For Those Who Still Think Physical Media Has No Place in the 21st century… (1 Viewer)

[jcroy]

Why millennials refuse to let go of physical media:

https://www.insidehook.com/article/why-millennials-refuse-to-let-go-of-physical-media-vinyl-records

As much as I can relate to and agree wholeheartedly with this ^ article, it appears to be largely a puff piece for this "Vinyl Me, Please" business.

If I had no stake in physical disc media, I would have immediately dismissed this article as a thinly disguised advertisement masquerading as "journalism".

 

[BobO'Link]

Why millennials refuse to let go of physical media:

https://www.insidehook.com/article/why-millennials-refuse-to-let-go-of-physical-media-vinyl-records

That "article" is lots of double talk with the guy mainly giving "reasons" why you should purchase vinyl - and he has a vested interest.

I absolutely detest spending 2-3 hours in a restaurant for a meal when I can often make it at home in far less time for far less money and have it taste far better. Even the conversation is better at home and people aren't constantly checking their phones while waiting on the meal to *finally* be served.

My 16yo grandson refuses to read things on a device unless it's the only way. He'd rather have a printout or a real book. It has *nothing* to do with "I don’t want technology anymore. I actually want to create a space for an experience or an environment or what have you where I can slow down and I can have this real person experience." It's all about comprehension and retention.

I'm from the vinyl generation. I was quite happy to ditch it for CD (and yes, I still have my ~500 album vinyl collection and a turntable but haven't played a record in over 20 years). I don't have "golden ears" - quite the contrary. I have partial high frequency hearing loss in one ear (the result of too many ear infections as a kid) and have had almost my whole life. I don't hear the "warmth" vinylphiles talk about. I just hear surface noise, pops, ticks, crackle, and the other anomalies of vinyl, especially the more limited bass volumes due to the need to keep the needle in the groove. The *only* thing I miss about vinyl is the large artwork and liner notes/lyrics you don't need a magnifying glass to read. Don't get me wrong - CDs and digital aren't perfect. But the issues typically come down to the transfer used - simple dump of the vinyl masters (which almost always sound bad on CD) instead of properly cleaned up/mixed masters (and don't get me started on the current trend of "updated for modern sensitivities" music "remastering").

CDs have their place just as long as MP3s are the digital format of choice. If I could actually purchase a FLAC or WAV of a recording I'd be all in for digital in that arena. Until that happens I'll continue to purchase the CD and make my own.

 

[TJPC]

It took me years, but I was very happy to convert my huge record collection to CD-R and bring all those LPs to the second hand record store. I was obsessively careful when handling my music, but they were still fill of clicks and pops. I can’t even tell you about some of my cassettes, which were always kept in a temperature controlled atmosphere and yet were unplayable when I got around to converting them.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Did you notice that 3" diameter indentation in the tray? That's for the 3" CD format. Pressed 3" CDs haven't existed since the early 90s, but the moulds haven't been changed.

For even a shorter time period, there were 3-inch DVDs as well, used in disc-based camcorders.

 

[BobO'Link]

For even a shorter time period, there were 3-inch DVDs as well, used in disc-based camcorders.

I recently got a 3" DVD in a spool of macrame twine I purchased for my granddaughters to play around with. It has video ideas for things to make.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

CDs have their place just as long as MP3s are the digital format of choice. If I could actually purchase a FLAC or WAV of a recording I'd be all in for digital in that arena. Until that happens I'll continue to purchase the CD and make my own.

Go here: www.HDtracks.com

 

[TJPC]

I liked the “reverse 45rpm adapter” thingy that you snapped the 3” CD into to play it.

 

[BobO'Link]

I have one of those around somewhere... I've used it a couple of times with vertically mounted drives.

 

[steve jaros]

I like my DVD and BD collections, but objectively, physical movie media is fading, the dollars spent per year show that.

I suspect in a couple years the decline will bottom out at a very low level and then there will be a niche-aficianado market that keeps it going in the shadow of the dominant streaming format, just as vinyl LPs have become a high-end niche in the shadow of music streaming.

 

[Sam Favate]

I know you can pull up lyrics to any song online, but I much prefer to read them on the vinyl inner sleeve. Maybe that's nostalgia, but that's where I like seeing them (and there's no pop up ads or anything).

The best case scenario for movie collectors going forward is the creation of the niche UHD/blu-ray market. I hope they'll realize that they're appealing to collectors who will love and appreciate nicer packaging, not unlike vinyl. (I like CDs too but vinyl has always had CDs beat when it comes to packages.)

 

[Carl David]

I know you can pull up lyrics to any song online, but I much prefer to read them on the vinyl inner sleeve. Maybe that's nostalgia, but that's where I like seeing them (and there's no pop up ads or anything).

The best case scenario for movie collectors going forward is the creation of the niche UHD/blu-ray market. I hope they'll realize that they're appealing to collectors who will love and appreciate nicer packaging, not unlike vinyl. (I like CDs too but vinyl has always had CDs beat when it comes to packages.)

