Why is it becoming more difficult to obtain new 4k releases? (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

There used to be a name here for "most consumers"- it was "Joe Sixpack".

Joe Sixpack is the masses and without them, you’re nothing more than a niche market. Major corporations have little interest in niche markets because they don’t generate huge profits.

 

[JohnRice]

3D as you say was the most exciting development since DVDs.

So, a 1950's invention was "the most exciting development since DVDs"?

 

[JohnRice]

Joe Sixpack is the masses and without them, you’re nothing more than a niche market. Major corporations have little interest in niche markets because they don’t generate huge profits.

Actually, the other 99% of us are "niche". 3D is a minuscule percentage of a niche..

 

[Robert Crawford]

Actually, the other 99% of us are "niche". 3D is a minuscule percentage of a niche..

I’m not talking about us as a consumer group. I’m talking about the mass market that has turned its collective back on physical media. It’s already established that those that collect physical media are a niche market.

 

[JohnRice]

I’m not talking about us as a consumer group. I’m talking about the mass market that has turned its collective back on physical media.

Sorry, I was buried in where this thread became ANOTHER 3D rant, and didn't notice I'd missed an entire page of posts.

 

[John Sparks]

I had read years ago that the Motion Picture Academy was going to send out BDs of the movies that were up for nomination. They found out that less than half of those people even had DVD players.

 

[John Sparks]

Us UHD/BD/DVD owners are destined to become a niche within a niche a hundred times over. Double that for us that have a dedicated home theatre.

 

[Indy Guy]

So, a 1950's invention was "the most exciting development since DVDs"?

We're talking Home Theater on the Home Theater Forum, but if you want to move out of that realm, the "1920's" invention of the 3D motion picture may not be quite as earth shaking as the 1890's invention of the motion picture itself, but certainly more dramatic than (non 3D) IMAX for example.
Returning to the world of home theater, 3D is an astonishing (if cumbersome) technology that offers a completely unique home viewing experience in comparison to 4K HDR's incremental improvements to HD clarity, color & contrast.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Bottom line: 4kUHD is a failure because the studios couldn't decide who it exactly was for and managed to satisfy only the fewest of the few with it (lets make you buy the same regular blu-rays you bought before but now charge you 3X as much just for an added 4k disc!), and now the stores are responding in kind by saying its for absolutely noone. By proxy 3D Blu-ray was a failure because the studios (or more precisely Disney) thought EVERYBODY wanted it and were then completely caught off guard when the supply did not match the demand curve at all.

That's it.

That's the end.

 

[Indy Guy]

Not quite the end. The 4K specifications were locked in concrete without any capability for showing 3D. Flat panel suppliers jumped at the opportunity to sell the entire population on new 4K & 8K panels incapable of 3D reproduction. Marketing was aimed at pushing 4K as looking just as dimensional as 3D without needing glasses.
With all the sets coming to market incapable of showing 3D, the format fell victim to having no means for display. Many projectors do show both 3D as well as 4K, but struggle with HDR...especially DolbyVision. These fussy and shortsighted technical glitches have helped put 2 fantastic disc formats at the edge of extinction. The lowly DVD triumphs because it offers acceptable quality, is cheap & simple, and targets audiences that don't agonize over increments of perfection.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

How many people are paying for standard-def streaming since it costs less and “they can’t tell the difference”?

 

[cineMANIAC]

Amazon was my main go-to e-tailer for movies but I've been increasingly patronizing smaller mom and pops like Orbit DVD and Diabolik, primarily because they tend to ship early, but also because I seldomly have to worry about them not having a new release in stock (keeping older titles in-stock is another issue sometimes). Often, I'll be waiting for Amazon to ship something I preordered two, three or more days after the street date. I should note that this seems to be an issue mostly with boutique titles - major Hollywood releases are typically always available and I get them in-hand on or before street date, rarely after.

I'm leaning towards fewer units being produced as the main culprit for "lag times", or an e-tailer having trouble stocking (or keeping in stock) new release titles and being unable to fulfill preorders in a timely manner. It could also be certain labels purposely holding back stock or keeping more of their stock to get people to buy directly from them. I have a suspicion Kino does this, which is why Amazon never seem to have Kino titles in stock or available.

The lack of manufacturing facilities is also an obvious factor. With dozens of boutique labels worldwide competing for jobs in addition to the major studios, I wouldn't be shocked if we had to wait months for product after street dates come and go. Even with physical media declining, I still think it would be wise to open another smaller facility to take on some of the burden. Doesn't have to be a million dollar operation, just something to take the edge off of the existing guys.

I purchase directly from the boutiques or from smaller independent shops - saves me a lot of headaches

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Are any of the smaller pressing plants which usually made discs for the smaller labels (and porn) still operational or is Technicolor really it?

