Ditching Blu-ray And DVDs To Go Digital

Many people have said this already, but I'll chime in too.

As soon as it's like Steam, I'll buy into digital movies.

1) Downloaded on my computer, not streaming
2) Own it forever
3) Download as many times as I like, on as many devices as I like

Bonus items would be no DRM so I can play it in any software I like, like XBMC for instance.

For now, however, the level of service for digital distribution of movies is still not there. It's not complete crap anymore, but it's not awesome either.

And for that, most of us rip our collection and then try and find a place to stuff all the discs we don't want.
 
For any decent HT setup, at the moment, Blu Ray is still at the top. Streaming services have a few years to catch up, especially when uncompressed 4k resolution becomes the new standard, and especially in the US with limited options of high quality, modestly priced internet speeds without caps.
 
Dion said:
BluRay's are DVD's are Digital???
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Bluray 'and' DVD 'are' digital. (not Bluray's are DVD's)

The difference is that there is alot more information on a BR than on a DVD. That's what makes it better. But they are both digital. There are only two: analog and digital. Of the two, any optical disc is digital. For that matter, anything streamed over the web or over a network is digital. Files on a harddrive are also digital. This is basic stuff.
 
polive said:
For any decent HT setup, at the moment, Blu Ray is still at the top. Streaming services have a few years to catch up, especially when uncompressed 4k resolution becomes the new standard, and especially in the US with limited options of high quality, modestly priced internet speeds without caps.
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I still think 4k is going to struggle to become mainstream.

Most people are simply not going to be able to see a difference.

I see it staying as a limited standard, with only a small number of titles on it for some time, much like laserdisc was.

The truth is, a good chunk of average folks (as opposed to online tech geeks) haven't even upgraded their SD tube TV's yet. Most have DVD players (not VHS, that's luckily mostly gone), but very many have not gone blu-ray.

Those that have upgraded to HD flat screens have overwhelmingly bought the cheapest LCD flatpanel they could find at Target or Best Buy on sale. The largest sales figures seem to be for 32" 720p (or well, 1366x768) TV's. followed by $500 42" models.

Coming from their 28" tube TV's a 42" screen seems HUGE, besides, they probably don't want to dedicate any more space than they have to to the TV.

This is what the average american has in their home, and since they've recently bought them, chances are they aren't going to upgrade for some time. They won't be able to see the difference between 4k and 1080p blurays.

There simply won't be more than a tiny niche market for 4k films. I just don't see it going there any time soon.
 
i think its stupid apple will not allow you to move movie to a different pc if pc blows up . i built a new pc moved hard drive cant play movies --way to go apple . anyone know how to get around this ?
 
lordshado said:
i think its stupid apple will not allow you to move movie to a different pc if pc blows up . i built a new pc moved hard drive cant play movies --way to go apple . anyone know how to get around this ?
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Well, if it works the same way with movies as it does with songs, its very easy.

You have to - through iTunes - "authorize this computer" to play songs downloaded from your account. I think it's under the "store" menu, but I haven't had itunes on my computer for a long time, so I don' t remember.

You can only have 5 computers authorized on the same account at the same time. If you already have 5 authorized and want to authorize another one, you have to go deauthorize one through the menu. If you no longer have access to the computer (hard drive wiped, not working, somewhere else, etc.) there is a way to deauthorize ALL computers from the iTunes store website account section. Then you have to go back in and re-authorize all the computers you want authorized.
 
It would have to meet the following criteria:
  • Downloadable to my computer
  • No DRM in a format that is widely accepted
  • 1:1 quality and experience as if I had the disc media
  • Full resolution and quality with no downscaling and lossy compression
  • Full audio quality with all channels in the same encoding
  • All special features are included
  • Charge reasonable prices. $3-$10 for a movie is fine. Going over $20, especially for movies that are a couple of years old, is outrageous.
  • ISPs need to get their heads out of their butts about caps

I do a 1:1 rip of all of my DVDs and BDs already. I try to have my rip software remove any warnings and previews or in the least remove the restrictions preventing me from going straight to the menu.
 
noc007 said:
It would have to meet the following criteria:
  • Downloadable to my computer
  • No DRM in a format that is widely accepted
  • 1:1 quality and experience as if I had the disc media
  • Full resolution and quality with no downscaling and lossy compression
  • Full audio quality with all channels in the same encoding
  • All special features are included
  • Charge reasonable prices. $3-$10 for a movie is fine. Going over $20, especially for movies that are a couple of years old, is outrageous.
  • ISPs need to get their heads out of their butts about caps

