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Hi-Def Media Lovefest: The war is over and we can all go home.

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B

border

Member
SteveMeister said:
On the other hand, there's NetFlix and Hulu. But personally I think that on-demand services from cable & satellite are where most consumers are going to turn.
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NetFlix and Hulu don't work on TV sets. AFAIK satellites, by the nature of their technology, cannot support "on demand" movies. So there's roughly 30 million subscribers out there with no option for that sort of thing.
 
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Home Media Magazine
 
V

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
Thread title just took a hilarious twist. :lol

Sony Pictures Television announced today that online retailers will soon be able to offer Sony content for download in DivX format. The news came as part of a partnership with DivX, Inc. that will also let those files be playable on DivX Certified devices. "We are dedicated to finding legitimate outlets for our content and to that end are excited to be working with DivX to provide retailers with an expanded ecosystem for the digital distribution and playback of our digital media," said Sony Pictures executive VP of Digital Distribution & Mobile Entertainment, Michael Arrieta.

A spokesperson for DivX, Kristina Weise, told Ars that this would offer consumers high-quality Hollywood content in DivX for the first time ever, and that the deal would cover "all titles in the Sony Pictures Television library." She also said that all titles would be download-to-own, but that there will be some type of unspecified DRM. Tracking down those DivX Sony movies might be a challenge, though. "We have no announcements with retailers at this time," she told us.

The news comes just a few weeks after Sony added official DivX support to its PlayStation 3, which had been announced in November. Microsoft beat Sony to the punch, however, with its fall update to the Xbox 360 that included support for DivX. At the very least, owners of next-gen consoles (save the Wii, of course) will be able to watch Sony's movies whenever they become available. When will that be? Wise said that the movies will be available in DivX format on the same day as the DVD release of each title. Assuming there will be retailers to sell it, that is.

The move is definitely good news for the DivX camp, which hails the deal as the first with a major content distributor. Fans of shows from Sony—which include such hits as Jeopardy!, Dawson's Creek, and Seinfeld—can rejoice, because they'll finally have a legal way to download their favorite shows.
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S

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
I wonder if Sony would ever consider its movies on XBLA. It seems counterintuitive, but if there is real money being made off the service.. I actually really like the system as a rental service, and wouldnt mind it being more complete.
 
V

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
StoOgE said:
I wonder if Sony would ever consider its movies on XBLA. It seems counterintuitive, but if there is real money being made off the service..
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Of course they eventually will. All this garbage about MS on the HD DVD side, when its obvious EVERYBODY is hedging their bets. Including Sony. I always knew the MS bashing in this thread was as much about console wars as the Sony Blu Ray hating.
 
S

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
border said:
NetFlix and Hulu don't work on TV sets. AFAIK satellites, by the nature of their technology, cannot support "on demand" movies. So there's roughly 30 million subscribers out there with no option for that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

DirecTV has on-demand.

As far as NetFlix and Hulu go, they'll work just fine on a TV set if you have a media center PC. But that wasn't really my point. You were complaining that "it seems like digital stuff is always priced the same as the storebought products." NetFlix uses a monthly subscription fee to govern how many movies you can stream per month, and Hulu is ad-supported. On-demand programming is generally part of the normal subscription fee for cable or satellite, or is available at a nominal additional monthly amount. My point was that there ARE other models than "buying" the movie or even paying a per-rental charge.
 
O

OokieSpookie

Banned
VanMardigan said:
Of course they eventually will. All this garbage about MS on the HD DVD side, when its obvious EVERYBODY is hedging their bets. Including Sony. I always knew the MS bashing in this thread was as much about console wars as the Sony Blu Ray hating.
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No, the ms hating was about them fluffing up toshiba and whispering in their ear causing this whole thing to drag on.
There is no shock in the fact that Sony is working on downloads just like there is no shock that disney movies have been available to download for some time and fox, warner and others will also make their movies downloadble through multiple sources.
STop trying to invent shit when there is none.
 
V

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
OokieSpookie said:
No, the ms hating was about them fluffing up toshiba and whispering in their ear causing this whole thing to drag on.
There is no shock in the fact that Sony is working on downloads just like there is no shock that disney movies have been available to download for some time and fox, warner and others will also make their movies downloadble through multiple sources.
STop trying to invent shit when there is none.
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So there is no shock when EVERYONE ELSE hedges their bet in both physical media and digital dowloads, but the minute MS does so, spending significant amount of money on BOTH, they're evil?

That's console fanboyism, and you're not exempt.
 
O

OokieSpookie

Banned
border said:
NetFlix and Hulu don't work on TV sets. AFAIK satellites, by the nature of their technology, cannot support "on demand" movies. So there's roughly 30 million subscribers out there with no option for that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

I think netflix works through tivo...or is it amazon..one of those.
 
