UHD How are we going to get people to move to HD? never mind UHD.... (1 Viewer)

KeithDA · Aug 16, 2015

As I’ve said in another post, a recent UK Channel 4 series called ‘Humans’ has just finished (and I thought it better than Ex-Machina in the way it addressed the android/human issues.) Well, I’m now not surprised that the series is about to be released – but only on DVD!! Another lost opportunity when the series was broadcast in HD. How are we going to get people to move to HD if big, glossy and popular TV series like this are not thought to be commercially viable enough on a HD format? How on earth is UHD going to make inroads?

Then I thought about a recent visit to my local HMV store. How is UHD going to fit onto those shelves? Presumably another discrete section than could further confuse the customer. The proposed UHD logo appears to be blue – are the new cases likely to be the same size or are we going to have another sized box to add to the variety on offer (Smaller still than Blu Ray in the same way that the DVD sizing seems clumsy compared to Blu?)

Is a way forward to strip DVD of all the extras to ‘force’ people to opt into a better quality presentation to gain the extra information? (It seems that ‘better picture and sound’ aren’t enough at present) Are manufacturers/retailers simply hoping that UHD will quickly replace ordinary Blu Ray so that they only have two platforms to promote and UHD is so much better than HD that it will sell itself?

Am I unnecessarily depressed or will it all sort itself out when UHD arrives?

Tony Bensley · Aug 16, 2015

KeithDA said:
As I’ve said in another post, a recent UK Channel 4 series called ‘Humans’ has just finished (and I thought it better than Ex-Machina in the way it addressed the android/human issues.) Well, I’m now not surprised that the series is about to be released – but only on DVD!! Another lost opportunity when the series was broadcast in HD. How are we going to get people to move to HD if big, glossy and popular TV series like this are not thought to be commercially viable enough on a HD format? How on earth is UHD going to make inroads?

Then I thought about a recent visit to my local HMV store. How is UHD going to fit onto those shelves? Presumably another discrete section than could further confuse the customer. The proposed UHD logo appears to be blue – are the new cases likely to be the same size or are we going to have another sized box to add to the variety on offer (Smaller still than Blu Ray in the same way that the DVD sizing seems clumsy compared to Blu?)

Is a way forward to strip DVD of all the extras to ‘force’ people to opt into a better quality presentation to gain the extra information? (It seems that ‘better picture and sound’ aren’t enough at present) Are manufacturers/retailers simply hoping that UHD will quickly replace ordinary Blu Ray so that they only have two platforms to promote and UHD is so much better than HD that it will sell itself?

Am I unnecessarily depressed or will it all sort itself out when UHD arrives?

Hi Keith!

I think that everything you've stated above rings true. Disney at least, has actually gone the opposite route in including very few extras on their Blu-ray Releases compared with the original DVD counterparts! For instance, many who are purchasing the new Blu-rays for POLLYANNA; SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON and THE PARENT TRAP, are keeping the Bonus Discs from the original Disney Vault DVD sets!

And the Home Video industry wonders why so many think that DVD is good enough?

CHEERS!

Tony

Sam Posten · Aug 19, 2015

Hi Keith! The intro section might not be the best place for your Q, maybe post it to the Bluray section!?!

Sam Posten · Aug 20, 2015

Moved. Personally I am not worried. _We_ aren't going to get people to do anything. It's hard enough to educate people on why Widescreen is in their best interest and why we are so happy pan and scan is dead. Our next battle is turning off torch mode.

Convincing folks to upgrade? The studios and consumer electronics companies have this responsibility, not us.

But I think it will be pretty easy. We thought BluRay would be a niche format, it's doing pretty damn well, particularly thanks to things like the PS3 and now PS4. UHD's storage will be a boon once released for computers and game systems in addition to just films. That will help.

Hell people are buying a TON of 4K TVs and prices are dropping to earth before they can even view more than a handful of 4K mastered movies at home. It's encouraging.

