Is the future of Blu-ray growing bleak?

[ajmrowland]

yeah, cuz lower quality and no features is worth it.

The scary thing is people think that. The example there (I think was mentioned there) was the music market and how the fate of HDCD and SACD in the music world will also be the fate of Blu-ray.

This is different, though. it's genuinely something noticeable now.


Okay, it's not different. BUT what will those people say when they break their ipods, and their computer crashes? at least with a disc, you dont have to wait to download or download AGAIN.

[ajmrowland]

I think we're forgetting one important factor in the future of blu-ray: The adoption of HDTVs. DVD did well enough because it could work on just about any working analog tv at the time. HD or not, you knew you were getting a format that wasnt designed for a specific type of television. there are loads of homes without even a decent SDTV, let alone an HD set. I think that while adoption rates appear to be faster, it will ultimately depend on how well-equipped the masses are for the format, and we have a bit to go before we're there yet.

[Lazario]

This is the reason I wait to buy most of my Blu-rays at CDTradepost. They have all the new releases within just a few days and they are only about half the price or less.

Check them out, they are one of the better Used Blu-ray, DVD, Game stores in the business today. They put Game Stop to shame, and just about any other Used gaming or movie store there is. Everything is 100% guaranteed.

www.cdtradepost.com

They don't seem to have any Blue Underground titles.

[yamiiguy]

I can't comment on the USA but it feels like people are actually starting to buy Blu-Ray's here in the UK. My local HMV now has a whole aisle instead of a shelf and supermarkets are starting to push them as well.

[dvdjunkie]

Lazario wrote:

They don't seem to have any Blue Underground titles.

They can only stock what gets turned in to them as used. They don't sell any new titles, only those titles turned in for store credit, trade, or cash.

I love Blue Underground and am always on the search for their titles. A couple of our Pawn Shops have had some of the Blue Underground titles that I was looking for.

[BelleGirl]

I watched a Blu-ray movie at my brothers home a few weeks ago (2012) A lot has been claimed about the 'sharpness'of blu ray movies, that it is so much better than DVD. but I didn't notice any difference. Maybe I will when a DVD of the same movie is played alongside a Blu-ray version.

If in future I'm forced to buy a blu-ray player (because my DVD-player is broken and DVD-players aren't avilable anyore, or new DVD's aren't produced anymore) I at least don't have to worry about rebuilding my Disney collection, since Blu ray can play DVD's.

But by that time 3D players and TVs will probably be all the hype and the present Blu-ray players outdated.

[UmbrellaFish]

I watched a Blu-ray movie at my brothers home a few weeks ago (2012) A lot has been claimed about the 'sharpness'of blu ray movies, that it is so much better than DVD. but I didn't notice any difference. Maybe I will when a DVD of the same movie is played alongside a Blu-ray version.

I find, as a bit of an novice myself, that Blu-Ray picture is the most outstanding on animated films and classic movies prior to the digital age. I've said it time and time again, but Sleeping Beauty, my first Blu, just blew me away (no pun intended).

[yamiiguy]

I watched a Blu-ray movie at my brothers home a few weeks ago (2012) A lot has been claimed about the 'sharpness'of blu ray movies, that it is so much better than DVD. but I didn't notice any difference. Maybe I will when a DVD of the same movie is played alongside a Blu-ray version.

If in future I'm forced to buy a blu-ray player (because my DVD-player is broken and DVD-players aren't avilable anyore, or new DVD's aren't produced anymore) I at least don't have to worry about rebuilding my Disney collection, since Blu ray can play DVD's.

But by that time 3D players and TVs will probably be all the hype and the present Blu-ray players outdated.

Pick a better movie next time

I'd say reference quality would be Avatar

[BelleGirl]

I watched a Blu-ray movie at my brothers home a few weeks ago (2012) A lot has been claimed about the 'sharpness'of blu ray movies, that it is so much better than DVD. but I didn't notice any difference. Maybe I will when a DVD of the same movie is played alongside a Blu-ray version.

If in future I'm forced to buy a blu-ray player (because my DVD-player is broken and DVD-players aren't avilable anyore, or new DVD's aren't produced anymore) I at least don't have to worry about rebuilding my Disney collection, since Blu ray can play DVD's.

But by that time 3D players and TVs will probably be all the hype and the present Blu-ray players outdated.

Pick a better movie next time

I'd say reference quality would be Avatar

I don't think I will be able to watch another blu-ray movie very soon. Anyway, I've watched Avatar in 3D on the big screen in cinema and even a blu-ray disc played on a a big flatscreen TV (or projected on the wall with a beamer) is no match to that experience.

[ajmrowland]

next time you ARE able to watch a blu-ray, have it be a movie you've seen a lot.

[milojthatch]

It's not JUST DVD sales that are declining, Blue Ray is not doing as well as many would like. Which is why many studio are looking more and more into online options.

http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2010/08/w ... NetFlix%29

[2099net]

Blu-ray would never, ever be as Big as DVD was/is. It's just impossible - there's more options available to users today than there was when VHS and later DVD were launched.