B

border

Member
SteveMeister said:
DirecTV has on-demand.
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Not over-the-satellite though....that's essentially just a VUDU with DirectTV's branding. Though that's purely nitpicking =)

On-demand programming is generally part of the normal subscription fee for cable or satellite, or is available at a nominal additional monthly amount.
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That's what is a little odd, though. OnDemand has been on Comcast for years now, and it hasn't exactly set the world on fire. I don't think I've once overheard people talking about using the service, and Netflix/Blockbuster don't seem too threatened by it. So far it seems like digital distribution isn't making a dent in the retail sale or rental of films.
 
V

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
_leech_ said:
Unless it's at least 20+Mbps 1080p with 5.1 audio, it's still as useless as any other digital movie distribution service.
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:lol

Yeah, I'm sure that's what everyone's thinking. Though I agree with you, it seems everyone is getting involved in DD, and I'm worried that the mainstream won't be as...........demanding.....as you and I are in terms of video and audio quality. :(
 
B

border

Member
VanMardigan said:
So there is no shock when EVERYONE ELSE hedges their bet in both physical media and digital dowloads, but the minute MS does so, spending significant amount of money on BOTH, they're evil?
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Errrrr.....who said MS was evil for pushing two technologies?

MS was criticized for encouraging a protracted format war. Not for investing R&D into physical media and digital distribution.
 
D

dallow_bg

nods at old men
Jim said:
I'm not a repeat movie watcher, so I never buy unless the movie is like one of my all time favs, or my kids have any interest in it.
Even though a lot of people complain about the ending, I was thoroughly entertained all the way through.

Also, looks like the Warner delay window is ~3 weeks for new releases (stolen from AVS). Doesn't seem to apply for catalog releases.
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3 week delay between BD and HD DVD versions?
Another ouchie, I thought it was supposed to be 1 week.
 
S

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
border said:
Not over-the-satellite though....that's essentially just a VUDU with DirectTV's branding. Though that's purely nitpicking =)
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Hehe yes it is :)

border said:
That's what is a little odd, though. OnDemand has been on Comcast for years now, and it hasn't exactly set the world on fire. I don't think I've once overheard people talking about using the service, and Netflix/Blockbuster don't seem too threatened by it. So far it seems like digital distribution isn't making a dent in the retail sale or rental of films.
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You're still missing my point. Digital distribution is the COMBINATION of things like digital downloads, streaming, and on-demand programming, and it is that COMBINATION that some of us feel will prevent high-definition physical media from reaching the market penetration that DVD has.
 
B

border

Member
SteveMeister said:
You're still missing my point. Digital distribution is the COMBINATION of things like digital downloads, streaming, and on-demand programming, and it is that COMBINATION that some of us feel will prevent high-definition physical media from reaching the market penetration that DVD has.
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That's easy to say when BluRay players are $400-500, but short sighted when you consider that they'll be hitting $79-99 sooner or later. At some point, the allure of ownership takes over when the price is cheap enough. I think digital stuff may cut into the tie-ratio of movies:players, or the rental business.....but I think ultimately everyone will want some kind of physical playback mechanism in their house. Someone in the Gaming forum version of this thread pointed out that even with iTunes' popularity, digital music only represents 11% of the music industry (with a large portion of that being ringtones bullshit).

Part of my point though is that there is a TON of SD content available OnDemand or for digital purchase, but very few people seem to be viewing it as an alternative to purchasing DVDs (and even less do they see it as an alternative to owning a DVD player). I don't see when or why this switchover to a "digital" mindset is going to happen.
 
P

polyh3dron

Banned
DarkJediKnight said:
Those numbers seems to include the HD DVD Amazon BOGO. Next week might include the Blu-ray numbers. If so, it'll probably be closer to 80:20.
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LOL and this was largely before WB's announcement. I predict 80:20 for the week after as well.
 
S

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
border said:
That's easy to say when BluRay players are $400-500, but short sighted when you consider that they'll be hitting $79-99 sooner or later. At some point, the allure of ownership takes over when the price is cheap enough. I think digital stuff may cut into the tie-ratio of movies:players, or the rental business.....but I think ultimately everyone will want some kind of physical playback mechanism in their house. Someone in the Gaming forum version of this thread pointed out that even with iTunes' popularity, digital music only represents 11% of the music industry (with a large portion of that being ringtones bullshit).

