Virtually every hi-def video I've watched has been blu-ray disc. I just get them from Netflix. I haven't downloaded any HD show because the prices seem a bit too high for me for sub-blu-ray quality and the viewing window constraint.

Downloading is a nice option to have, but I've got plenty of things on the DVR to watch for spur of the moment choices.

berribrand

For me, it's all about the DRM. I will never, EVER, pay for any movies or music that can't do what I want, when I want.

I've never purchased anything from the iTunes store, outside of a few freebies that people have gifted me or I won, and I never will until the DRM crap stops altogether. Why would I pay the same price for an album with restrictions at iTunes, when I can go to Best Buy and get the same damn thing PLUS a hardcopy to have forever that includes art? Once I rip it into my computer, it's the same music files minus the bogus crap restrictions. It drives me crazy that this stuff still happens. If I had rented that movie, and then not been able to watch it, I would've hit the ceiling.

Boo DRM!

erichg14

SUCKER!!!!!
You'll be sitting on your Blu-Ray disc's like a Stack of wet Betamax tapes....

Personally, I agree digital downloads wont be the Shiv that kills Blu-Ray, as I have stated before, it will be flash/thumb drives!!!!!!

Companies are already starting to use them!

Small compact, easy to copy protect, and a potentially limited life span.... and did I mention Fast, wont skip, will be able to use them with any Portable media player..... Yeah, that's convenience!

Loremaster101

Ooo yes BD I like to own the shit I pay for

mpar

While the download times you talk about are certainly valid for some services, like the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, I find that HD movies via Apple TV are watchable within 1 minute of starting the download, with no interruptions during the film.

ShantiArion

I have a question, even if you have a ridiculously fast internet connection, if there aren't any seeders available, does it really matter how fast your connection is, if not what is a download service (free like bit-torrent) that directly correlates to your connection speed? please answer.

takemetoyourtoaster

wow. for the firs time, I actually agree with you with your view on Blu-ray. Here is my issue, I have my PS3/360/Apple TV.

I download a movie on my PS3 downstairs, if I want to go upstairs on my computer, im fucked. I download a movie on my AppleTV and friends wanna meet at their house, im fucked.

illegalprelude

I agree with the author 100%.

Malfoy

I don't know how newsgroups work exactly but I have seen them in action. Why don't they use that technology for normal downloads. I know plenty of people who pay $24/month for Giganews and download movies at their entire bandwidth. With Fios you can download a 1.5GB movie in 15 minutes. What's stopping huge companies like Blockbuster and Netflix from using the same type of tech there. Overall Newsgroups destroy Blu-Ray, Bit Torrent, Netflix and everything else because of the speed and content. As for DRM, scrap it IMO. I have downloaded a show, watched it, then deleted it because it was easier then Tivo. I am sure most people won't start bootleg factories out of their garages, Americans are too lazy for that. :D

KeatonCadman

Now that I think about it they should put the 2 or 3 different digital versions of the film on a blu-ray disc and allow for moving your hard copy to any divice you want.
We all get real media at a higher rez and they don't need to provide downloading bandwidth. Charge $10 a disc and mail them to my house.

fastm3driver

@fastm3driver: The format name is "Blu-ray Disc". The abbreviation is "BD".

Galley

@bosskev: I thought I had seen every variation known to man, until a saw "BrD" earlier today.

Galley

25GB.

That's the average size of a Blu-ray movie file.

'Til I can digitally download a 25GB+ 1080p file onto my movie-player-thingy and own it, forever--and watch it within seconds of getting the impulse to watch it--AND get DTS-HD or TrueHD audio bitstreamed from my movie-player-thingy...
Blu-ray wins.

scarbrtj

I don't believe at any point physical access to tangible media will be obsolete. People like to have things, and collect things. There's a certain comfort in knowing I can grab a record/8track/cassette/cd/dvd/blueray/flashdrive and watch or listen to whatever it is I want at exactly that moment with limited dependence on technology.

digital_janitor

@bosskev: Dude, It's blu-ray disc. or BRD.
I really call it blu-gay and there's nothing wrong with that.
-bitter HD-DVD supporter

fastm3driver

@Mark WIlson

DAMMIT! You got me all excited. That pic made me think that He-Man was on Blu-Ray now.....