 

[bobclampett]

It's too bad the industry and most consumers don't agree with you.

Consumers typical shop at big box stores and industry feeds that market. Unfortunately consumers are typically lazy when it comes to research. If they had done their homework they would have realized they can buy a 4k, 3D Blu Ray ready DLP projector for less money than a flat panel display with a screen size 50% smaller than a projector. The projector can also deliver 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut that most big box flat panels can't match. The 3D on my DLP project is better than my local cinema. It's perfect. Will never go back to a flat panel display. Plus I don't have to worry about breaking my back trying to install a 60" flat panel.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Says a lot that The Exorcist never showed up at the local Walyworld in my neck of Middle America. I feel like these big box stores are finally wising up from all the unsold stock they've been saddled with over the years from wildly overpriced UHDs.

Same north of the 49th, and I have other pet peeves as well *cough* SDS *cough*. I fear that physical media availability will decline faster in the Great White North than it will in the US, and that's genuinely depressing.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Same north of the 49th, and I have other pet peeves as well *cough* SDS *cough*. I fear that physical media availability will decline faster in the Great White North than it will in the US, and that's genuinely depressing.

Yeah this is what its like these days.



Just three shelves and the rest is tv boxes.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Yeah this is what its like these days.

View attachment 200986

Just three shelves and the rest is tv boxes.

Varies from Walmart to Walmart here, but Best Buy has one gondola on an aisle that holds between 75-100 discs, but is filled *maybe* 30%. That's it, so no surprise that they have announced they're getting out.

 

[bobclampett]

Unless there is a specific title that I simply adore and need on release day, I tend to sit and wait for the inevitable Amazon price drop. I think this is a common practice given the fact that 4k tends to be overpriced compared to Blu-ray.

I have noticed something that may or may not be an issue and I thought I'd bring it up for discussion to see what all of you think.

Been trying to get an alternative copy of THE EXORCIST that isn't the standard U.S. 4k release.

BEST BUY was sold out before the release date.

The import through Amazon U.K. has been out of stock for at least two weeks now.

I was recently reading comments in THE WAY WE WERE thread about Amazon and other retailer(s) no longer having preorder copies available.

Has it come to the point where studios are manufacturing fewer products due to slumping sales or are there replication issues holding up availability or perhaps something else?

As bad as the situation is in the US it's even worse in Canada. Amazon.ca didn't make THE WAY WE WERE available for pre-order. I have a pre-order of SLEEPY HOLLOW 4k UHD that they seem to have no interest in shipping. My last order from Amazon.co.uk was shipped via DHL instead of Royal Mail. DHL, the courier company, is facing a Class Action Lawsuit in Canada for undisclosed processing fees that contravenes The Federal Competition Act and Customer Protection Legislation. The result, a 16 GBP purchase ends up costing over $60 Canadian. My tip to Canadians is, if Amazon.co.uk ships you a disc via DHL, and DHL holds you hostage for undisclosed fees, refuse the shipment and ask Amazon for a refund, then order it from Rare Waves who always use Royal Mail. What is even more infuriating is a Canadian company called Sunrise Records, owns and operates HMV in the UK and those HMV stores in the UK have row after row of Blu Rays and 4k UHD titles at consumer friendly pricing. Whereas in Canada their stores are 80% DVD's and the Blu Rays and 4k titles they stock are typically double the US price. I tried reaching out to Warner Bros. as to why 4k discs of Rio Bravo and East of Eden were not released in Canada and got no reply. Amazon.com has Sleepy Hollow in stock, maybe they can spare a few for Amazon.ca. If vinyl records can survive and thrive in 2023, there is no reason why Blu Ray can't.

 

[David Norman]

Are any of the smaller pressing plants which usually made discs for the smaller labels (and porn) still operational or is Technicolor really it?

I don;t think any North American plants other the the Mexico plant are active anymore -- at least for pressed/replicated discs. FWIW, I don't think South America has any either.

Technicolor/Thomson now is named Vantiva. There were some plants producing Recordable Blanks but I thought I read even those were shut down or in the process of shutting.

The EU/Asia plants are somewhat a mystery to me about who is still producing discs -- Poland, Germany, France, and maybe Austria were active the last I heard.

 

[Worth]

As bad as the situation is in the US it's even worse in Canada. Amazon.ca didn't make THE WAY WE WERE available for pre-order. I have a pre-order of SLEEPY HOLLOW 4k UHD that they seem to have no interest in shipping...

Check out Bay Street Video. They carry everything and have reasonable prices:

Bay Street Video - Toronto's Largest DVD Collection

DVD Rentals & Sales, Blu-ray, New Releases, Criterion, Foreign Films, Classics, Documentary, Imports, Mailbox Rental Service, DVD Protective Cases, Open Late!

baystreetvideo.com