How do you explain your love of physical media in an era of streaming? (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

An article about how the supply chain issues are affecting upcoming release dates, particularly, catalog titles.

Supply Chain Crisis Impacts Home Entertainment Amid Lingering Replication Woes - Media Play News

The supply chain woes that are making headlines around the country are having an increasingly pronounced impact on the home entertainment business, sources say — compounding existing problems with limited … Continue reading "Supply Chain Crisis Impacts Home Entertainment Amid Lingering...

www.mediaplaynews.com

 

[cinemiracle]

What happens when it dawns on everybody that streaming isn't actually profitable?

Many movies aren't profitable either. Same also goes for new releases on bluray and dvd.

 

[Carl David]

It seems us few die hard collectors who champion discs as the prime way to watch movies are a fringe, crackpot irrational group of nut-jobs who need to get with the times and succumb to the convenience of streaming.

Sorry. Not going to do that.

Sure. I get it. Streaming is cheap and there are lots of choices and it's here to stay so why refrain?

Many reasons. Let me start with control.

The choices you have as a subscriber are limited by the company you use. They can edit, remove or shorten any content they wish for any reason whether you like it or not (and without your knowledge or awareness if you don't know every scene). There is also the aspect of the quality of service. The video quality of streaming is currently inferior to high quality disc releases and some subscribers also complain of inconsistency in relation to the QOS.

Post Edited by Moderator for being political.

Is physical media a perfect model? No but if you take away the cost aspect it trumps streaming in about every other way.

And by the way despite the fact that you might have a huge collection of discs I still think it is more convenient selecting to choose from that than via and app on a TV.

And thinking of cost can streaming businesses continue to offer these low rates?

With Netflix closing in on its 20th birthday it still has debts over $15 billion according to this article on Simply Wall St: https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/med...ews/is-netflix-nasdaqnflx-using-too-much-debt

Not exactly rolling in the money are they? Licensing costs, advertising fees along with the mega bucks to make their own content and the risks involved with that (making big budget movies has mega risk which is why Hollywood was a semi-monopoly controlled by a few major studios) and we have the technology costs to boot.

Software developers and the ISP they have to deal with. The bandwidth use is huge.

Sooner or later these monthly fees are going to rise to cover these costs and more. And if Netflix starts to make some serious coin what will the license holders of the major content do?

Stand by and let Netflix make them obsolete? Can't see that happening. It looks as though one of two things will happen.

Either the major studios will increase their licensing fees to Netflix or they say thank you for all the hard work of the last 20 years building this industry but now it's about time we take over and stream the content we own ourselves but thank you very much once again Netflix. Or does Netflix try and buy out a major studio? That's even more mammoth debt assuming that option is even conceivable.

If you look at it objectively you have to conclude that these low subscription fees are unsustainable and at some point customers won't have the luxury of paying $12.99 per month with the option of unlimited movies and TV series to watch at their whim. Just not realistic. Do companies try and lock customers in 12 month subscriptions going forward eliminating more flexibilities for subscribers?

Which is why it's important physical media buyers do everything they can to prolong the disc industry because streaming does not offer the promise of a golden age of movie watching as it appears to most viewers.

Do most subscribers even think about or care of the potential limited choices we will have in the future? Probably not. The future of cinema could be in serious trouble if we look at the trends. Younger generations of film fans watch their movies on phones and laptops at home and also while on the go. Streaming numbers are increasing year after year.

Economic lockdowns of society have exacerbated the cinema industry problems persisting prior to 2020 and so it could be very problematic for theatres to come back from the dead. The whole industry has and is going through major changes and we have yet to see the full results.

For movie enthusiasts who like films made from all eras it may be a good time to do all you can to continue your support for physical media while we still are free to choose because in the future it may be an inconvenience to watch our movies of choice as opposed to the present situation we find ourselves in where everyone thinks the party will never end.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I have one of the largest disc libraries on this forum, but I don't understand why this subject matter deserves yet another thread in which previous threads discussed the same sentiment towards physical media? Like this thread for example.

 

[Carl David]

I have one of the largest disc libraries on this forum, but I don't understand why this subject matter deserves yet another thread in which previous threads discussed the same sentiment towards physical media? Like this thread for example.

I have viewed most of the threads on HTF in relation to the subject.

My reason for posting this thread was to try to encourage physical media purchasing over streaming as I have not seen any thread that really does that. Most seem to give opinions on which aspect they prefer and why.

Whilst many points may have been made elsewhere I have tried to highlight some issues that I have not seen made anywhere else.

If they have then I must have missed them.

To my knowledge no thread emphasizes the purchasing of discs over streaming.

If there are then one more can't be a bad thing especially for new members of the site.

 

[Robert Crawford]

To my knowledge no thread advocates purchasing of discs over streaming.

I just linked one of several threads that has advocated purchasing discs over streaming. Matter of fact, just about every thread that even discusses discs vs. streaming has favored physical media over streaming. The advocates of discs continues to outnumbered streaming advocates on this forum. Disc advocates have been much more vocal on this subject matter than those just advocating streaming.

 

[David Norman]

Preaching to the Choir

Pep Rally at Vanderbilt before playing Alabama on the Road

College All-Stars vs reigning Super Bowl Champs

Washington Generals Press conference prior to the Game against Globetrotters.

King Leonidas of Sparta in his speech to the men at Thermopylae

 

[Carl David]

I just linked one of several threads that has advocated purchasing discs over streaming. Matter of fact, just about every thread that even discusses discs vs. streaming has favored physical media over streaming. The advocates of discs continues to outnumbered streaming advocates on this forum. Disc advocates have been much more vocal on this subject matter than those just advocating streaming.