Thomas T · Aug 20, 2015

Here we go again! People just aren't interested. Oh sure, home theater geeks are wetting themselves over the prospect of UHD but they aren't part of the "unwashed" public (who are still the primary target for the industry) for whom watching movies are a diversion and entertainment and not much more. DVDs still outsell blu rays by a healthy margin and with streaming and dowloading slowly but surely signaling the death knell of physical media, the public is not about to invest in yet another physical format.

My local Target in their "new releases" section will sometimes have a DVD of a new film but not the blu ray! If you can't sell a blu ray at Target or Walmart, you're not going to "move" people to change their minds about HD anytime soon.

Wayne_j · Aug 20, 2015

The majority of big budget theatrical releases aren't even in UHD. Consumer electronics companies are pushing people towards 4K, not the studios (Besides SONY which is also a consumer electronics company).

Mike Frezon · Aug 20, 2015

KeithDA said:
As I’ve said in another post, a recent UK Channel 4 series called ‘Humans’ has just finished (and I thought it better than Ex-Machina in the way it addressed the android/human issues.) Well, I’m now not surprised that the series is about to be released – but only on DVD!! Another lost opportunity when the series was broadcast in HD. How are we going to get people to move to HD if big, glossy and popular TV series like this are not thought to be commercially viable enough on a HD format? How on earth is UHD going to make inroads?

In the US as well, there are a large number of high-quality TV shows--broadcast in HD--that are not available for home viewing on HD media (Blu-ray). The Good Wife and Modern Family are two that come to mind...but there are many, many more.

It is a head-scratcher.

Alan Tully · Aug 20, 2015

To answer the question...you won't! My sister & brother-in-law have just bought a new very large super Sony 4K telly, & I'm trying to get them to update to Blu-ray, but they say, no, no need. The Sony uprezzes the DVD's to HD & looks great! I'm trying to explain to them, but they don't get it, & they're not stupid, anything but (they're a lot more successful than I am). I suppose the thing is, it's not that important to them...it's only movies, & I think they're in the majority.

Alf S · Aug 20, 2015

That's the key. It's NOT important to 99% of the average everyday TV/movie watcher.

Mark-P · Aug 20, 2015

Humans is available in HD for digital download and that's how the studios would prefer that you buy it. Since there's not enough demand for it on Blu-ray, they skip that format. When demand for DVD dwindles to the point where it is no longer viable they will skip that format too. You just have to resign yourself that physical media is dying and the studios are more than happy to kill it off.

Dr Griffin · Aug 20, 2015

Sam Posten said:
Moved. Personally I am not worried. _We_ aren't going to get people to do anything. It's hard enough to educate people on why Widescreen is in their best interest and why we are so happy pan and scan is dead. Our next battle is turning off torch mode.

Convincing folks to upgrade? The studios and consumer electronics companies have this responsibility, not us.

But I think it will be pretty easy. We thought BluRay would be a niche format, it's doing pretty damn well, particularly thanks to things like the PS3 and now PS4. UHD's storage will be a boon once released for computers and game systems in addition to just films. That will help.

Hell people are buying a TON of 4K TVs and prices are dropping to earth before they can even view more than a handful of 4K mastered movies at home. It's encouraging.

Sam, do you have anything to do with that blimp I've been seeing?

Tony Bensley · Aug 20, 2015

Mike Frezon said:
In the US as well, there are a large number of high-quality TV shows--broadcast in HD--that are not available for home viewing on HD media (Blu-ray). The Good Wife and Modern Family are two that come to mind...but there are many, many more.

It is a head-scratcher.

Hi Mike!

You've touched on an excellent point! Just last night, I read the review for ELEMENTARY: Season 3, which is being issued to DVD only! Also, the long running NCIS is for the first time, only now getting a Blu-ray release for Season 12--This THE #1 Drama on TV today! Many other hugely popular shows that have enjoyed Blu-ray issues, are now being released to DVD only, such as THE BIG BANG THEORY!

My point is, if many of the most popular (Translation: $$$$$$$!!) TV shows aren't even getting the Blu-ray treatment, what hope is there for yet another physical media HD Format making any inroads?

