Newsweek DVD Article: All I Gotta Say Is YA! (1 Viewer)

[Chuck C]

This week's issue of Newsweek had an article about the incredible success of DVD. The author wrote about the struggle to get DVD into the mainstream, how DVD has saved Hollywood (more or less), sales over the last couple years, and that DVD means "digital versatile disc, not digital video disc".---The last point is interesting since there's a debate about the true meaning! Anyway, aren't you guys glad we've jumped on the bandwagon!?
------------------
Chuck
Chuckster's HT Equipment List

 

[Mitty]

quote: Anyway, aren't you guys glad we've jumped on the bandwagon!?[/quote]
When I bought my DVD player, it wasn't even a wagon. It was just a solitary mule, with the village idiot (Richard Sharp) pulling on its tale, trying to drag it backwards. Luckily the mule was strong and stubborn (hence the expression).
This dude's article is about a year or two too late.
[Edited last by Mitty on August 14, 2001 at 07:36 PM]

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

quote: Anyway, aren't you guys glad we've jumped on the bandwagon!?[/quote]
What bandwagon? The bandwagon was here and left almost 4 years ago. Where has this guy (author) been?

~Edwin
------------------
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/uub/Forum9/HTML/005780.html#8
[Edited last by Edwin Pereyra on August 14, 2001 at 07:40 PM]

 

[Cees Alons]

Speaking of that Dick Sharpe-period: I just found out that the site of the "DiVx-lover" is still up!
That was hilarious. Someone pretending to be a lover of the "format", but putting it down with every word and sentence he wrote. Some people actually believed he loved DiVX and kept sending him hate-mail.
He then stayed in-character and replied (on a mail like: 2600 normal DVDs is much more than 200 DiVXs) with logic like this: Yes, but Blockbuster admits they carry only 1200 of the 2600 titles, while Circuit City advertizes with "hundreds of DivX titles" (of a total of 190 released). So Circuit City has a much larger percentage in stock!".
Great fun, just go and look everywhere on the site, there are various gems (even now, now it's over) in several corners! He stopped apparently in Feb or March 1999, I'm happily surprised it's still there.
Here's the link: Link Removed.
Cees

 

[Chuck C]

Where has this guy (author) been?

No kiddin, man. Maybe this guy should have wrote about the explosivness of home theater, but even that's getting old!
------------------
Chuck
Chuckster's HT Equipment List

 

[DaveF]

quote: The bandwagon was here and left almost 4 years ago. Where has this guy (author) been?[/quote]
~19 million DVD players sold in US
(I estimate 15% household penetration) http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...advdsales.html
95% Household VCR Penetration
http://www.technicolor.com/services/vid-markcent.html
Compared to VCR, DVD is still new, and has only gone mainstream the past year or so.
What amazed me from the Newsweek article was the significant uncertainty of corporate leaders about whether a new digital video technology would catch on. Did these people ever notice the widespread of VHS, CDs, and computers, among other new-fangled technologies? Were they aware that people have been known to rent and even buy movies, some going so far as to connect the VCR to the stereo for better sound? If they had, perhaps the DVD wouldn't have seemed so far-fetched.
I can appreciate the reluctance to embrace technologies that require your company to pay competitors for its use. But my mind boggles that they didn't expect DVD to be of general interest to consumers.
[Edited last by DaveF on August 15, 2001 at 02:31 PM]

 

[Marty M]

I remember when I got my DVD player three years ago, I figured if the DVD format didn't "take" I would at least have a new CD player out of the deal.
Now if I can just talk my wife into letting me get a new DVD player. I can't seem to make my Sony S-300 malfunction.

 

[LarryDavenport]

I read in Newsweek the other day about this new genre of music called Disco. I wonder if it will catch on.
------------------
These chicks know how to party! - MoJo JoJo

 

[Ron Boster]

Seems like a long time ago....
I remember March (was it the 16th-I can't remember) of 97, standing in line at the HTS in Houston to buy a Toshiba from their rep. after his demo.
Waiting weeks to get a couple of titles sent from the Dallas store (since Houston wasn't part of the target software market)
Ordering a couple of DVD's from DVD Express in Cali and hoping they'd ship to Houston.
Taking a side trip while in Cali to a Tower Records, where they must have had at least 100 titles and thinking that I hadn't seen this many titles in one store yet!!!
Those were the pioneer days of DVD.

Ron

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Here's a link to the article: www.msnbc.com/news/612844.asp
------------------
Feline audience members Katie, Susie, and the one and only Fluffy Pumpkin

 

[Sarah S]

"What amazed me from the Newsweek article was the significant uncertainty of corporate leaders about whether a new digital video technology would catch on. Did these people ever notice the widespread of VHS, CDs, and computers, among other new-fangled technologies? Were they aware that people have been known to rent and even buy movies, some going so far as to connect the VCR to the stereo for better sound? If they had, perhaps the DVD wouldn't have seemed so far-fetched."
These people live so far above the crust, they have absolutely no way to relate to the average consumer. My husband told me of a funny story where he saw a Christmas commercial (sort of like the Mastercard commercials now) listing bizarre prices for things like $150 for a tree (this was in the '80's) and $1000 for gifts, etc. Apparently, this commercial was pulled rather quickly and replaced w/realistic price amounts ($20 for a tree, etc) but this had to go past some marketing exec who actually thought people paid that much for Christmas. The point of this story is that these people (studio execs) are so out of touch with what the average person wants, listens to, watches, and pays for things that there is a large chance that they never noticed any emerging technology until the marketing people said "You know, we could make money off of that. Let's give it x years to see if it goes anywhere."
The same argument goes for what is happening with Warner. They try to go with what used to be a successful marketing stratagy, not realizing they are shooting themselves in the feet, and decide that since x isn't making a profit, there is no reason to release season box sets or widescreen movies.
At least, that is my humble opinion.

 

[Eugene Hsieh]

Compared to VCR, DVD is still new, and has only gone mainstream the past year or so.

Perhaps, but I just got a free movie on DVD from a box of Froot Loops. I can't say I ever got a movie on VHS the same way.
------------------
Eugene Hsieh, VisorCentral FAQ Editor
1000 km on a tank of gas??? Check out the Prius and drive the future now!

 

[Patrick Larkin]

What amazed me from the Newsweek article was the significant uncertainty of corporate leaders about whether a new digital video technology would catch on. Did these people ever notice the widespread of VHS, CDs, and computers, among other new-fangled technologies?

I understand the skepticism. The general public never found a need to embrace laserdisc as a viable medium.
The main reaso DVD is successful in my mind is that the consumer likens it to CD audio. When someone asks me "Why DVD" I tell them first, remember when you switched from albums to CDs? Same thing. Superior sound and video and a relatively age-proof media. DVD is taking off to the J6P because they are gaining that perception of a qualitative difference, just like the CD revolution.
I remember comments from people when DVD was just emerging...."You can't record, why would I want that?" I always asked those if they listened to CDs or tapes...
My friends that come over and are DVD-less, I always want to impress on them what that small disc holds in audio. It simply blows people's minds that are new to it. The sound is SO important. My daughter was watching "The Road to El Dorado" on HBO and I noticed how ordinary it was wihout a 5.1 mix and through TV speakers. Watching the same film on DVD (and in its OAR) is a totally different experience.
Long live DVD. (Just give me friggin' Lost Highway)