I'm hoping there will be a market lucrative enough for UHD/Blu Ray to continue.

I fear it will almost vanish which is why I am trying to purchase all the films I like and want to see in the next year or two.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I hope they'll realize that they're appealing to collectors who will love and appreciate nicer packaging, not unlike vinyl.

Packaging for Blu-Rays and DVDs in the past decade has been awful. First they stopped including inserts, then started using those horrid hole-filled Eco-Cases, then they stopped printing full color disc labels (which some bootleg discs have!) They should realize that packaging is a big part of why some pick discs over digital- opening up a disc lately just seems like they're saying "We don't care about these anymore."

 

[Carl David]

Packaging for Blu-Rays and DVDs in the past decade has been awful. First they stopped including inserts, then started using those horrid hole-filled Eco-Cases, then they stopped printing full color disc labels (which some bootleg discs have!) They should realize that packaging is a big part of why some pick discs over digital- opening up a disc lately just seems like they're saying "We don't care about these anymore."

They never cared about them in the first place, I don't think. I would not be surprised if the majority of DVD/Blu Ray sellers think purely in terms of maximising profit. They are a business after all.

They probably thought they had to in the beginning and then realized they could package their products from a minimalist perspective to reduce costs and increase their profit.

There might be one or two companies that take pride in their work and view their busines more than just a machine to make money.
Perhaps Criterion comes under this category. Not sure.

It is a shame the way some films are presented/packaged including some terrible covers.

Not a fan of this UK Citizen Kane Blu Ray cover. Absolutely awful and tastless!

 

[ptb2017fr]

VHS wasn't abandoned because a superior format came along - it was dropped because it was no longer profitable. If had VHS had consistently outsold DVD for fifteen years, it would never have been discontinued.

Yes we all loved getting tapes caught in the VHS machine and getting ripped up! Would have preferred to keep that format in spite of the crap in comparison quality of the images so we could enjoy all those rips and tears! (irony intended in case anyone thinks I'm serious)

 

[jcroy]

Packaging for Blu-Rays and DVDs in the past decade has been awful. First they stopped including inserts, then started using those horrid hole-filled Eco-Cases, then they stopped printing full color disc labels (which some bootleg discs have!) They should realize that packaging is a big part of why some pick discs over digital- opening up a disc lately just seems like they're saying "We don't care about these anymore."

Even worse is when they actually do have special packaging which is decently done, they then go disperse and distribute different combinations of the special features over many different retailer exclusive versions of the movie bluray.

The most annoying extreme case of this was done for Star Trek: Into Darkness back in 2013.

 

[TJPC]

I am basically indifferent to the aesthetics of cover design or the lack of a booklet that I will only read once, but I have two other complaints about packaging.
1). being cheap and flimsy (“The Omen” boxed set being the worst) and
2). Discs being stuck on a hub so tightly that you risk damage taking them off to play. This holds true of CDs as well. I had one break in half the first time I tried to play it!

 

[Bryan^H]

I'm hoping there will be a market lucrative enough for UHD/Blu Ray to continue.

I fear it will almost vanish which is why I am trying to purchase all the films I like and want to see in the next year or two.

Don't worry. Studios are still seeing a justifiable reason to continue realeasing movies physically. And boutique labels are thriving. if the Criterion Godzilla box set (over $100) can sell 47,000 units by early November of last year using antiquated transfers with missing dubs on a lot of the films, And X-Men Dark Phoenix netting $12 Mil in profit for Fox for example (again in November of last year, the last time the numbers.com has listed the stats) then that paints a sunny picture for physical disc collecting.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Don't worry. Studios are still seeing a justifiable reason to continue realeasing movies physically. And boutique labels are thriving. if the Criterion Godzilla box set (over $100) can sell 47,000 units by early November of last year using antiquated transfers with missing dubs on a lot of the films, And X-Men Dark Phoenix netting $12 Mil in profit for Fox for example (again in November of last year, the last time the numbers.com has listed the stats) then that paints a sunny picture for physical disc collecting.

I have a hard time believing Criterion sold that many box sets? Do you have a link to that information?

 

[Bryan^H]

I have a hard time believing Criterion sold that many box sets? Do you have a link to that information?

https://www.the-numbers.com/home-market/bluray-sales-chart/2019/11/10

I couldn't find the following weeks information as something must have bumped it off the top 20 chart, but I remember it stating Criterion made $5 and a half million in revenue, and sold 47,000 units. This was before the UK set was launched, and well before Christmas.


Also the fact it sold 23,000 units the week of release was pretty impressive
https://www.the-numbers.com/home-market/bluray-sales-chart/2019/11/03

 

[jcroy]

I wouldn't put too much base on the statistics which are asserted on the-numbers.com

As far as I can figure out, they appear to be best guess estimates and not actual real figures direct from the bean counters at the movie companies.

Direct figures would technically be proprietary information, subject to american financial securities laws and regulations. So if it is not from the movie companies' official 10K or 10Q reports, then such figures on the-numbers.com would be guesswork at best.