Mr.SithNinja

I may point out that HD streaming/downloading isn't that unfeasable. I just downloaded Iron Man in full HD Glory in about 30 mins

SakinaTexodus

Xbox live and net flix

oxweeblexo

Honestly I don't really care about Blue-Ray. I don't use it, but it is nice. Once they stop making regular DVD's and only make Blue-Ray, or make them as cheap as DVD's then I'll switch to it, but not until then.

Tweak

@bosskev: It's Bloo-Reigh isn't it?

Rabid Penguin

When I can download a 2 hours 1080p movie in 10 to 15 minutes on a home network with uber speeds for 40 bucks a month, talk to me about the superiority of digital distribution. Until then, it's a drug induced fantasy...it's a wet dream. Don't get me wrong I'd love to have it but I'd also want it without DRM, superfast and with the ability to transfer it disc as many times as I want without the "man" hassling me.

It is to dream...

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

I don't think digital downloads will completely replace physical media for some years to come (if ever). People like the idea of "owning" something and a physical object you can hold onto and doesn't disintegrate or wipe itself clean after a little while will always win out over intangible data with ugly restrictions. Hard drives or iPods break eventually and some downloads can't be played everywhere so those don't count as physical. Also, what ever happened to holographic disc. Seems like that will eventually take over from Blue-Ray due to its capacity and the continuation of the "disc" tradition.

DoomGaZer

One (compound) word: newsgroups. Though I wouldn't say they are easy, what they lack in simplicity, they make up for in raw speed.

Newsgroups, coupled w/ 50Mbps FiOS, make me a happy man.

bignaz2k

@Mark Wilson: I agree completely.

Rabid Penguin

@AchtungYall: agree. you don't see "extra features" coming from any of these download services. which frankly, is a little surprising.

tucker

I concur with this article, i would always rather have the option to watch it whenever i have the free time and easily be able to bring it with me somewhere i go.

Odd_Thomas

Frankly, I think Sony's biggest obstacle still remains...how in the hell is it supposed to be spelled?

Blu-ray
Blu-Ray
BluRay
Blue-Ray
BlueRay

Talk about poor identity/branding--and let's not even mention that the abbreviation for Blu-ray is BD. Blu-ray = BD ? Huh? (Yeah, I know, Blu-ray Disc. Whatever.)

Ayway, in the past week, I have seen all of the above variations bandied about the internet, and only the first one is the "correct" spelling. At least, I think it is. At this point, it's all kind of "blur-ray".

bosskev

don't forget that you can take a blu-ray disc (or dvd) anywhere there's a dvd player, which is good for people with friends.

burningsensation

you silly- use bittTorrent for your good health.

yuriythebest

Hopefully this article will serve to educate many that scream, just download it in HD.

lilaliendog

the price of the players is coming down, the price of the discs is coming down, and the number of titles available with a Netflix subscription is going up. All these things point to a day in the very near future when Blu_ray is as cheap, easy and readily available as current DVD.

= Not obsolete in 5 years.

tucker

For me it's the extras. Digital Download is awesome and I can't wait for it to become quicker and more prominent, but I want the extras that I can get on disc.

AchtungYall

Blu-Ray will be the Laserdisc of this generation. Popular among videophiles but ignored by the general populace.

For example... the only Blu-Ray player that is selling in any significant quantity is the Playstation 3. There are just over 5.5 million of them in the U.S.

But over the first half of 2008 only 7 million Blu-Ray discs were sold. Slightly more than one per PS3. That's not what you call sustainable.

Blu-Ray will hang around for a couple of years, because Sony can just never seem to let a format go, then when something better comes along around 2012 or so it will be wiped off the board along with DVD, digital downloads and whatever other media format pops up between now and then.

Jordan Lund

I'll stick to HD-DVDs...

What's that? They lost? Pish-tosh and hog-wash be to ya! I nere' heard such a thing! Begone from my sight ye pesky vagabond!

