The DVD day’s are numbered. (1 Viewer)

[tsodcollector]

I think there's a bunch of tsod's and dvd's at dollar tree they got something very cheaper at dollar tree for only a $1.00 a pop
and walmart has got so many tsod's and dvd's at a low price they also has a children's dvd selection it's great.

 

[Sega]

Cd days are numbered
DVD are numbered
BD and UHD are numbers
That's OK, so are mine -- as long as my number is smaller then nothing will change.

Not buying what I can't own, so digital is just a different version of Cable TV. Not interested in paying for long term rentals

Well said.

 

[Sega]

I've never streamed or downloaded a movie, or any kind of video material, and have no interest in ever doing that. But I love movies and have 889 of them on Blu-ray, and about 750 others, on DVD.

And since my wife and I have yet to see about a third of our movie collection in any form, or on any format, we have plenty of material to spend our days catching up on, even if the sale of movies on disc was somehow halted tomorrow.

Considering the sad fact that the vast majority of Americans are gravitating toward streaming and downloading the movies they view, just for the sake of convenience, I feel fairly sure that the movie studios will discontinue putting out movies, on any disc format, within 10 years, or less, from now.

Sam's Club stores have already discontinued selling movies on disc, which is a bad sign for a devoted fan of Blu-ray, such as yours truly.

And a couple weeks ago, Best Buy announced that its stores will eliminate the selling of music on compact disc by July 1st, so it's only a matter of time until BB stores will also be eliminating their movie sections, as Sam's Club has already done.

So I'm very glad that we already have at least 98% of my favorite films on Blu-ray. Have movies on Blu-ray that range all the way from 1927's "Sunrise" (the only silent film besides "The Artist" that we have on disc) to 2017's "Dunkirk".

A number of friends and relatives have regarded the emphasis that I've put on movie collecting, as having defined me as being something of a nut. But that doesn't bother me one bit. Because to me, our collection is the only real treasure that we have, and I notice that the folks of my wife's family, as well as my best friend, still all enjoy watching a good film on the big screen in our home theater.

So to me, it will be somewhat sad to be witnessing the time when the movie studios finally end up allowing the sale of movies on disc, to fade to black.

And BTW, IMO, even the newest, most advanced disc format for movies, UHD Blu-ray, will become extinct in the next 5 to 10 years. Because in spite of some people making claims regarding the format's supposed popularity, my own observations from often visiting 2 fairly close Best Buy stores (one in a well-to do area, the other in an average income area) are that I never see any consumers checking out the UHD Blu-ray sections of either of those Best Buy stores during the times I'm loitering around those areas.

Of course it might help the UHD Blu-ray format if the movie studios would release more classic catalog titles on the format, instead of just concentrating on sequels to movies where part 1 sucked, with most of the rest of UHD BD releases being so heavily weighted in favor of comic book super-hero flicks. But, I guess the fact that most of today's biggest movie blockbusters contain caped super-heroes, or, are movie sequels, means that UHD BD releases must duplicate that trend.

However, while I noticed, last Saturday, that Sony has released an UHD Blu-ray edition of its 1992 catalog title "A Few Good Men", that fact just caused me to wonder why Sony has yet to issue UHD BD releases of its much more brightly shining catalog jewels: "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge On The River Kwai."

The last 2 mentioned films, with their well deserved Oscars for the stunning outdoor cinematography that they both feature, would obviously display the advantages of UHD video, to much greater effect than a courtroom drama like "A Few Good Men", could ever hope to do.

With the extensive restoration that "Lawrence of Arabia" has undergone, combined with the 8k scan of its original camera negative that was meticulously done, 6 years ago, to enable the film's stunning debut on 1080p Blu-ray, it's quite obvious that it is one large format film that's ideally suited for showing what UHD Blu-ray is really capable of, and is fully ready to be transferred to UHD BD.

Is anyone going to seriously claim that film addicts have been clamoring more for an UHD Blu-ray release of "A Few Good Men", than they have for such amazing looking films as LOA, "Apocalypse Now", or "Spartacus"?

So as long as the Hollywood studios are more preoccupied with releasing crap like "The Dark Tower" or "Smurfs 2" on UHD BD, rather than giving film addicts UHD BD editions of such large format films as LOA, "My Fair Lady", "Spartacus", or "Oklahoma", then I'll just continue to say the hell with UHD Blu-ray, since its potential as a format for presenting fine films in the highest quality possible today, seems like it has been largely wasted, so far. I wouldn't even be interested in seeing 9 out of 10 of the crappy movies that are currently being released on UHD BD, even if they could be seen on a new format at commercial movie theaters that allowed for true holographic 3D viewing that would permit audience members to actually see what was behind a movie's character, just by audience members moving their heads to view a different perspective. That's how little I think of most of the totally un-original crap that Hollywood is pumping out anymore.