I do a 1:1 rip of all of my DVDs and BDs already. I try to have my rip software remove any warnings and previews or in the least remove the restrictions preventing me from going straight to the menu.
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that's basically my list too.. except I require subtitle support and chapter stops if possible. (though not required since I can just use the mouse once dumped) I send everything through MakeMKV. It saved my ass a few times when DRM said my pc wasn't compatible. (even though it certainly is)
 
It needs to be drm free and accessible on any platform (mainly pertaining to games here) for me to go all digital.
Along with a solution for reattaining the media in the event of a failure or upgrade or addition.
 
not sure where you losers download your movies from but the rips I get are indistinguishable from blurays
 
I will not buy something that I cannot physically own. My mom lost her entire Amazon eBook collection because Amazon decided to ban her from buying from their store due to too many returns on her account. She is out over $2,000 in eBooks (she reads a lot and started in 2008).
 
Eiolon said:
I will not buy something that I cannot physically own. My mom lost her entire Amazon eBook collection because Amazon decided to ban her from buying from their store due to too many returns on her account. She is out over $2,000 in eBooks (she reads a lot and started in 2008).
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So you must not buy a lot of games, cause so many games are now tied into an online service. So even if you have the physical media, you can still lose access to the games.

Like Valve games, EA games, Blizzard games, etc.

I wish we could go back to when games weren't attached to some online service and all you needed to do was punch in a serial code during install, with no online activation.
 
krotch said:
So you must not buy a lot of games, cause so many games are now tied into an online service. So even if you have the physical media, you can still lose access to the games.

Like Valve games, EA games, Blizzard games, etc.

I wish we could go back to when games weren't attached to some online service and all you needed to do was punch in a serial code during install, with no online activation.
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This is why I'm very reluctant to buy video games anymore. It MAY be the only reason I switch to the console gaming with this new generation. But even there, alot of rumors are pointing toward the same road traveled. I don't want someone else to be that unforeseen variable when it comes to things I purchase to own.
 
Zarathustra[H];1039543229 said:
I still think 4k is going to struggle to become mainstream.

Most people are simply not going to be able to see a difference.
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I will try my very hardest to NOT buy a new TV until 4k is mainstream.

I know the common view of resolution is that people can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080P at a distance of such and such feet. However, my hope is that 4k will bring with it a more photorealistic image and I look forward to getting a good projector that will maximize this.

Just hope this all happens before my eyes quit on me 'cause I'm old dammit!
 
ChedWick said:
This is why I'm very reluctant to buy video games anymore. It MAY be the only reason I switch to the console gaming with this new generation. But even there, alot of rumors are pointing toward the same road traveled. I don't want someone else to be that unforeseen variable when it comes to things I purchase to own.
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Ya, it's gotten annoying. I don't mind these online services, but I'd much prefer the abilty to opt-in or opt-out kind of an affair. Before all my games were simply on Steam, but now EA's made their Origin and Blizzard has their Battle.net crap. Stuck with 3 accts just to play games.

Imaulle said:
mmmm no? I watch on a brand new 55" Samsung LED 120 hz
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That doesn't mean you get the better audio quality available on blu-ray. A TV is just one side of the equation.
 
Which companies will go to the expense of producing 4k content for a niche market?

Besides the inevitable Baraka and Samsara 300GB video files, heh.
 
Imaulle said:
not sure where you losers download your movies from but the rips I get are indistinguishable from blurays
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Then by all means please tell us where this magical source of LEGAL blu-ray rips can be purchased from. Ill even ignore the crazy storage needs that would be required for a decently sized collection for the moment.
 
Zarathustra[H];1039543324 said:
Well, if it works the same way with movies as it does with songs, its very easy.

You have to - through iTunes - "authorize this computer" to play songs downloaded from your account. I think it's under the "store" menu, but I haven't had itunes on my computer for a long time, so I don' t remember.

You can only have 5 computers authorized on the same account at the same time. If you already have 5 authorized and want to authorize another one, you have to go deauthorize one through the menu. If you no longer have access to the computer (hard drive wiped, not working, somewhere else, etc.) there is a way to deauthorize ALL computers from the iTunes store website account section. Then you have to go back in and re-authorize all the computers you want authorized.
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Thank you for explaining further the folly of DRM, and content that you do NOT own.
 
Imaulle said:
not sure where you losers download your movies from but the rips I get are indistinguishable from blurays
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Then you're downloading 30GB+ rips, and they still have some compression package.