Chromeo

Good read. I would rather carry my BD's in a binder than heavy ass HDDs anytime.

Earthslide

@Tweak:

Good for you. That's called progress. I'm glad you understand it. :)

MichaelScrip

@DoomGaZer:> "People like the idea of "owning" something and a physical object you can hold onto."

Some people do. Most of the time I just like to be entertained for 2 hours... I don't need to own the disc. Renting via the internet or Netflix is enough for me.

When I go to see a movie at the theater, I can't walk out with the reels!

MichaelScrip

@Skeptical_Geezer: Most projections show video downloads slowing down the internet, not speeding it up.

Mark Wilson

As for me, I'll stick to DVDs.

Eventually I'll get Blu-rays, but mostly for data storage rather than HD movies.

Don't care much for High Quality whatever...

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

@tucker: The price of players isn't coming down. Untill I "consumers buy them more". People won't buy them more until they cost less. Sounds they won't be cheap for a while giving digital downloads all the time it needs to get its act together. In five years when your internet speed is hopefully faster and the price of blu-ray players is finally reasonable digital downloads will look a lot more enticing
= Maybe not in 5 but soon after

Zomb

Agreed - Blu-Ray looks great and DVDs scale nicely on the PS3. Downloads don't cut it - especially with looming bandwidth caps (thank you, Comcast). My first (and last) experience with PS3 rentals took over 24 hours to download and didn't look very good after all that wait.

The only reasonable "download" is P2P, which is where I go to "recover" lost episodes magically deleted from my PVR. The DRM on other download formats is so do broken, no reasonable person would ever trust it. (ex: Sony - via PS3 - want's you to "buy" a movie that you cannot view anywhere else, can't archive or even download again if it's lost. Huh?)

TechBob13

Agreed. Especially after watching the Blu Ray Godfather last night. Give me THAT in a downloadable experience and we'll talk.

I see downloadable at least for the next couple of years as a fun disposable thing. I'll stream some crappy looking Hulu of Its always sunny in Philadelphia for the instant gratification, but when it counts nothing beats Blu Ray right now.

Saying DL content will make Blu Ray obsolete was like when they said in the 50s TV dinners would replace cooking. It is much more convenient and has its place, but nothing beats a real dinner.

noamjamski

Most of the objections (except DRM) are inconsistent. There is an objection about not being able to acquire a digital download instantly, but unless you live within a couple of blocks of a video store, it takes time to acquire a DVD also - you don't just go home and magically pull it out of the air. I am pretty impressed with how fast things have progressed in the past few years so that streaming TV shows are quite watcheable without a lot of pauses and pixalation on a high speed connection (impossible when I first was sampling the technology) To state the objections based on current technology and bandwidth without any presumptions about progress over a 5-year period is like a Republican analysis of climate change.

Skeptical_Geezer

"I know it's just a documentary, but I want to flex the muscles of my HDTV a bit. [...] Chances are if I have the tech to download your movie, I have the tech to watch it in HD."

Totally agree with that statement. I like Blu-ray and am willing to shell out for the quality, however not on all movies. I learned the hard way with "Good Luck Chuck". Waste of a Blu-Ray - which is why I still split between BD and DVD/downloading.

I have to admit though, the Digital copies that are coming out with the new BD are a great idea - best of both worlds.

cptnruthless

@bignaz2k: agreed, sir. hellanzb + hellavcr!! gogo magic internet tivo!

digitalflite

@SakinaTexodus:
fios? because it took me 2.5 hours. damn you comcast.

digitalflite

I'm not that picky, I just order regular old movies from netflix. I'm usually half asleep or drunk when I want a movie anyhow.

I kick yo butt he-man.

shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog

I may get a Blu-Ray player if I win that gizmo contest. But even then it'd be in the form of a PS3.

alowishus

DRM is bad on Blu-ray, but 10x worse on digital downloads. At least you can play your disc on any machine wherever you go as long as you have the disc.