In 1971, not a single one of the top 10 movies at the American box office for that year was a sequel or a remake, unless you counted a James Bond film which actually wasn't a sequel because it had no relation to the previous Bond film, but was just a case of another Bond novel that Ian Fleming wrote, being made into a movie.

But contrast 1971 with last year, with the top 11 of 2017's box office hits all being sequels or remakes, with the possible exception of 10th place holder, "Wonder Woman", which had been a TV series, but was not a movie remake, and which most people would not regard as a movie sequel to "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", which also featured Wonder Woman, because the movie "Wonder Woman" provides the origin story of that character and has nothing to do with Batman or Superman. (Actually, I feel like an idiot making these distinctions.)

Anyhow, there you have it folks. Because it seems that the most original creation among the top 11 movie hits of 2017 was "Wonder Woman", a movie about a character who was hardly new to Americans.

Before making one of the greatest film sequels of all time: "The Godfather Part II", Francis Coppola had to be argued into agreeing to do the film, because he was telling the executives at Paramount that if a director does a movie sequel that's tantamount to him admitting that his creativity may be drying up.

And in reality, "The Godfather Part II" actually wasn't even a sequel, as much as it was a completion of the first movie, since, in making Godfather 2, Coppola was filming more of the book "The Godfather", which he wasn't able to include in his first Godfather film, because it simply isn't practical for a movie studio to try to release a 6 and a half hour long film to movie theaters. But, it can't be denied that Coppola's 3rd film about the Corleone family: "The Godfather Part III", was a case of Mr Coppola having made a genuine sequel, which has nothing to do with any of the events in the "The Godfather" novel, as Godfather 3 presents cheesy plot development of a kind that is so often typical of a movie sequel that shows itself to be little more than a cash-in that leeches off of the better quality material that preceded it.

Anyway, today's serious creativity deficit in major studio movie making, actually makes me think that it wouldn't be that great of a loss if the major studios were to suddenly stop issuing more new movie releases on any of the disc formats.

Though I admit, that it would be a genuine shame to not have some of the relatively few movies of substance, such as "Darkest Hour", not being made available to movie fans who want something a little weightier than productions that just stem from the copycat mode of movie making.

We have over 1,000 movies on DVD. And still getting more. Was at Best Buy yesterday. They still have DVD's.
But not much. Looks like Amazon will be the place to go to buy them soon.

 

[Kaskade1309]

I still buy them whenever I see a title that I don't really need, or want, in high def or ultra high def.

It's still a viable medium, IMO, given the right hardware (i.e. scaling of an UHD BD player) and assuming the mastering was done properly.

Additionally, I rent DVDs every week from our local Redbox and usually watch at least one every night from our own massive collection.

 

[Sega]

It will be a good time yet. But it will happen. Just like VHS went by the side of the road. I still pick up VHS tapes and Laserdisc. When I see one I want.
Remember the good old fun days of the past.

 

[YANG]

...It's still a viable medium, IMO, given the right hardware (i.e. scaling of an UHD BD player) and assuming the mastering was done properly...

DVD still remain viable, because of it's cost, stability over network streaming, and most importantly the hardware today that spins the discs, are still backward compatible to the old format that makes the format still playable.
only one who loves the specific movie "deeply" will make a straight jump to format upgrade to improve individual's sensory experience.

let's sit back and look at the whole picture of different homevideo format... and it's pretty easy to see that VHS and LD format is virtually dead or struggling from death, as hardware lives are slowly dimming one by one till it's extinction. it's not easy for one going to find a capable tech that could do repairs to these 2 format hardware, as BD players that plays DVD format are getting easier and affordable to acquire than a VHS deck with moderately good audio as well as LDPlayer with better audio.

DVD release will continue to be put out, just that the quantity will be lower and quality lower than releases mastered by copyright studios in specific regions that are more established and better in reliability.

 

[skylark68]

Hopefully my old Pioneer LD player continues to function for awhile longer. Still plenty of films I have on LD that haven't been properly released on DVD or Bluray including the Alamo.

 

[Tony Bensley]

DVD still remain viable, because of it's cost, stability over network streaming, and most importantly the hardware today that spins the discs, are still backward compatible to the old format that makes the format still playable.
only one who loves the specific movie "deeply" will make a straight jump to format upgrade to improve individual's sensory experience.

let's sit back and look at the whole picture of different homevideo format... and it's pretty easy to see that VHS and LD format is virtually dead or struggling from death, as hardware lives are slowly dimming one by one till it's extinction. it's not easy for one going to find a capable tech that could do repairs to these 2 format hardware, as BD players that plays DVD format are getting easier and affordable to acquire than a VHS deck with moderately good audio as well as LDPlayer with better audio.