I don't think anybody in the business expected Blu-ray to end up with - say - over 60% of the DVD market at its peak. If they did, they were being incredibly bullish.

But it doesn't mean Blu-ray is failing if it doesn't achieve DVD levels of sales. Has the PS3 "failed" because it's not reached the heights of the PS2 sales, and hasn't even come close to the remarkable market share the PS2 uses to enjoy?

Are today's popular music acts failing because they don't sell as many singles/albums as they did 10 years ago?

And while movies may seem to constantly rake in record box-office these days, evidence is more people viewed movies a decade ago on average than they do now. (More people went to see the The Phantom Menace or The Lion King than Avatar for example). http://mrob.com/pub/film-video/topadj.html

No. Because in all entertainment choices, people have more options. When people have more options, people fragment their choices.

Regardless of the fact that people are happy with DVD (and fair play to them if they are) Blu-ray is needed, and is not a useless upgrade designed simply to "con" people out of their money and "force" them to rebuy films again (and even if it was - how many people on the Fantasia thread seem willing to rebuy those movies again on DVD, despite the newer release being considerably lacklustre - you don't need Blu-ray to entice people to double-dip). No Blu-ray is required because we can view HD content on our televisions, so its only logical we should be able to purchase and own HD content if we desire to. DVD does not offer customers that option. And it would be ludicrous if the only option for purchasing and keeping a movie or TV series was in an inferior format how it could be viewed on "free to air" television.

[Spottedfeather]

I've been into HD for a while but have yet to get an HD tv. Still, even with a normal tv, you can tell the quality difference.

[milojthatch]

Regardless of the fact that people are happy with DVD (and fair play to them if they are) Blu-ray is needed, and is not a useless upgrade designed simply to "con" people out of their money and "force" them to rebuy films again (and even if it was - how many people on the Fantasia thread seem willing to rebuy those movies again on DVD, despite the newer release being considerably lacklustre - you don't need Blu-ray to entice people to double-dip). No Blu-ray is required because we can view HD content on our televisions, so its only logical we should be able to purchase and own HD content if we desire to. DVD does not offer customers that option. And it would be ludicrous if the only option for purchasing and keeping a movie or TV series was in an inferior format how it could be viewed on "free to air" television.

Um, all those people wanting to re-buy "Fantaisa," that would be the "con" as you put it in motion. Not so hard to figure out if you take the time to do so...the new releases aren't even THAT much of an upgrade. There was more content on the old DVD's frankly.

[2099net]

Regardless of the fact that people are happy with DVD (and fair play to them if they are) Blu-ray is needed, and is not a useless upgrade designed simply to "con" people out of their money and "force" them to rebuy films again (and even if it was - how many people on the Fantasia thread seem willing to rebuy those movies again on DVD, despite the newer release being considerably lacklustre - you don't need Blu-ray to entice people to double-dip). No Blu-ray is required because we can view HD content on our televisions, so its only logical we should be able to purchase and own HD content if we desire to. DVD does not offer customers that option. And it would be ludicrous if the only option for purchasing and keeping a movie or TV series was in an inferior format how it could be viewed on "free to air" television.

Um, all those people wanting to re-buy "Fantaisa," that would be the "con" as you put it in motion. Not so hard to figure out if you take the time to do so...the new releases aren't even THAT much of an upgrade. There was more content on the old DVD's frankly.

Oh yes. The fact that they've paid a vast amount of money and invested a vast amount of time into sprucing up the presentation for the Blu-ray release (you know, the actual films themselves) is a complete non-event.

[The_Iceflash]

To be honest, I would take a superior presentation (picture and sound) over bonus features (that I usually only watch once anyway).

[DarthPrime]

To be honest, I would take a superior presentation (picture and sound) over bonus features (that I usually only watch once anyway).

I'm the same way.

Although most of the time I actually don't watch the bonus features at all. To me they are one of the last things I think about when a new release is announced.

As far as Blu-ray, I agree it is needed right now. With all the HDTVs in homes, a true HD format is a must. DVDs look good on HDTV, but no matter if you upconvert them or not, they still fall behind the picture quality of a Blu-ray if the transfer is done correctly.

[Lazario]

To be honest, I would take a superior presentation (picture and sound) over bonus features (that I usually only watch once anyway).

Ah... but are the majority of movies and shows you watch now / discs you buy for new movies and shows? I heard once that some filmmakers didn't like to do DVD-documentaries and commentaries because they thought the film hadn't earned a cultural reputation yet. Time is one of the things that gives movies substance and context. I think bonus features (regardless of how poorly produced they often are) are more important for films and shows that have had some time to affect us.

[KubrickFan]

Ah... but are the majority of movies and shows you watch now / discs you buy for new movies and shows? I heard once that some filmmakers didn't like to do DVD-documentaries and commentaries because they thought the film hadn't earned a cultural reputation yet. Time is one of the things that gives movies substance and context. I think bonus features (regardless of how poorly produced they often are) are more important for films and shows that have had some time to affect us.

It's a little bit different. Most, if not all, bonus material for new releases are produced when the movie isn't even finished, so the people who worked on it can't really reflect on the finished work simply because it isn't really finished.