Not so with these downloads, you can't transfer them between machines, you can't re-download them more then once; who knows where these downloads will be ten years from now. I still play 10 year old DVDs even today in my Blu-ray machine whenever I want to revist a movie, I know I can do that with optical-media, I know I won't with digital distribution.

Scaramanga

Some people mention download speeds in regard to this 'argument' but very few seem to acknowledge that there are VERY few places in the world that offer truly unlimted/un-capped downloads.

Until everyone has access to such a service digital downloads will never replace physical objects/media.

sean.piggott

Hmm. But I don't want to store the discs. Any discs.

alowishus

LL Blu-Ray!!

Galavoxx

hdbits ftw

ffwoodycooks1

@Skeptical_Geezer:

It takes me 15 minutes to go to the nearest Best Buy, Blockbuster or what-not, come back home and pop the Blu-Ray in the PS3. Until I have that kind of speed for downloading, BD wins hands down.

gerrylum

@SakinaTexodus:

I'm torrenting the latest episode of Fringe right now in HD. It's been going for about 12 hours and it's still not done.

gerrylum

When Digital Downloads can add extras and the same primo quality that non-downloads have, I'll take them. But the way it looks now, that's a good 10 years away for downloads to fully catch up, so my Blu-Ray version of Bender's Game shall be the best thing ever for a while...when it comes out.

ViewtifulJason

@Jordan Lund: That example is moot. People choose not to buy Blu-Ray discs because of 1) price and 2) choice of movies on Blu-Ray. Once more movies that come out on Blu-Ray and prices of the discs come down people will start to adopt it.

Your "Blu-Ray will hang around for a couple of years" comment doesn't hold true if you are just talking about Blu-Ray in general as it is holding strong for the main thing it is used for.. PS3 games.

grald

I totally agree with u Mark, Blu-ray is the best method to enjoy HD movies now, & i believe BD is here to stay.. stay for long.. longer than people think!!

sarwatmj

This is delusional. Every disadvantage listed there is worse for Blu-Ray, except the one referencing quality. "Oh geez I gotta wait an hour to get my HD movie". For blu-ray, get in the car, pay $30 for a recent title, or order it and wait a day. DRM on blu-ray is draconian, and while you can crack it, the format is a non-starter for portable players and anyone who doesn't want to fork out $100 for a software blu-ray player.

Once somebody manages to marry portability, blu-ray is done. Microsoft or Apple has the best chance - xbox live, vista media center, and zune (or apple tv, front row, and ipod). Combine all those marketplaces and let the user get content appropriate for the device - FTW.

astrocramp

You briefly mention compression, but I think it's worth more than that. It's the equivalent of JPG vs. RAW in still images. For many people I'm certain compressed HD is just fine, and it's certainly better than SD; but I've watched excellent 8gb 1080p rips and Playstation Store rentals and still found them chock full of artifacts and without a great deal of the fine textures detail that bluray preserves. I'm an avid photographer so perhaps I'm a bit more discriminating than most. I find the incomparable image quality bluray provides is irreplaceable. I think bluray's biggest problem as a format is the perception that all 'HD' is equivalent. Bitrate is just as important as resolution.

FarrellKeenan

@SakinaTexodus:

Full HD Glory ??

jespejo

@Mark Wilson: Yes, if there are NO upgrades to the technology, video downloads will slow down the Internet, but I wouldn't want to try and download a current set of Microsoft Windows Updates on a 56K modem either (I am a bit of a loss why 56K modems are still standard on laptops when they are cutting out other ports that have more usage, such as PS2).

Skeptical_Geezer

In my case I have to say nothing beats physical copies of anything. specially now with bluray. Nothing beats just reaching to your shelf and pick what you want to watch, most new bluray releases carry a digital copy to put on whatever device you want so who would want to download anyway??? its all in the disc.. I forgot to mention bluray is awesome!!!!

jncarlos

@gerrylum: In L.A. it takes more than 15 minutes just to stand in line at a Blockbuster. And then you get the joy of trying to play the scratched up disk when you get home. I gave up 2 years ago!

Skeptical_Geezer

@burningsensation: This is probably the biggest reason for me. Physical media still has the convenience of being transportable. Where you go, you take your media with you.

