Is it still worth owning DVD's? (1 Viewer)

[David_B_K]

This thread has two branches. One is "renting vs owning". the other is "continuing to buy S-DVD now that HD-DVD is a reality".

I rent a lot more than I used to. I probably have 400+ dVDs, and I am trying to avoid blind-buying movies I will probably not watch again. Unless it's a classic, or simply something that I really loved at the box office, I prefer to rent.

As to the second part, I liked this post by Ted Todorov:



After I got a HDTV, I was blown away by the picture quality @ 480p (my previous projection TV did not have component inputs). However, when I started watching HDTV broadcasts in 1080i, saw that 480p, while good, was not really HD.

So, I bought a Sony upconverting player that connects via HDMI. This IMO is quite an improvement over 480p. I bought a couple of Rudy Maxa's travel videos, which I'd seen on PBS in 1080i. they are shot in that resolution, and with my player and set, the S-DVDs look pretty much the same as the broadcast.

I will upgrade to HD-DVD when all the bugs are worked out of the hardware, when the formats are more stablized, and when there are more titles avaialble. Until then, upconverted S-DVD looks quite good to me. However, i appreciate that S-DVD is not as good as HD-DVD. Even so-called "reference quality" S-DVDs will exhibit artifacting in some sequences, so I, for one, will enjoy the higher bitrate of HD-DVD.

One more thing about "Joe Six-Pack"'s acceptance of new formats: Joe never did buy into laserdisc, so comparing the S-DVD format to laserdisc is inappropriate, IMO (HD-DVD is the one that should be compared to Laserdisc). What sold him on DVD is the relative cheapness of hardware and software, the small size of the discs, the addition of special features, and most importantly-instant access to any spot on the disc. VHS was strictly linear, and required lots of fast-forwarding and rewinding. Also, VHS was prone to wear and damage from constant play. DVD offered ease of play, and something close to permanence. The jump from VHS technology to DVD is huge IMO, in terms of the user interface. S-DVD to HD-DVD is going to look like the same format to Joe Six-pack, who will not buy into the better picture quality, especially if he is the type who does not even connect his current DVD player to a digital surround system (and we know the vast majority do not).

So, IMO, the HD-DVD market is at the stage laserdisc was: appealing to the hard-core early adopters who can appreciate everything the new technology can offer, and Laserdisc never did cross over to mass acceptance. So far, I don't think the masses are even aware of HD-DVD's existence. When prices come down, it may be that people will adopt without being aware they are doing so, if all their old discs continue to play on the new hardware.

 

[Chris Atkins]

And let me return the favor by congratulating you on actually posting here...

 

[Billy Fogerty]

agree with Jeff on the renting issue. I tried Netflix way back when I first started out, but I found that it forced me to watch the movies during their 'rental' time. I didn't like that. I actually had to return unwatched DVD's because by the time I got them, either I was too busy or didn't want to watch them at that particular moment.
You can keep the dvd as long as you want. What is their rental time?

 

[Billy Fogerty]

So you would rather pay for a dvd, then wait a day or two to see it.?? And if it stinks you are stuck with it?NetFlix has expanded so much the waiting time is about two days. I have never had a problem.

 

[Shawn Cornwell]

I'm a classic movie buff, and the box sets seal the deal for me. During the bi-annual DDD sale, most of the box sets I buy have prices per movie ranging from around $5.00-$8.00, including some two-disc special editions. I have 400 + titles now, and box sets figure prominently in my collection.

Netflix would still be cheaper, but I like the fact I can watch 5 movies one week, then watch nothing the next, without feeling the need to keep watching frequently in order to maximize my Netflix account. The convinence of having a large list of titles at my disposal is worth the extra cost (and again, those DDD sales make collecting affordable).

 

[Lars Vermundsberget]

Note that I also wrote:

"Besides, the fact that I mainly buy DVDs through "research", doesn't prevent me discovering further movies through other channels."

 

[Qui-Gon John]

I rent mostly from Blockbuster Online. For the few times it is inconvenient to watch my rentals in a timely fashion, I do a my own version of time-shifting, transfer it to a re-writeable DVD I use, then send the original back. Then of course, if I want to keep it, I buy the disc when I find a good price. But as I said, I've really cut back. I thought I would want to keep Firewall, I really enjoy Harrison Ford movies, and the story seemed interesting. But it was an OK movie, but there are many other HF movies I would pick to watch before Firewall, so I passed on it.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I generally don't believe in buying DVDs blind just to "check it out". There are very rare occasions where I may do this, but it's become more and more rare over the years, because I've been burned too many times by films I just don't wish to own and which were disappointments. Renting first is the only way to go, IMO.

I tried renting via NETFLIX to watch the movie first to see if it was worth owning. This worked wonders, as I was able to weed out the junk I didn't ever want to view again from the titles I wished to OWN. But now -- here's another problem I've discovered and I wonder if I'm alone in this -- the problem with renting DVDs first and then liking them is that I am in no rush to go out and BUY the movie right away, because it's too fresh and I've just seen it!

