Comments on: The DVD is dead

By: Will

Will — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:14:08 +0000

I agree that the DVD is in decline, but until broadband services are improved streaming will be hindered from completely taking over. People don’t want to sit there and wait while the video buffers. And with High Def in more demand, more throughput is going to be needed. Cable and DSL providers are going to have to improve their networks. You also have older people who are still not ready to use the internet for everything. But, physical media is on its way out, I just don’t think it will be immediate.

By: luchi

luchi — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:10:30 +0000

In our house we don’t use DVD’s anymore , except for the Kids favourite shows, witch are in german, and the are watching them about 10times a week. So we had to order them online from Germany. For that, it would probably be cheaper to pay shipping for SD Cards then DVD.

By: TY

TY — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 02:38:08 +0000

I have to agree. I don’t think it will be very soon, but the DVD future will be just like the VHS. I see now that you can have you game system download movies for you for 8 dollars a month and the that unlimited access. But I see problem with this. What happen the system shut down? And this is another system where you probably have to use credit or debit card all the time. My point is you don’t have use your card for blockbuster or any place that sell. But I guess the studio are trying to save because of the countless individual that bootleg their movie. Also I probably focusing on the major market that live on their laptop and smart phone

By: loyan

loyan — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:23:02 +0000

I do think the death of the DVD is forthcoming – but still a few years away. Most consumers do not yet have the systems in place to watch a movie on their TV from their computer.

However, the market will be the driver here – if the TV manufacturers and others create simple interfaces for this technology – its a done deal.

I believe streaming is really the first frontier to be crossed before the other technologies.

By: Sqeaky

Sqeaky — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 04:10:45 +0000

I do not see what makes this DRM scheme different than any other. Someone will make a work around, maybe making a raw copy of the disc, then decrypting the results. I don’t really know how, but it doesn’t matter, it will happen.

However it is broken, it will again become trivial for illegitimate users to copy and become an occasional nuisance for actual users. Who hates waiting for the warnings and antipiracy movies to play on their legitimate movies. Or worse who hates when something with DRM simply won’t work because of a failing or incompatibility in the DRM. I have never seen a pirated movie call someone a thief or fail to work on a device capable of working with the format of the content.

That and pirated content is almost always easier to get on the device you want when you want. Will this special cartridge let me copy it to a [insert device that doesn't exist yet] when it comes out or will it let my father play it on his [insert 4 yaer old cell phone]. When I buy a phone from some other group will it be able to play movies I bought 2 years ago.

I hope this company fails, because I hate being a pirate just so I can consume media in a way that works for me. At least netflix and their DRM have to decency to call it a rental.

By: mike

mike — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:50:57 +0000

streaming will be the future, end of story. downloading will then be priced- think of it like the music industry. there is no replacement for the cd, because you can stream music, or purchase it for download. the movie industry will eventually have to do the same. as for bandwidth, we will overcome that issue because the demand is there- and that is what drives change. good thing i didn’t invest in a blue ray player!

renting will eventually fade out, in favor of streaming. and sd/flash drives are in no way the future. they are just a temporary band aid and the reason they are in service right now is because people use them for light data storage and transfer. our devices are getting smaller, more powerful and with larger storage spaces. pretty soon, they will be integrated into more things. i myaself have a htpc, and run it off my 50″ plasma tv. using all of my digital media/computer content on my hdtv is a dream, and thats the future.

By: Milander

Milander — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:05:35 +0000

What rental stores.. I live in a town of 25,000 people. There is ONE rental store and that sells stationary as a side business.

Rental is dead NOT the DVD.

Is buy DVDs to collect, still old enough to enjoy a visible collection I guess. But the young peeps (teens and twenties sths) download or wait the, gosh darn it, whole 8 weeks for the “latest” film to get released on DVD whence it arrives for downloading or purchase. Get real, NOBODY rents films anymore to make it a viable business model. Streaming is just another way for corporations to control you and your media and by the time enough people have 1mb (megaBYTE) connections it will be too late. SD cards are a dead end as they have no ‘weight’, people want a product they can feel. USB is an option for sharing and mobile storage but I prefer my portable 1TB hard-drive and laptop for travel and entertainment.

By: btaul1

btaul1 — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:38:15 +0000

while others might think that the drive to the store to pick up a movie is a waste of time, the bottom line is the studios and the ability to fight the pirates taking and coping the movies and taking money away from them! If something like and SD card can increase the profits by even 3% that relates to billions the studios will push for more SD types of distributions before streaming that can be downloaded and copy and then resold without there knowlege! I say more power to the SD devise! Besides i like going to blockbuster and getting the opinons of the staff hearing about some title i would not have given a 2nd thought to by streaming!

By: supadupa

supadupa — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 02:28:43 +0000

Fo real oarian! Waiting for netflix DVDs or driving to blockbuster is why the internet streaming on demand is so enticing. What’s the difference between driving to blockbuster or waiting for netflix for a DVD as opposed to an SD card? The answer is none. Better encryption and fatter pipes (wireless or hardwire) are the future. In ten years all content will be delivered via the internet over wireless transmissions. Todays wireless providers will be tomorrows wireless broadband providers.

By: oarion7

oarion7 — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 20:58:26 +0000

Nice article. I was with you a lot more in the first half, and then you seemed to change directions. Yes, compared to the SD card, the DVD is dead, but the fact is that both are going the wayside… whether the Internet companies can keep up or not — they sort of have to in order to justify their existence. Tomorrow’s equivalent of commuting to the video rental store and back to pick up a DVD is NOT commuting to the video rental store to pick up an SD cartridge. All the pressure is on and will continue to be on the Internet providers. While today’s viewers are not exactly willing to deal with are downloading delays, it is a realistic problem that the growing generation is willing to accept far over waiting for devices by mail, or physically going to a store to pick up data.