Sure, with digital download you can also "take your media" with you, but there's an overhead of data transfer everytime you travel.

Trying letting your friends borrow a movie - "Sure, Bob, you can borrow this digital download title... oh wait, I need to decrypt / transcode / burn it for you.

Not trying to troll, I love digital downloads for convenience as well, but it's not going to kill Blu-ray... yet

rizzle

@scarbrtj: It's bigger than that now, actually. That's not even considering multi-disc sets...

Erwos

Let's also talk about the portability. Am I going to be able to throw this DRM laden download on, say, an SD card and throw it in a portable player so my kids can watch the movie on a long road/plane trip?

Kiamat

@bignaz2k: Shh, stop telling the low-techers all our secrets.

BadBoyNDSU

blue ray is already dead. i thought ghostbusters on a thumb drive already nailed the coffin shut.

JohnDeere

@oxweeblexo:

Netflix DVD or Blu-ray maybe, but Xbox Live gives you DRM'd videos at a quality that looks up and only dreams of hitting 1080p.

Cake_Eater

YES thank you! Nothing beats having a dvd on your shelf.

mcjake

i really hate how everyone is behind digital, i still have a DSL line and it takes forever to download anything on the PSN xbox live or itunes, so netflix on blu ray FTW.

otis123

Thanks, I'll wait for a format that isn't pouring money into Sony's pockets.

Alchemistmerlin

BR = LaserDisc

BostonPimpDaddy2

Blu-ray?! It's all about HD-DVD and you know it.
lol

AUAnonymous

@DoomGaZer:

People said the same thing about music. I think that when download speeds become faster, and HD content is more readily available, we will see a big increase in the percentage of HD movies that are downloaded. Downloadable music had similar barriers in its beginnings and look at it now.

justinpe

uhhhh i can find whatever i want in great quality for free before it is released and it's easy so either you didn't try hard enough or...

omegaviper

This is old-fart talk, you're doing. Truth is, eventually we'll have the bandwidth to stream HD. And what you're feeling now is growing pains. Hold on to your little disks as the last bits of movie ownership is evaporated.

AND, on a different note, - HD IS OVERRATED. There's a reason for such a slow adoption rate of Blue Ray. Most people don't give a rats ass if you can see pimples on the spiderman's ass. Even with VHS to DVD, the main difference was degradation of signal and size of the media, it wasn't exactly the picture quality that convinced the public.

I'm not buying into it, until it's household-cheap. I've thrown enough money away at electronics that just depreciate faster than the stock market and go obsolete faster than [insert your favourite idiom].

With the amount of money invested into dvd's, I see little in Blue Ray, I'd rather skip this scratcheable disks bullshit altogether.

mp3's totally killed physical media. It will happen in the video eventually.

Pretolo

@ List of reason. I think there were some good reasons in there. Most notably the speed issue. Unless you live near verizon fiber, or have an Isp that actually re-invest in it's last mile network, knows that fiber is the future. Then your SOL. And in the same boat I am for the most part.

Although for the most part myself, DVD quality, is a quality I am satisfied with. So I do download eps from Amazon.com. It just takes awhile.. *Sighs*

-Core-

I think the idea of digital downloads is better, sadly it's just not there yet, particularly in the UK. And speed is just one factor. Starting a download the night before you want the film only works if you don't care about leaving your computer on over night...which I think is becoming less common as the world goes eco-friendly.

And with online rental services becoming more competitive, to me it seems digital downloads are getting further from being the main way people get their HD fix.

TBH I think in 5 and maybe even 10 years this post will be just as relevant(although it might some other disc type we're using)

ArmedJimmy

Blu-ray = DVD 2.0
It's as simple as that. Extra space meaning extra quality, nothing revolutionary about that. DVD gave us something new from the VHS, just as that did from the Betamax. DVD and downloads are over-lapping too much for Blu-ray to do anything. I'd say it'll be done in about 3 years if lucky.

cowpop

@Zomb:

i thought they were coming down, i saw some cheaper ones at walmart. i remember they all were 500 or more but im sure i saw one for like 300 or less. im sure this holiday season, the prices of everything will drop being that the economy is so bad that no one will buy anything unless its deeply discounted. but what do i know.

clipseGTS

@lilaliendog: It's debatable. The first premise in the article is not even accurate. It may take a while to download an HD movie, but it also takes a while for you to get a BluRay DVD. It probably takes less time, in fact, to download a movie than it does for one to arrive at your door from Netflix. Either way, you have to plan ahead.