The thread you referenced is titled "how do you explain your love of physical media over streaming?"

I didn't interpret that as an advocate for buying physical media over streaming. Most of the posts I have seen in that thread are members giving their reasons for preferring discs.

None from what I have seen stress the importance of buying discs and why it is so.

Whilst there may be posts in there that I may have missed by members perhaps encouraging people to buy physical over streaming the thread itself does not convey that message from what I can see.

I wanted to make a thread with a main topic that stresses the importance of buying discs over and at the expense of streaming.

I also wrote it in a certain way that will make it an ideal thread to add to as the predictions and trends mentioned in it will come to fruition.

Also any new developments unforeseen that vindicates the threads purpose made in the industry can be discussed as needed.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[Carl David]

I just linked one of several threads that has advocated purchasing discs over streaming. Matter of fact, just about every thread that even discusses discs vs. streaming has favored physical media over streaming. The advocates of discs continues to outnumbered streaming advocates on this forum. Disc advocates have been much more vocal on this subject matter than those just advocating streaming.

In all honesty I actually thought the majority of members on here advocated streaming over physical media.

Perhaps I have selectively viewed certain threads over others.

 

[JohnRice]

Most members here use all available options.

 

[Robert Crawford]

In all honesty I actually thought the majority of members on here advocated streaming over physical media.

Perhaps I have selectively viewed certain threads over others.

I don't know how you came to that conclusion as this forum has definitely been pro-physical media.

Anyhow, you still haven't given me a good enough reason(s) not to merge this thread with a prior thread. I'll think about, but I'm leaning towards merging this thread to the one I linked.

 

[Carl David]

I don't know how you came to that conclusion as this forum has definitely been pro-physical media.

Anyhow, you still haven't given me a good enough reason(s) not to merge this thread with a prior thread. I'll think about, but I'm leaning towards merging this thread to the one I linked.

To be fair just delete the thread, Robert.

I looked to see if I could remove it myself but the option is not there from what I can see.

I wouldn't have wasted my time if I knew most on here were physical media advocates.

At best I thought it was around a 50/50 difference of opinions on the matter.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I wanted to make a thread with a main topic that stresses the importance of buying discs over and at the expense of streaming.

Most threads that are not heavily moderated, have a tendency to take a life of their own based on the responses posted in them.

 

[Robin9]

Anyhow, you still haven't given me a good enough reason(s) not to merge this thread with a prior thread. I'll think about, but I'm leaning towards merging this thread to the one I linked.

Robert: go ahead and merge the two threads. I speak as one who does not stream and instead continues to buy discs, but I really can't see the any point in two separate threads on essentially the same topic.

 

[bmasters9]

It seems us few die hard collectors who champion discs as the prime way to watch movies are a fringe, crackpot irrational group of nut-jobs who need to get with the times and succumb to the convenience of streaming.

I'll stream from time to time, yes, but as you put it, I think the word "convenience" should be in quotation marks, because most of the time, there is hardly any convenience (no selection [mostly current], shows can be dropped at will [just when you're getting into 'em], high prices [you've got to be near super-rich just to pay a monthly subscription], et al.).

 

[TravisR]

Most members here use all available options.

Do you think so? Maybe it's my own bias towards physical media or the more vocal people who simply are refusing to face the future but I don't think the number would be more than half. No doubt it's a significant amount that will continue to grow but again, I didn't think it had actually hit 51% or more yet.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I stream Amazon and Netflix but if I want to view a film or television series again, I buy discs. So streaming has changed my behaviour in so much as I buy fewer speculative discs if I can stream first. What is very annoying however is the trend to only release (mainly TV) DVDs rather than blu rays. To me a good day is still receiving disc(s) in the mail, streaming ain't the same.

 

[kalm_traveler]

The thread you referenced is titled "how do you explain your love of physical media over streaming?"

I didn't interpret that as an advocate for buying physical media over streaming. Most of the posts I have seen in that thread are members giving their reasons for preferring discs.

None from what I have seen stress the importance of buying discs and why it is so.

Whilst there may be posts in there that I may have missed by members perhaps encouraging people to buy physical over streaming the thread itself does not convey that message from what I can see.

I wanted to make a thread with a main topic that stresses the importance of buying discs over and at the expense of streaming.

I also wrote it in a certain way that will make it an ideal thread to add to as the predictions and trends mentioned in it will come to fruition.

Also any new developments unforeseen that vindicates the threads purpose made in the industry can be discussed as needed.

Hope this makes sense.

That linked thread is one I started - if you dig into it we discussed exactly those points you mentioned here (advocating for buying physical media, importance of buying discs and why it is so).

That thread grew surprisingly quickly but if you read through it, we absolutely have been discussing these very points in some detail.

I have no say in anything but I would definitely merge yours into that one because it seems redundant (and mine is only what, a month old as of this post?)

 

[Jeffrey D]

I am one who prefers physical media- too much time and money invested in my discs and setup to get interested in another medium, I wouldn’t use the WiFi enough to justify streaming, and I’m one of the dumb asses who doesn’t know how to stream.

 

[jcroy]

Do you think so? Maybe it's my own bias towards physical media or the more vocal people who simply are refusing to face the future but I don't think the number would be more than half. No doubt it's a significant amount that will continue to grow but again, I didn't think it had actually hit 51% or more yet.

Easy to put emphasis on the loudest posters, while the silent/unresponsive/inactive ones are not "counted".