Just because you can't see the difference does not mean there isn't one.
 
krotch said:
So you must not buy a lot of games, cause so many games are now tied into an online service. So even if you have the physical media, you can still lose access to the games.

Like Valve games, EA games, Blizzard games, etc.

I wish we could go back to when games weren't attached to some online service and all you needed to do was punch in a serial code during install, with no online activation.
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I don't. God, BF2 came on 5 CD's and before digital downloads got popular many games were coming on 2 DVD's

Installing BF2 was a bitch, something that took me 20 minutes to install <2GB of data, well I can now install 16GB worth of content from online in a fraction of the time. Reading from physical media is a joke. People look at the past with rose colored glasses.
 
I also understand that not everyone has a 50Meg down connection, but the current state of affairs surrounding ISP's in the US, and consoles clinging to DVD/Blurays is what is holding back progress.
 
Crotan said:
I don't. God, BF2 came on 5 CD's and before digital downloads got popular many games were coming on 2 DVD's

Installing BF2 was a bitch, something that took me 20 minutes to install <2GB of data, well I can now install 16GB worth of content from online in a fraction of the time. Reading from physical media is a joke. People look at the past with rose colored glasses.
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Not everyone has a super high speed internet connection. Do you know how long it would take me to download 16 GB on a 3mb/s connection? This is the fastest we can get around here.
 
Crotan said:
I also understand that not everyone has a 50Meg down connection, but the current state of affairs surrounding ISP's in the US, and consoles clinging to DVD/Blurays is what is holding back progress.
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"Holding back progress", my ass. Again, where are these companies with uncompressed high-definition video and audio waiting for the US to "catch up" with Gigabit internet? And apart from this mythical 1080P goodness waiting in the wings, what other purposes do we have for Gigabit internet that are being held back?
 
Stiletto said:
"Holding back progress", my ass. Again, where are these companies with uncompressed high-definition video and audio waiting for the US to "catch up" with Gigabit internet? And apart from this mythical 1080P goodness waiting in the wings, what other purposes do we have for Gigabit internet that are being held back?
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Sorry I moved the conversation to games, which while not as big as a 1080p movie, certainly part of ditching Blu-Ray and DVD conversation. And today there are a plethora of sources to purchase legally, cheaply and quickly download games.

It's a damn shame we can't say the same about movies, and I would shutter at the thought if there were an organization such as the MPAA in the gaming industry,
 
Crotan said:
Sorry I moved the conversation to games, which while not as big as a 1080p movie, certainly part of ditching Blu-Ray and DVD conversation. And today there are a plethora of sources to purchase legally, cheaply and quickly download games.

It's a damn shame we can't say the same about movies, and I would shutter at the thought if there were an organization such as the MPAA in the gaming industry,
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How long does it take you to download a game? I've got 30 meg internet and a 10 gig game takes maybe a couple of hours. And how many games are you going to be downloading over a certain timespan? Just seems like a little extra frosting on the cake, rather than another couple of layers.

And yeah...always remember that the MPAA LOVES the idea of licensed, restricted-access, DRM-ridden downloadable content that can be cut off the minute service on the other end goes down(and for a variety of reasons). Just wait until the MPAA has a "pirate list", preventing certain people from using certain services. Then we'll see just how wonderful digital distribution is.
 
Stiletto said:
How long does it take you to download a game? I've got 30 meg internet and a 10 gig game takes maybe a couple of hours. And how many games are you going to be downloading over a certain timespan? Just seems like a little extra frosting on the cake, rather than another couple of layers.

And yeah...always remember that the MPAA LOVES the idea of licensed, restricted-access, DRM-ridden downloadable content that can be cut off the minute service on the other end goes down(and for a variety of reasons). Just wait until the MPAA has a "pirate list", preventing certain people from using certain services. Then we'll see just how wonderful digital distribution is.
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That isn't right? I really don't want to make this an epeen contest, but I've gotten downloads from origin servers in excess of 50MB/s, and frequently hit 3.00+ MB/s from steam.

I think the greatest hit to gaming privacy today, is the pure availability and access to the content. You can quickly go online right now and find games cheaply, legally etc

On the flip side, Movie piracy is what it is today because there aren't sources to purchase movies digitally.

If steam announced tomorrow that it would be selling movies in it's library, people would bitch and moan about the DRM, but guess what, they would easily make millions hand over fist. and now that Valve is moving to the living room with big picture, I hope they will be the first to implement such a feature.