And what about cost? To fully utilize that BluRay player, it requires almost a $3000 investment -- a 1080p TV and an expensive BluRay player.

And then what happens when the next HD tech comes down the pipe? Nanowires or holographic or whatever. Now all those bluray discs you have are worthless. People have dealt with this problem too many times to fall for it again (vinyl, 8-track, casette, CD, Laser Disc, VHS, DVD, mini-disc, Beta, HD-DVD and BluRay). In this case, the HD downloads save you from having to switch formats. Just plug your laptop into your TV or get a mac mini.

stradric

Full HD glory would mean 1080P and uncompressed? I want your ISP if you really downloaded a 50GB file in half an hour.

FlemingLimpet

"That HD content might be compressed (not really HD) So you say you've found a service that gives you instant HD streaming? You didn't. They may call it 720P, but it's got more compression artifacts than Blu-ray any day." You are being far too kind to digital downloads. You don't mention that even if they aren't compressed, they are STILL dumpy pseudo-HD 720P (921600 pixels). Blu-rays are 1080P (2073600 pixels), which is over twice the resolution. Admittedly, in some movies where the orignal film was too blurry to see very fine details, it doesn't make as much of a difference (Superman returns, ocean's 13, old movies) but in movies that actually have lots of detail (pirates, the prestige) the difference in quality is huge. 720P is a pathetic and pale imitation of 1080P and I certainly hope these so-called HD downloads never beat Blu-ray. If they are going to, that would be even more reason to buy Blu-rays while you can still get movies in 1080P. It will be a long time before you will be able to get 50 GB digital downloads. 50 GB is the size of a blu-ray quality film. Since digital downloads only take a few gigs, how can anyone seriously think they look as good? I am afraid people are watching these phony HD digital downloads and assuming all HD movies (including Blu-ray) look that bad, so they don't buy Blu-ray.

FlemingLimpet

I've now re-read this article twice and I still can't, for the life of me, understand where Mr. Wilson is coming from. Yes, I totally agree on many of the points he makes in this article, and those comments on DRM and format obsolescence, etc. are all very well received. However, and perhaps it's because I approach the whole "paying for content" thing from the standpoint of democratic consumerism -- that is, that we consumers vote with our money when we spend it -- I don't see how Mr. Wilson's strategy, and frankly the strategy of most others out there, really works in furtherance of this very obvious tenet of our capitalist system. I refuse to pay for content before I've had a chance to watch it. And before someone here wants to come out with the smart-alec comment that "That's what trailers and previews are for!" let me remind you oftentimes the trailers and previews are better than what they're advertising, since they often contain all the best scenes! If -- and only if -- what I've pulled down and watched for free is worth it, then I'll go and spend money on it. A perfect case-in-point example of this, for me, is The Incredibles. I pulled it down via one of the file share systems and, having watched it in utter, stunned disbelief, I grabbed some friends and watched it in total probably like three times in local theaters. Then, I bought the DVD and the game. And that was me voting with my money. In effect, I was telling Brad Bird "Make more movies of this quality." And look what he came out with next -- Ratatouille. Got that one, too. Now, let's look at the reverse. Anyone here watch Ultra Violet? Anyone here bought the DVD or Blu-Ray disc? Anybody wish they hadn't? Well, I pulled it down and got about half of the way through it, then pitched the file. Sony didn't get any of my money for it, and why should they? It was crap. I mean, forget the fact it had Mila Jovavich in it -- she was the only "good" thing about the movie -- this movie was awful and there's no way I'd want to be parted from my money for that. So, you folks go right ahead and blindly throw your consumer voting power away. Look what it gets you. And to think you spent all that money on high-def equipment. For what? Stupid is what that is. Just plain stupid.

