Blu-ray, the quicker Disney and others can save money by halting DVD production. I myself, will only buy Blu-ray from now on, and I wait until it's at a fair price. I won't pay 35-40 dollars for Wall-e 3 disc. So I'll wait till it comes down to a more reasonable price.

[gardener14]

Virtually all new TVs sold are HDTVs and most are in 1080p.

There have been a few references to 1080p being the true hd resolution, but isn't it true that the difference between 720 and 1080 is indetectible on a tv under a certain size...say around 40 inches?

[drfsupercenter]

The above comment also applies to this AND What happens when your NON-HDTV breaks and you have to buy a NEW one?? They ONLY sell HDTVs now... Then you WILL see the difference...

Right, this is why I'm saying it's a scam. The whole idea HDTV manufacturers have is to get CRTs off the market so they can sell their overpriced crap and then force you to buy Blu-Ray players. Think of who makes the Blu-Ray players. If you said "the same companies that make the TVs", you're correct.

You know what really pisses me off? Those 17" 720p LCDs. The picture quality on those is TERRIBLE! A friend of mine has one, it's hooked up via component cable to an Xbox 360 and other "high definition" sources... and it looks like utter crap. Compared to my 25" CRT TV anyway...
So HD is not always better. Higher resolution is nice, but some displays just plain suck.

I'm not anti-HD or anti-Blu-Ray, I just wish people would do the research themselves and stop saying "Oh, Blu-Ray looks SOOOOOO much better than DVD on my fancy $3000 plasma, it must be the future technology!"
Because, seriously. I've seen home theaters with at least 50" (some of them bigger than your average 1080p HDTV) and they look far better, using only standard definition. It's not about the price of the TV, but how the image is displayed... and that's why I still think projecting will always top HDTVs.