Because we need it!
 
kumquat said:
FTFY.
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I don't condone piracy, but I'd argue that computer monitors are both sharper and clearer than even the best TV's, so if there were a quality difference, that's where you would see it.

Could just be that he's not looking for the artifacting. It's a lot like audio compression where if you don't know how it manifests itself, you don't really notice it, until someone points it out and then you hear it everywhere on poorly compressed files.
 
wonderfield said:
...what?
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I should say digital download? I guess Itunes comes the closest to the media library experience that Steam has over the gaming industry. But it's not enough, the second we get multiple sources offering what steam does to the gaming industry but for movies, it'll be something to rave about.
 
Crotan said:
That isn't right? I really don't want to make this an epeen contest, but I've gotten downloads from origin servers in excess of 50MB/s, and frequently hit 3.00+ MB/s from steam.

I think the greatest hit to gaming privacy today, is the pure availability and access to the content. You can quickly go online right now and find games cheaply, legally etc

On the flip side, Movie piracy is what it is today because there aren't sources to purchase movies digitally.

If steam announced tomorrow that it would be selling movies in it's library, people would bitch and moan about the DRM, but guess what, they would easily make millions hand over fist. and now that Valve is moving to the living room with big picture, I hope they will be the first to implement such a feature.

Because we need it!
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I've never used origin, but back when I had FiOS (85 down, 35 up) I would often consistently hit above 10MB/s from Steam.

Downloading a full 12-16GB game rarely took more than 15-20 minutes. Much more quickly than I could drive out to the store, buy it, return home and install it.

Now I'm on Comcast :( I was forced to move. My neighborhood has FiOS, but my landlord includes internet with the rent, so I can't just change it myself. Been working on convincing them to switch though.
 
Dekoth-E- said:
Then by all means please tell us where this magical source of LEGAL blu-ray rips can be purchased from. Ill even ignore the crazy storage needs that would be required for a decently sized collection for the moment.
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Well, Crazy storage size, is not THAT uncommon here on the H.

My RAIDz2 array is 12TB in size, and is only that small due to mixed drive sizes. if I swap out two of my 2TB drives for 3TB+ drives, I'll suddenly have 18TB. I just haven't cause I don't need to (yet),,,
 
Crotan said:
I guess Itunes comes the closest to the media library experience that Steam has over the gaming industry. But it's not enough, the second we get multiple sources offering what steam does to the gaming industry but for movies, it'll be something to rave about.
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You're shifting a bit. Previously, you said piracy is where it is today because you can't buy movies via digital download (even though you can). Now it's a problem because there aren't many sources for digital downloads (even though there are).

Suffice it to say that if you want to buy a movie via digital download, that's generally very possible. People who pirate don't pirate because they can't buy digital downloads: they're pirating because they don't want to pay.
 
Zarathustra[H];1039547088 said:
Well, Crazy storage size, is not THAT uncommon here on the H.
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So standards should change to meet the desires of a tiny enthusiast segment of the consumer market?
 
Crotan said:
I also understand that not everyone has a 50Meg down connection, but the current state of affairs surrounding ISP's in the US, and consoles clinging to DVD/Blurays is what is holding back progress.
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Not really ISPs are reluctant to change because there is a price point where people will all together abandon desktop internet.

Hence why you see so many wireless companies race to upgrade to 4G. Once they have an OTA infrastructure in place they can change 10-20 dollars more to tether internet and effectively destroy cable companies offering internet.

But I am not sure that will happen.

What is holding back cable companies from offering higher speeds is the infrastructure. You would be talking about updating older neighborhoods, buying better networking equipment blah blah blah.

Sure the price of internet has gotten cheaper (that is the price to deliver 1 GB), but our needs have outpaced that at least in the last decade.

Plus why deliver 50 mbit internet of most people have wirless routers that on site maybe deliver upwards of 14 mbit a second?
 
wonderfield said:
You're shifting a bit. Previously, you said piracy is where it is today because you can't buy movies via digital download (even though you can). Now it's a problem because there aren't many sources for digital downloads (even though there are).

Suffice it to say that if you want to buy a movie via digital download, that's generally very possible. People who pirate don't pirate because they can't buy digital downloads: they're pirating because they don't want to pay.
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Plus one to this. That is exactly the reason. Its not that content providers aren't charging a cheaper price already you are going to have a large majority of people that once they figure out they can get the content easily are never going to want to pay.
 
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