ThoraPleiades

I think with companies like Comcast capping download limits, we can't hope for Blu Ray quality downloads anytime soon.

Look, I have a 53" 1080p TV, a Blu Ray player and a 7.1 set up with all the latest codecs. Until I can dl a 1080p flick with uncompressed 7.1 audio, I will stick with Blu.

scaught78

I wouldnt be so sure about that. (http://www.betanews.com/article/Samsung_sued_over_incompatible_Bluray_players/1202765198) for example. But theres been a few case's, and not all early. Then we will get "profile2" blueray players, with mandictory internet connections. This is Sony remember. "securRom" sony. "routkit" sony. If its at all possible for DRM to stop your discs working, it will happen. Its happened with audio-cd's after all. DRM is ugly, and its in the real world too.

AthenaKepple

Indeed. Especialy the people that make it...like...umm...Sony. DRM really hurts the industary anyway, because it drives people to get "proper" copys from the pirated sources. Idly, we would buy a lisence to watch a movie/music/game in any situation. We would own that lisence, and not the medium the thing is on.

AthenaKepple

The average bluray dosnt need to be that big though. Bet you couldnt tell the difference if it was half that size. (I notice no one in the industary has done double-blind tests, incidently.) Heck, if quality really matter to Sony, then why were all the first bluray release's Mpeg2?

AthenaKepple

Why in under 15 minutes? Why is this urgancy? Is your dvd shop 15 minutes away (there any back) is that the logic? Surely if you know in advance something you want, then you can just queue it in advance :? Its not a fantasy for people that know what they want a few hours in advance. (and would like to do other stuff while they wait rather then drive/walk to the shops and back) Its only a fantasy if you have the crazy need to have everything RIGHT THIS SECOND!!!! " without DRM, superfast and with the ability to transfer it disc as many times as I want without the "man" hassling me." Agreed. But bluray isnt better at that either. Best solution; Buy anything anywhere you like, then download an illegal unrestricted version. My morels dont have a problem with that system. They got paid. Personaly I like watching films without those REALLY annoying anti-piracy messages. And these days that means you gota pirate....

AthenaKepple

For people in first world internet countrys, Digital Distribution is clearly going to replace physical formats over the next decade. (I have a below average connection in the Netherlands, and we can happly download popular 720p content in less then an hour, less popular stuff takes a few, but really, when are you THAT desperate to watch something?) For people in third world internet connection countrys, like the US, its not going to be an option to the inferstructure improves. And the best thing about Digital Distribition is going to be a very slow change anything. Its not just about the convience, and enviromentaly friendlyness if non-physical distro, its about the potentialy much better deal for the creators. The flagship example of this is probably Whedon's Dr Horrible, currently doing very well on Itunes. DD lets creators sale much more directly to consumers, which means more money for them, and less cost to the customer. The fact that so many current DD (legal) methods are awefull is no mark against the priniple, not will it stop the inevitable. Besides, the forced adverts, messages, and region restrictions of physical formats hardly makes the perfect anyway. " and easily be able to bring it with me somewhere i go." USB sticks people, USB sticks..gezz..

AthenaKepple

scarbrtj :
"'Til I can digitally download a 25GB+ 1080p file onto my movie-player-thingy and own it, forever--and watch it within seconds of getting the impulse to watch it--AND get DTS-HD or TrueHD audio bitstreamed from my movie-player-thingy... "

You nailed it-downloads are fine once the stupid is taken out-which will take a few years.

nevek

To quote Men In Black:
"This is gonna replace CD's soon; guess I'll have to buy the White Album again"

It's the same old story: New technology creating changes in the quality and distribute-ability of media.

I think some day we're gonna strip our gears with all this paradigm-shifting.

EricAlder

I dont have time to source good downloads via grey market, or want to put up with DRM issues and poorer quality for iTunes and other white market options. Blu-ray makes it easy for me, and its really not much more money than DVD.

steaky

I myself don't have an HDTV yet or HD service of any kind, but I have friends that do, and we watch sporting events etc in full HD ... I've got to believe that the programming could be transmitted in much the same way if you have the right connection. DSL and maybe even some Cable may fall short but satellite and FIOS should, have the bandwidth to make it possible.

