Blu-ray is the format that’s replacing DVDs, but it appears that it arrived too late to be the last major optical format for computers. That title goes to the DVD.
According to iSuppli, only 3.6 per cent of PCs sold this year were shipped with a BD drive. And by 2013, that figure is only expected to rise to 16.3 per cent, far from a solid attach rate.
With install discs being replaced more and more often by downloads, movies being downloaded instead of watched on disc and the insanely cheap price of mass storage, it’s no wonder people aren’t willing to shell out the scratch for a BD drive. They just aren’t that useful.
The era of physical media is over, and Blu-ray was just too late to the party to really catch on like past formats. It’ll still have a relatively successful life in the home theatre world and with enthusiasts, but it’ll never come close to touching the saturation level of DVD. And really, that’s fine with me. [iSuppli]
Larry
August 26, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Do you really want to spend all your time connecting to the internet to watch a movie with stereo sound, when you can rent a video and stick it in your player and stop/start as much as you want?
You can’t check out the extras, because they are missing also.
When it comes to “time” that’s what will cause the consumer to look elsewhere, then this hyped pitch about movie downloads taking over.
Report PermalinkTom A
August 26, 2009 at 3:16 PM
“Do you really want to spend all your time connecting to the internet to watch a movie…?”
Everything in my house with a screen is already connected to the internet 24/7. Which decade are you living in?
Report PermalinkLarry
August 26, 2009 at 5:06 PM
“Everything in my house with a screen is already connected to the internet 24/7. Which decade are you living in?”
To stream a SD-DVD movie requires 2 to 5 Mbps connection, but your 24/7 internet connection is probably not up the requirements to watch a Blu-ray which runs typical 25 to 45 Mbps. Do you feel future proof now buddy?
Report Permalinkglennc
August 27, 2009 at 9:43 AM
internet speeds will increase and compression tech will improve, just like they have been for the last couple of decades. it is pretty short sighted to think DD won’t surpass physical media. kinda like how the record companies felt about mp3.
did yuou think technology would stand still for a change???
Report PermalinkLarry
August 27, 2009 at 2:47 PM
“it is pretty short sighted to think DD won’t surpass physical media.”
Right now I would eye ball the studios versus rental battle shaping up. This will impact DD also. There was a announcement today that Film Fresh will be the first online store to sell major Hollywood movie titles in the secure and easy to playback DivX format as DD. They are working with Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and Warner Bros. I see DD not taking over HD arena but becoming a alternative to renting SD-DVD at a rough equivalency for right now. DD will just be the feature with no extra’s for a minimum price. This will compete head to head against the expanding kiosk DVD rental firms.
Report Permalinkkrnageskillz
August 26, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Long live DVD’s. I own a PS3 for games not for the BD player feature and there is no way I am re-purchasing my DVD collection on Blu Ray.
Report PermalinkNick Broughall
August 26, 2009 at 11:22 AM
There’s only a couple of movie’s I’ll re-buy on Blu-ray (LOTR, Star Wars) but going forward, I’m only buying new movies on Blu-ray.
Report Permalinkglennc
August 27, 2009 at 9:48 AM
i refuse to spend another cent on starwars. 2 VHS and 2 DVD original trilogies is enough for a lifetime. lucas is a money hungry douchebag who no longer even tries to hide his obsession with money. then there is the special editions…
Report PermalinkFlame
August 26, 2009 at 11:29 AM
I’ve rebought a couple of my favs (Transporter, 5th Element) on BD just because they look so freaking nice on full HD + surround. That can’t be matched by downloads unless you’re going to get a 40GB file or whatever.
Report PermalinkJB
August 26, 2009 at 12:07 PM
I’ve replaced a small hand full of DVDs with Blu-Ray.
Report PermalinkNew stuff I’ll get on Blu-Ray (if its available) but I’ll still buy a DVD if its part of a collection I’ve already started (TV shows etc).
matt
August 26, 2009 at 12:10 PM
yeah, lets not tie bluray movies in with this. I gave up on optical media as a backup device ages ago, and bluray recordables still cost over $1 a gigabyte in aus. (hdds are like 10c a gig).
bluray as a movie format is alot stronger than it is as a general storage format.
also, I have it under good authority that Hollywood among others are still making new movies every now and then. just because your not going to replace the dvds you already have, doesn’t make bluray useless.
Report Permalinkglennc
August 27, 2009 at 9:50 AM
what new movies? they are all just remakes and not worth buying anymore. hollywood has lost the plot, why would i want to spend more on movies (than DVD) i can barely sit through.
Report PermalinkPeter Campbell
August 26, 2009 at 7:09 PM
“The era of physical media is over, and Blu-ray was just too late to the party to really catch on like past formats”
for computers maybe but for a movie buff downloading 25gig to watch a movie in HD with surround sound is stupid
Report PermalinkCraig
August 26, 2009 at 11:10 PM
I’m guessing the dinosaurs missed the XBL / Zune Marketplace post a few back.
We’re streaming 1080p 5.1 (or dl if you like) now over 4-8Mbps connections. Discs are dead.
Report PermalinkJared Mackean
August 27, 2009 at 12:35 AM
well when it comes down to it i dont need to have a huge tv i have a 24inch monitor and that does fine for me i still wouldnt get a bluray drive for my pc because if i did want a movie to watch im not going to pay like $20 to $40 for a bluray version when i can just watch it off dvd and buy it for like $5 and allso u dont need hidef copies of most crap anyway
Report Permalinkmatt
August 27, 2009 at 10:55 AM
“We’re streaming 1080p 5.1 (or dl if you like) now over 4-8Mbps connections. Discs are dead.”
wow yeah, thats like 1/3rd the quality of bluray, your right, that is a great step forward…
“kinda like how the record companies felt about mp3.”
Umm what? the only way mp3s have ‘surpassed’ CDs is in popularity. they are STILL crapper quality than CDs which have been around for decades…
and also, wtf kinda argument is “we don’t need bluray because all movies are crap now anyway.” so what? you won’t spend $30 on crap but you’ll spend $10 for the dvd? I won’t spend ANYTHING on crap!
(you are right tho, most movies are crap these days).
Anyway, I stand by what I said, its not the quality that puts me off DD – this will improve – its DRM! drm has been around for a while now in games, and it has shown NO signs of improving.
Report PermalinkLarry
August 27, 2009 at 2:49 PM
“Anyway, I stand by what I said, its not the quality that puts me off DD – this will improve – its DRM! drm has been around for a while now in games, and it has shown NO signs of improving.”
Yes, and the studios won’t give up DRM ever. :-(
Report PermalinkPeter Campbell
August 29, 2009 at 11:34 PM
@matt “We’re streaming 1080p 5.1 (or dl if you like) now over 4-8Mbps connections. Discs are dead.”
umm streaming bluray is more like 20megs per second
and with the current state of broadband in oz company like netflix will never really take off here
Report PermalinkPeter Campbell
August 29, 2009 at 11:36 PM
correction 21.1mbps
Report Permalinkdbarrade
September 20, 2009 at 6:22 PM
I remember when articles like this were saying… DVD drives will never replace CD drives in PC’s… do you guys even realise that the uptake of Blu Ray vs DVD is faster than the uptake of DVD vs VHS?
Optical disc is dead! Long live Optical disc!
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