Variety article on demise of DVD: estimates sales will fall below $1B in 2024 (2 Viewers)

[dpippel]

Judging by article excerpts and thread comments, it sounds like nearly everyone is saying "DVD" as a catch-all for discs. I'm not sure this story refers to DVD alone and not also Blu-ray.

As far as I can determine it applies to all physical media. "DVD" is a catch-all term for optical disc.

 

[cineescape]

Similar sentiments here too. Most of my disc purchases are gereric network tv shows, which are rarely ever released on bluray. If dvd ever dies for generic tv shows, it will likely be the absolute end of the line for me in terms of regularly buying optical discs.

The only titles I insist on the bluray versions, are sci-fi movies and tv shows. (I haven't found any 4Kbluray titles yet, which have convinced me to purchase a 4Kbluray player).

Perhaps, perhaps not. But consider that like all technologies, the time to author and press BDs have both dropped perhaps nearly as much as it was for DVDs a decade ago. Thus, the cost of issuing, even an obscure vintage TV series, is now much less-and because BD has > 7X the storage space as DVD, a fact which also allows for less digital compression and thus potentially far better A/V quality. Third, BD is substantially more impervious to scratches and bit rot than DVD.

 

[cineescape]

As far as I can determine it applies to all physical media. "DVD" is a catch-all term for optical disc.

If that were true then what motivated Sony to do this? https://www.hometheaterforum.com/co...ver-disneys-physical-media-production.381885/ So, it looks like they're keeping their DADC facility going after all. And specialty vendors like Criterion, Kino, VCI, Warner Archives, Arrow, Eureka, Powerhouse, Radiance, Cult Films, and others seem committed to physical media. Worst case, knowing that we here are more prone to collecting than streaming, they would offer high-res downloads of our favorite titles.

 

[jcroy]

So, it looks like they're keeping their DADC facility going after all. And specialty vendors like Criterion, Kino, VCI, Warner Archives, Arrow, Eureka, Powerhouse, Radiance, Cult Films, and others seem committed to physical media.

Sony DADC in Terre Haute, Indiana no longer manufactures any cd/dvd/bluray/4Kbluray/PS4 discs.

Sony Terre Haute aggressively ‘turning the Titanic around’ - Inside INdiana Business

In an effort to remain a pillar in the community, the Sony plant is now rewriting its soundtrack and pivoting to two other Hoosier strengths: medical device and automotive manufacturing.

www.insideindianabusiness.com

Sony's manufacturing facility in Salzburg, Austria and ones in Japan, are the big ones still left manufacturing cd/dvd/bluray/4kbluray/playstation discs and vinyl records.

 

[YANG]

my Magificient Seven FHD Blu-Ray clearly states as “Made in China”.

 

[cineescape]

Okay, I stand corrected. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Digital_Audio_Disc_Corporation#Sony_DADC_Plants

But neither Sony's nor Universal's optical discs are hardly just made in China. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonopress https://www.sonopress.de/en/products/film/

And perhaps for some Arrow or Eureka issues, when place of manufacture is stated on any of my various boutique branded BDs it's always been Mexico-none of which were ever proven to be defective.

 

[jcroy]

Okay, I stand corrected. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Digital_Audio_Disc_Corporation#Sony_DADC_Plants

In early-mid 2018, Sony DADC Terra Haute's previous clients signed agreements to outsource their disc manufacturing to Technicolor's giant disc manufacturing plant in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Sony Disc Plant In Terre Haute Laying Off 375 Workers

A western Indiana disc plant has told the state it's laying off 375 workers there beginning in March.

indianapublicmedia.org

For example, my copy of the rebooted SWAT season 1 (with Shemar Moore) released on August 28, 2018 by Sony Pictures Entertainment of America, was manufactured at Technicolor Mexico.

Technicolor Guadalajara, Mexico manufactured discs, will have IFPI KK** (where ** are alphanumeric wildcards) etched into the first transparent inner ring away from the center hole. It might require a magnifying glass to be able to read it clearly.

https://www.discogs.com/label/2526427-Technicolor-Guadalajara-Mexico?page=1

But neither Sony's nor Universal's optical discs are hardly just made in China. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonopress https://www.sonopress.de/en/products/film/

And perhaps for some Arrow or Eureka issues, when place of manufacture is stated on any of my various boutique branded BDs it's always been Mexico-none of which were ever proven to be defective.

For over the past decade or so, Technicolor Mexico is where Universal, Disney, Warner, Paramount (until mid 2021), Sony (since mid-2018), etc ... had their dvds/blurays and some 4Kblurays manufactured. This manufacturing plant is one of the few left in north america, that is reliable.

 

[Nathan_H]

If that were true then what motivated Sony to do this? https://www.hometheaterforum.com/co...ver-disneys-physical-media-production.381885/ So, it looks like they're keeping their DADC facility going after all. And specialty vendors like Criterion, Kino, VCI, Warner Archives, Arrow, Eureka, Powerhouse, Radiance, Cult Films, and others seem committed to physical media.

That's the point. The studios aren't interested in physical media because it doesn't make them the bucks they seek. Hopefully they continue to license stuff to boutique labels and those labels continue to be economically viable.

The Disney deal is an interesting one to watch. It says, at least, that Disney doesn't see a profit in owning that distribution arm. And that Sony has run the numbers on being a contract producer and finds it worthwhile for now. This appears to be a unique situation. Unlike the flat fee deals the boutiques truck in, the Disney deal appears to be based on something akin to profit sharing. That should work as long as the numbers are large -- and arguably Disney has a unique position in the marketplace to sustain higher numbers.

Worst case, knowing that we here are more prone to collecting than streaming, they would offer high-res downloads of our favorite titles.

We've already got that option. It costs several thousand dollars for the hardware, and the movies cost at least as much as UHD disks. But they are lossless (in as much as UHD disks are "lossless") and look and sound like UHD disks (or BR, when only 1080 masters exist).

Of course in addition the barrier to entry, the catalog is not as deep as many of us would like, and the licensing is still subject to change (ie, stuff disappears) over time.

What is more likely for now are services like the Criterion Channel, which, while awesome, doesn't fill the gap in terms of breadth, longevity of access, or quality of presentation that physical media affords.