DVD release will continue to be put out, just that the quantity will be lower and quality lower than releases mastered by copyright studios in specific regions that are more established and better in reliability.

I'd say the definition of a viably dead format is when there are no longer any titles being newly released in that format. VHS and LD clearly fit that definition, at least currently.

Of course, there was a time when vinyl also met that definition, so who knows what the long distant future might hold?

CHEERS!

 

[Kaskade1309]

DVD still remain viable, because of it's cost, stability over network streaming, and most importantly the hardware today that spins the discs, are still backward compatible to the old format that makes the format still playable.
only one who loves the specific movie "deeply" will make a straight jump to format upgrade to improve individual's sensory experience.

let's sit back and look at the whole picture of different homevideo format... and it's pretty easy to see that VHS and LD format is virtually dead or struggling from death, as hardware lives are slowly dimming one by one till it's extinction. it's not easy for one going to find a capable tech that could do repairs to these 2 format hardware, as BD players that plays DVD format are getting easier and affordable to acquire than a VHS deck with moderately good audio as well as LDPlayer with better audio.

DVD release will continue to be put out, just that the quantity will be lower and quality lower than releases mastered by copyright studios in specific regions that are more established and better in reliability.

The only problem I see with the medium is when the screen sizes get to a certain average level...and how 480i resolution is going to hold up on, say, 80-inch-plus displays. Right now, I'm running a 65-inch display, and this was a step up from my previous 50-inch rear projection set, and DVD still holds up to a certain point (poorly mastered discs don't look so great, obviously) -- but I can't help but wonder if I was running a really massive television, whether those discs would look the same.

 

[YANG]

...Of course, there was a time when vinyl also met that definition, so who knows what the long distant future might hold?

CHEERS!

that phenomena will come back again only if the 4.7inch media couldn't hold the kind of data that consumers yearn for, and new hardware releases is weak on reading 100GB discs due to it's component limitation.

 

[YANG]

The only problem I see with the medium is when the screen sizes get to a certain average level...and how 480i resolution is going to hold up on, say, 80-inch-plus displays. Right now, I'm running a 65-inch display, and this was a step up from my previous 50-inch rear projection set, and DVD still holds up to a certain point (poorly mastered discs don't look so great, obviously) -- but I can't help but wonder if I was running a really massive television, whether those discs would look the same.

to play DVD "smoothly" on bigger screen, you need to employ FUR-Forced Upscale Resolution depending on the size of your TV.
for example, some folks couldn't tell if i was playing the DVD or BD format of Pearl Harbor when they came to visit me in my new place where i was turning on only the 50inch TV that is directly facing a much bigger 75inch screen. the specific player connected to the 50inch is set to output @ 720p, zoomed in to fill screen showing them what they're seeing on public broadcast which often in 16:9 "fill screen ratio".
then in 2nd demo, some will detect MPEG MOTION NOISE on fast moving object on 75inch TV when i play the same clip again with the same format with the same 720p output setting. this time in original WS2.35:1 widescreen ratio such that the picture height from the 50inch when compared to original widescreen on the bigger display would come to close height in measurement with discrepancy of about 3~5% or so... in the follow up setting, i forced the player to output at 1080p, MMN is smoothed but little much evident when compared to 720p output setting.
after this demo, some of these visitors were so determined to upsize their displays, while some considers their sitting arrangements.

DVD play on bigger screen is possible. but that would be dependent on the settings on the player as well as your sitting distance. my sweetspot on both displays that faces one another is 2meter away from the screens, that would often require me to move my seat depending which aspect ratio source i'm watching.

 

[Sega]

The people that still buy DVDs are a dying breed.
Just like us people. That still buy Laserdisc & VHS tapes,
when we can find them. The DVDs will be around for a time yet.
But in say. 10-12 years? 4K DVD's maybe 8-10K? Are gone?
It's all up to Joe & Mary Q public. What will they want & buy?
And buy is the keyword. time will tell.

 

[YANG]

...And buy is the keyword. time will tell.

undeniably... BUY is the keyword. however, will that BUY, be selective or casual?
selective buyer will only buy what the individual wants and in selected format to keep oneself up to date on archiving collection. while casual buyer, will just explore...

i'm one such example, where i love Ridley Scott movies that i own the DVD as well as the FHDBD and UHDBD of some of his works, but not all.
i've recently acquired Jonathan Peele trios in DVD format because i don't know how will his work worth in my video library... even though i have to admit, i do enjoy US and GETOUT suspenseful plot. this i consider as casual buy.