CHEERS!

Tony

Oliver Ravencrest · Aug 20, 2015

I have relatives who are perfectly happy with DVD and some who prefer streaming through Netflix. One relative keeps telling me not to buy Blu-ray every time I buy some. I say the picture quality is a lot better, they just stand a foot in front of the TV and look for a minute then shrug. I see the difference and one day would like to upgrade certain titles, I can even see a difference between broadcast HD and physical media. My relatives just don't care like I do.

As for stores, people can't buy what they don't stock. I was in Wal-mart today looking at their movie/TV selections, they have a lot of Blus for movies but not as many as on DVD. They only had 2 Game of Thrones on Blu-ray, every other series was DVD only.

Dr Griffin · Aug 20, 2015

Funny thing about the question for this thread is that people who come into my HT are always very interested and think that it's a great idea. They also say 'I want to do this' etc. I think people are put off by technology, and of course, costs. All of them have other tech, TVs, computers of course, and just about everybody has the capability for a movie nite, even if it's DVD, The main difference is that they just aren't enthusiasts. Enthusiasts just aren't mainstream, as I think we all know. Interests, like variety, are the spice of life - I like cardamom, but not tarragon so much.

Traveling Matt · Aug 20, 2015

Mark-P said:
Humans is available in HD for digital download and that's how the studios would prefer that you buy it. Since there's not enough demand for it on Blu-ray, they skip that format. When demand for DVD dwindles to the point where it is no longer viable they will skip that format too. You just have to resign yourself that physical media is dying and the studios are more than happy to kill it off.

I think the resignation needs to come in the form of accepting that Blu-ray isn't as popular as DVD. There's a DVD version and a download version, which happens to be HD.

As reported the other day...

Report: Digital Consumers Still Buying Discs

Kyrsten Brad · Aug 20, 2015

Tony Bensley said:
Hi Keith!

I think that everything you've stated above rings true. Disney at least, has actually gone the opposite route in including very few extras on their Blu-ray Releases compared with the original DVD counterparts! For instance, many who are purchasing the new Blu-rays for POLLYANNA; SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON and THE PARENT TRAP, are keeping the Bonus Discs from the original Disney Vault DVD sets!

And the Home Video industry wonders why so many think that DVD is good enough?

CHEERS!

Tony

Did I read that right? Is a Blu release of The Parent Trap imminent?

Persianimmortal · Aug 20, 2015

Mark-P said:
Humans is available in HD for digital download and that's how the studios would prefer that you buy it. Since there's not enough demand for it on Blu-ray, they skip that format. When demand for DVD dwindles to the point where it is no longer viable they will skip that format too. You just have to resign yourself that physical media is dying and the studios are more than happy to kill it off.

Mark is correct. People will move to HD (and eventually UHD) via streaming and digital downloads. Highly convenient, cheap and perfectly adequate for the average person's needs. We're kidding ourselves if we think we can convince people that there is a substantial difference between 1080p streaming and Blu-ray for example, because quite frankly the visible difference is very small.

I expect that as physical media continues to decline, the bulk of it will continue to be DVDs, Blu-ray will retain its niche, and UHD Blu-ray will die off quickly.

dana martin · Aug 20, 2015

if it studios looked at blu ray software, like Microsoft does , it would have been easy, just move on and quit making the older format, you want the latest and greatest, then you need to upgrade

Sam Posten · Aug 20, 2015

Dr Griffin said:
Sam, do you have anything to do with that blimp I've been seeing?

Obviously I can neither confirm nor deny anything about what I do, but I will say they announced this week that a second JLENS blimp will be seen flying over APG very soon.
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/second-military-airship-getting-baltimorearea-test/34805606

Tony Bensley · Aug 20, 2015

Kyrsten Brad said:
Did I read that right? Is a Blu release of The Parent Trap imminent?

Hi Kyrsten!

I don't know where I pulled that one from? POLLYANNA and SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON are, or have already been issued on Blu-ray, however!

Sorry about that!

CHEERS!

Tony

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