 

[Chris Atkins]

Joe:

My problem with renting from Netflix first, then buying later is that I realize I can always rent it from Netflix again.

 

[TravisR]

That's a valid point but why own any DVDs then?

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Well that's the question then. There are just so many ways to access DVD's now , with Services Like Netflix do I need to Own a Movie Like tommorrow's "Inside Man" for me the answer is No. I collect mostly films I know I'll watch more than once, mostly classics, Sci-fi, Genre stuff and now a days mostly TV Releases, for everything else there's Netflix.

 

[GerardoHP]

I have over 700 dvd's . After renting from NetFlix for the last two years,I have wondered why I bought so many DVD's. Most I have never watched more than once or twice. And then the constant special editions and versions. Not to mention the expense after all these years. Now with HD, eventually they will be obsolete. And NetFlix has all the HD DVD's. Anyone else feel this way? Would love to hear your opinions.

THE STORY OF MY LIFE!

 

[Billy Fogerty]

Gerardo,that is exactly my situation. It's so easy to get what you want from NetFlix. Why have to own so many? I have a room with walls full of dvd,s. Can't remember the last time I watched one of them. There are always NetFlix dvd,s coming in.

 

[Vader]

I only have a library (not counting TV DVDs) of about 250, and I cycle through them bi-yearly. Like others, I like to be able to watch what I want, when I want, and to be completely independent of availability, unwelcome director (or studio) alterations, etc.

 

[Chris Atkins]

Well, I keep asking myself that.

I like to have the movies I really like on hand so I can watch them anytime. The rest I can usually wait three days to watch.

 

[Chris Atkins]

That's a good point. With Netflix, I have tried to be more conscious about watching the titles I own. Usually, I can do that when I screen movies for others. I also have special times of the year where I watch specific movies (Godfather in the fall, LOTR at Christmas break, etc.).

 

[stephen la]

it depends on your own feelings.
I like owning movies. I haven't watched half of the ones I own more than once and some I havent even seen yet. I take comfort that me and my kids can watch them for the rest of our lives.

I plan to get a projector soon so hopefully that will give me more of a push to watch the movies I havent yet seen and rewatch thr ones I've already seen.
I'll get either an hd or blue ray player when the players cheaper , but I dont plan on rebuying the dvds I already own.

 

[Chris Roberts]

I have a small home theater. Just a 27" WEGA and surround using bookshelf speakers. This is because I live in apartments or with roommates I'll tend to have it in my bedroom if they have something better. The reason I'm sharing this is to illustrate why I won't be buying HD DVD for a long time. With my current (and forseeable future) setup they really aren't worth it.
So my answer is that standard DVD is still worth buying, but it depends on your home theater setup or future plans for one. Someday I will want to own an HDTV, etc and upgrade some discs. And I know the longer I wait the better deals I'll be able to get on the equipment and the discs. I'll also benefit from the trials and tribulations of early adopters who post on the internet. The more people who buy into HD DVD the better it will be for me when I buy into it. So I'd like to say thank you now to you.

Of course just waiting for 3D-DVD is also tempting. ;-)


As for the Netflix discussion. I'd like to add my two cents there as well. I was for a long time against Netflix for the reasons some have stated. I didn't want to wait days, I didn't want to feel rushed to watch it, etc. This summer I decided I was going to try it though.
I went with 2 discs at once so I wouldn't feel rushed to get something back. I almost always have one here and one coming/going. About half my rentals are TV shows that I wouldn't want to buy, but want to watch once. And comedies that I think will have little replay value for me after I know the jokes. But also some movies I am on the fence about how much I'll like them.
I am the type who stands in front of his DVD rack for several minutes deciding what I feel like watching. I used to buy DVD's when I wanted to watch them that night paying full retail a lot because I didn't want to wait for internet shipping. I also bought movies I thought I would watch a lot, but in fact I never watched beyond the first time as there was always something preferable to me in my collection (my top 25% lets say). Anyways, what I've learned from Netflix is this. A good movie is still a good movie whether its the "perfect" time to watch it or not. Now I've decided that if I can't enjoy the movie any night of the week then I don't want to buy it. This is a big change from back when I thought a yearly viewing of a movie I liked was good enough to warrant a purchase. Those movies never did get that perfect rainy day or friends wanting to watch them like I imagined anyways.

 

[Marvin]

A DVD club like Columbia House is another good way to accumulate DVDs inexpensively. And if I don't like a movie or don't think I'd watch it again, I can sell it on eBay or Half.com with the net cost of the DVD generally ending up about the same or less than a rental fee.

 

[BrettGallman]

I agree with that, Columbia House has some great specials, especially when they run free shipping. I've gotten many DVD's from them. Another good thing with them is that you can pre-order a DVD and still take advantage of whatever special they may have (buy one, get one free, 1/2 off, etc.), and you don't have to pay for the pre-order until it ships.