Part of my point though is that there is a TON of SD content available OnDemand or for digital purchase, but very few people seem to be viewing it as an alternative to purchasing DVDs. I don't see when or why this switchover to a "digital" mindset is going to happen.
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Maybe. But there's a lot of companies pouring a lot of money into digital distribution. And again -- I'm not TALKING about DVDs. Everyone already HAS a DVD player. But as time progresses, more & more people have broadband connections, more & more people have digital distribution venues available to them, and they are made aware of them, digital distribution is going to be a MUCH bigger market than it is now. And I believe it is likely that over time, that will prevent Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) from selling as much as many players and movies as DVD has.

As far as a playback mechanism, that's the set-top box that they already get when they have cable or satellite, anyway. Why buy an additional piece of hardware if you can get the same content at will through that box? If you only intend to watch a movie once, why pay $20 or whatever for a physical disc when you can pay $2 or $5 (or a monthly subscription fee) to watch it once? See what I'm getting at?

Of course, it could go either way. But broadband and on-demand weren't around when DVD hit the scene, and I think that digital distribution is going to impact sales of the new high-def physical media. I don't think it's going to KILL physical media -- but I do think that Blu-Ray isn't going to sell anywhere near as much as DVD has done.
 
M

msdstc

Incredibly Naive
DarkJediKnight said:
Those numbers seems to include the HD DVD Amazon BOGO. Next week might include the Blu-ray numbers. If so, it'll probably be closer to 80:20.
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you seem to forget the biggest part... the WB announcement had not happened yet. This combined with 3:10 to yuma and various other releases will almost guarantee an 80:20 victory:D
 
NekoFever

NekoFever

Member
VanMardigan said:
:lol

Yeah, I'm sure that's what everyone's thinking. Though I agree with you, it seems everyone is getting involved in DD, and I'm worried that the mainstream won't be as...........demanding.....as you and I are in terms of video and audio quality. :(
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They won't be. Look how many people are happy to buy DRM-laden 128kbps songs from iTunes. A step down in quality from CDs, but people want the convenience.
 
B

border

Member
SteveMeister said:
As far as a playback mechanism, that's the set-top box that they already get when they have cable or satellite, anyway. Why buy an additional piece of hardware if you can get the same content at will through that box? If you only intend to watch a movie once, why pay $20 or whatever for a physical disc when you can pay $2 or $5 (or a monthly subscription fee) to watch it once? See what I'm getting at?
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Because when there's something I really love, I want to own a copy of it....so I can loan it to friends or take it on a long plane/road trip? So I'm assured that the film I want isn't taken out of my provider's playlist? Or hell, what if a content provider starts another exclusivity war amongst digital distributors, like the one we just got out of with BR/HD-DVD?

Or how about just owning something so I don't have to navigate my cable provider's slow, poorly designed menu system to get to it? I still believe interface is a major hurdle here, and one that is mostly ignored. ITMS's success was due in large part just to its simplicity and usability. I dread having to browse films on my Comcast box. XBLM's interface is pretty wretched as well, but better than I remembered the last time I used it.

On-demand services are great for trash you want to watch and never see again. I watched 2 hours of American Gladiators on Hulu.com the other night. But for something I really love (like say, the 3rd season of Battlestar Galactica), I can't say I'd ever rely on anything other than physical ownership.....at least not until that magical day in the distant future when everything ever made is readily available both wirelessly and at home.

But broadband and on-demand weren't around when DVD hit the scene, and I think that digital distribution is going to impact sales of the new high-def physical media. I don't think it's going to KILL physical media -- but I do think that Blu-Ray isn't going to sell anywhere near as much as DVD has done.
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I'm not saying that on-demand should be dominating DVD, but it doesn't seem to have any mindshare at all right now....even having been around for years. I think the number of BR discs sold may be less, but I think ultimately having at least 1 player will be pretty much a standard.
 
A

avaya

Member
Katana_Strikes said:
OMG!

Does anyone know if they'll ship these to the UK and what shipping is?
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Buy a bunch and it will work out cheaper

EDIT: Check region for some of them. Some are locked
 
Y

yacobod

Banned
damn some of those prices on discs have dropped

i need to stop buying movies at release, i think superbad was 28.99 at amazon, its now 20.99 for comparison, etc etc for a bunch of different releases
 
M

mollipen

Member
polyh3dron said:
LOL and this was largely before WB's announcement. I predict 80:20 for the week after as well.
Click to expand...

Well, wait... shouldn't the numbers we get next week be for this week, as in the week that kicked off with Warner's announcement?
 
V

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
dallow_bg said:
Mmmmmm Deer Hunter.

I'll wait for the BD version. :(
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This is excruciating. :(
I want Old School and Anchorman, but I want to wait for Paramount to make some sort of statement before I decide whether to buy any more of their movies.
 
V

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
border said:
Yeah but the difference is that the BD discs might get more expensive once the sale ends....whereas the HD-DVDs are only going to get cheaper as they rocket towards bargain bins.
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I don't see how that concerns you.
 
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