I remember reading about some companies that want to put boxes in the user end similar to the DVRs that people have now, with that kind of set up you could start watching it right away as it downloaded the rest of the program to your HDD it, and the DRM is an issue, but its there, and I doubt its going away. I think what we should look for is a single DRM type make the DRM Nazis fight it out like the HD formats did ... then in the end all of our devices (portable media players, home theater setups, computers etc) will all be able to run the movies we rent or purchase and we wont have to worry about compatibility issues or DRM hurdles.

king_of_fools

There is no comparison with digital downloads and Blu-Ray when it comes to audio and video quality.
Blu-Ray audio is not compressed like it is with digital downloads.

The audio quality of Blu-Ray is better than anything I have ever heard. Note that I have a THX audio/video system, so I can really appreaciate it.

1080 Video with Blu-Ray is fantastic.
I have rented many High Def videos from the Apple Store via my Apple TV. Blu-Ray is much better quality.

richlove

@Pretolo: mp3s did not totally kill physical media. I still see huge CD sections at Best Buy.

There are also other hurdles to HD digital distribution, such as portability - i.e. the ability to take a movie to a friend's house and watch it.

Plus, I like the fact that I can sell a Blu-Ray if I really don't like it.

gerrylum

@Skeptical_Geezer: C'mon Geezer. I lived in LA for 5 year (live in the Bay Area now). If you stand in line at Blockbuster for 15 minutes, you gotta find a new one.

Agree about the scratched discs, though.

gerrylum

Agreed completely.

drakino

"That HD content might be compressed (not really HD)"
Not might, but IS compressed unless it's an OTA source. Plus, you're looking at 5-10Mbps max, whereas Blu-ray is typically 20-30Mbps (and that's not even the upper limit).

DaneB

@bignaz2k: The selection on blu-ray quality HD content is that great in newsgroups.

WickedEast1

@KeatonCadman: Not many average joes has FiOS, nor many have 50 Terabytes of disk space, nor many have their computer connected to their HDTV, nor many willing to wait 4+ hours (even at FiOS download speed you mentioned) before being able to watch the movie. There you go, that's what "stopping huge companies" from using that tech.

WickedEast1

The quality is not the issue here. Yes, Blu-ray is better quality. And yes, it is truly HD. But the real issue here is whether or not the average consumer shares your priorities. Blu-ray appears to be a failure at the present time. The way I look at it, both Blu-ray and HDDVD failed. HDDVD didn't properly subsidize the costs of the software necessary to get a jumpstart on the high def market. Toshiba's players received high marks, as did many of the releases. It was the fear of BD being the inevitable format and the reluctance for HDDVD to drop software prices that lead to its demise. The consumers lost this war because now that Sony has the monopoly on optical High Definition media, they've already admitted they won't lower the price until more people buy discs. The consumer and Sony are in a stalemate now, and the consumer has decided that the cost of going HD does not yield that high of a benefit... at least not high enough to pay the difference. DRM on DVDs has become less and less of an issue, and the customer can do more with the format. The customer will pick convenience over quality. Maybe Blu-ray will catch on, but Sony isn't happy right now. It has no equaled competitor and it appears to be losing.

s8ist

BY THE POWER OF GREY SKULL!!!

The Monarch

I agree

DJTripleRRR

You are complaingin about the "Wait"? I have a DSL connection and downloaded Micheal Moores new movie in less than 15 minutes and was watching it immediately. Sounds to me like your connection needs some speedup - get off that 9600 BPS modem!

ApolloCoppard

I want to buy a movie and OWN a physical copy of the movie. Not rent for 24 hours. Not download to a PC or console hard drive. If I want to back up my copy to the hard drive at some point thats cool. Not too mention the millions of people with no access to high speed internet. Is the movie industry only going to cater to those in cities/ burbs.. all the rural folk probably don't like HD anyway right?

PeggyEinnorb