 

[The Drifter]

Part 1:

I don't see DVD's dying anytime soon. Back when Blu-ray's were first released in 2006 & then won the "format wars" (with HD DVD) several years?! later, I remember reading/hearing a predication that Blu-ray's would "overtake" DVD's at some point & that the older format would no longer be produced.

However, here we are - 17 years after Blu-ray's were first released/introduced - and DVD's show no signs of extinction. Even though streaming is the main way that many watch TV shows/movies @ home, they are still being released. Yes, they are being released in less #'s than before. However, even though many TV shows/movies are being produced in Blu/4K - in many cases DVD's of these TV shows/movies are also available at the same time. Going along with this - in some cases DVD's are the only physical media format being produced for the seasons of some TV shows (typically the later seasons).

 

[The Drifter]

Part 2 (I didn't want to make my last post too long):

There are several reasons why the DVD format is still going somewhat strong these days:

1) Blu-ray players are backwards compatible & also play DVD's. This is HUGE, and it's worth noting that DVD's/Blu's are the only physical media format in which a player can play both formats. In the past, VHS tapes/Laser Disks/Beta/etc. were definitely not compatible with any other physical media format. So, when a new format came along - the old one fell by the wayside.

However, in the case of the Blu/DVD player - if someone has this & is into physical media.....but may just not want to spend the $ on a Blu disk/disks, they can still buy a DVD & use this.

Going along with this, I've gone through a lot of Blu-ray players throughout the years, and what I've noticed is that on occasion, the Blu-ray "laser" will stop working & stop playing the disks - but, the DVD portion works fine. So, if a Blu-ray player breaks (but if the DVD player portion is still working OK) - I'll typically still get a new Blu player, but keep the old one as a back-up...since it can still play DVD's.

2) Some people are completely satisfied with the DVD format & don't want to upgrade. I myself have a collection of both DVD's & Blu's. And, though I'm definitely an HD aficionado/fan - I'm 100% OK with a lot of TV shows on DVD. This is because I don't want to spend the $ to upgrade....and/or the differences between the DVD & Blu are negligible; this is especially true with some older TV shows/movies.

3) Some TV shows/movies are only available on the DVD format, and that's it. So, if you want to own/watch one of these on physical media, DVD is the only way to do this.

Side-note: It's worth noting that there are still some uninformed people out there who don't know that a Blu player is backwards compatible with DVD's.

 

[TJPC]

Don't fIt orget that players will also play CDs, I often use them for this purpose.

 

[Malcolm R]

DVD is still the dominant format in home video physical media. Amazon has started posting sales estimates on their physical media and the DVD often sells more than blu-ray or 4K (excepting if it's a catalog release just coming to Blu or UHD for the first time).

I posted this in another thread about the new release, Babylon, which one would think appeals more to a cinephile type of customer that might want HD/UHD more than the general mass market buyer, but DVD is still selling more copies than other individual formats:

 

[YANG]

......Side-note: It's worth noting that there are still some uninformed people out there who don't know that a Blu player is backwards compatible with DVD's.

ehh... in contrast, i don't totally agree with you that BDPlayer owners are ignorant of DVD backward capability. but rather, turned off by the initial impression of the image produced by playing DVD in it's native/automatic output resolution that make the picture look too soft when compared to what BD can offer, with their "new age""up to date" displays.

we're living in a plug and play time/era that the percentage of users whom're willing to explore into deeper and advance settings to make the device capable to upscale DVD resolution to reach 75% of what FHDBD can offer... is very low, frankly. and when a consumer brought a new machine home, the packaging as well as the device, already have region markings on them printed/burned.

i myself would often suggest to my other HT enthusiasts that one player to do all jobs, is not enough... if they're very nitpicking on presentation.

 

[The Drifter]

Don't forget that players will also play CDs, I often use them for this purpose.

Good point; I never use it for playing CD's, though I know it does so. I'm old skool and listening to CD's is still the primary way I listen to music. And, after my large boom-box CD player gave up the ghost years ago, my #1 CD player is the one in my car. And, it's good to know that the DVD/Blu player can be a back-up CD player.

 

[Malcolm R]

Side-note: It's worth noting that there are still some uninformed people out there who don't know that a Blu player is backwards compatible with DVD's

ehh... in contrast, i don't totally agree with you that BDPlayer owners are ignorant of DVD backward capability. but rather, turned off by the initial impression of the image produced by playing DVD in it's native/automatic output resolution that make the picture look too soft when compared to what BD can offer, with their "new age""up to date" displays.

I think Jim may have meant that people who have been buying DVDs are hesitant to upgrade to a blu-ray player because they think they won't be able to play their DVDs.

I ran into one of these people in Walmart a few years back. He was standing in front of the blu-ray players and asking the associate if they had any DVD players. I suggested he could upgrade to a blu-ray player, but he said he "had too many DVD's" to switch player formats.