Blu-ray vs. digital downloads: The future belongs to Blu-ray

[Jagi]

This is why the future belongs to Blu-ray​

The blu-ray vs HD DVD war is over. Is it now Blu-ray vs digital downloads?​

The high definition format war appears to be over. Blu-ray has won, HD DVD is finished. Toshiba can deny it as much as it wants, but the cold hard facts don't lie.

And so now that the war between HD DVD and Blu-ray seems to be drawing to a close, a debate which had remained dormant for some months has again reared its controversial head. Some people say that Blu-ray's victory is meaningless. They say that digital downloads are the future. And that optical disc formats are old hat.

This I don't buy. At least, not yet I don't.

The two most recent examples I can give of people voicing these opinions are two stories we covered right here on TechRadar. Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, and then Seagate CEO, Bill Watkins, both separately came out recently and basically suggested that: 'downloads are the future, and Blu-ray will die on its ass'.

So, are they right? Or is it all a load of dingo's kidneys? Well, I'd say that you only need to look at the motivations that exist for certain individuals to be saying such things.

Blu-ray: the last optical disc format

Steve Jobs and his iTunes empire would benefit hugely from people snubbing Blu-ray in favour of downloading movies. Even a foetus wouldn't need to be told why.

And likewise, what about Seagate's Bill Watkins? It doesn't take a genius to work out that a manufacturer of storage devices would stand to benefit enormously from a massive upturn in digital movie downloads. After all, where are all these movies going to be kept? On Seagate hard drives perhaps?

We can discount their opinions, then. Because they're biased. And as such, they are themselves meaningless.

So what do I seriously think will happen? I believe that digital downloads are definitely the way forward. Blu-ray Disc Association chairman, Frank Simonis, told us himself that Blu-ray will be the last optical format before downloads take over.

But I can't see the mass-transition to downloads happening for quite some time yet. Sure, all those tech savvy Xbox, PlayStation and iTunes users out there can say they like downloading stuff. But at the moment there are several impracticalities which make mass-market video downloading totally impossible - at least for the time being.

Blu-ray vs digital downloads

Firstly, for Blu-ray to be ousted by downloads, you've got to convince the billions of technophobes out there who couldn't even programme their old VCRs that an even more complex system is worth trying.

The day my mother downloads and watches a Hollywood movie from the web will be the day I deep fry and eat my Seagate FreeAgent portable hard drive.

People like simplicity. People like to buy a disc and put it in a player. They wouldn't like having to try and remember which hard disc, or which device they downloaded Gremlins to last year. They'd prefer to just go and find it on their shelf.

Sure it might also be hard to convince people to invest in the Blu-ray format. But Blu-ray is simply a continuation of an idea which has existed ever since music on vinyl hit the mainstream in the 1930s. We've had various forms of tapes and discs since then, Blu-ray being the latest and most advanced.

But downloads are a new thing entirely. Convincing people to try it will take many years. And in the meantime, with people snapping up LCD and plasma tellies like chocolate bars, they're going to want some HD content to watch on them.

Blu-ray offers an easy solution for normal people today. Downloads, don't.

http://www.tech.co.uk/rungsberry/general/blogs/2008/01/30/this-is-why-the-future-belongs-to-blu-ray

 

[JerZ]

Good Read. The man has a point

Go Blu-ray

 

[LennyNero1972]

Agree with this article 100%. Its going take another 10 years before the net is fast enough( and has reached enough homes) to handle that kind of traffic.

 

[gene cisco]

I watch all my movies over the net now, shit I would have rented on DVD I now stream.

Thats just me, I mean they have alien vs predator dvd quality streams now, I just dont get these disc formats anymore.

 

[Dan Freeman]

fuck That Shit
Blu Rays $30
Standard Dvd Under $10

 

[JerZ]

Standard Dvd Under $10

True, but to be honest, after all the damn HD i watch, i cant do standard definition anymore. shyt is weird. even up converted

 

[Heist]

Blu-Ray will be the last optical format needed.

Net Downloads WILL NOT take ten years to hit mass penetration. More like 5.

With net speeds increasing 50% every 3 years and mass poliferation of high speed networks over various forms: Ethernet, WiFi, WiMax, Wireless Network Cards,
Wireless will be the most convienent, fastest, and effiecient means of distribution.

You simply cannot beat the economies of scale and cost benefits/savings over other printed media formats.

Produce Movie > Render to Digital > Put On Servers > Open Server to Download > Done.
The whole process takes 1 week.

Think about the steps needed for a movie to hit a Blu-Ray release cycle: Why wait for a
Produce Movie > Send File to Asia for Mass production > Build cycle > Packaging > Ship back to Markets > Movie Goes to Distributors/Mass Retails > Product hits retail.
The whole procees takes 6 weeks at very best, and YOU HAVE TO PLAN THIS OUT 3 MONTH AHEAD OF TIME in order to get into the factory build and shipping schedule.

 

[lightbright]

good read it is...

fuck That Shit
Blu Rays $30
Standard Dvd Under $10

...I'm not doin optical surgery with the shitz...

 

[QwietStorm]

"The day my mother downloads and watches a Hollywood movie from the web will be the day I deep fry and eat my Seagate FreeAgent portable hard drive."

Said it all right there. Downloads are the future and there is no debating that. But, true high speed fiber optic internet, large hard drive/storage, and HD capable video screens are not quite standard. You simply cannot expect a market to "take over" until certain prerequisites are met. Sure, broadband internet speed is pretty much standard at this point, but that includes many homes who only have a DSL connection or even Cable connections that only top out at 2MB/s. Not many people are ready to download a 20GB movie on that speed, only to find out that the file is corrupted. You'll also no doubt need to connect your entire home if you wish to watch these movies in your bedroom, the den, or where ever else you please, which equals more cables, more money, and more confusion for the average consumer. Like I said, this all will happen in due time, but I just don't see it becoming the standard for at least a few years after the HD switch gets flipped in 2009.

 

[TimRock]

fuck That Shit
Blu Rays $30
Standard Dvd Under $10

You can always catch the dude on the corner. Like here in NY, theres a guy selling legit blu rays (as well as hd and standards) by my job. No more than $15 for old stuff, $20 for fairly new, $25 for new releases. Buy two that cost $25, he cuts off $10. He will make deals with you as well. And they are sealed and in plastic. Cant beat that. New releases usually run you close to $40.

Between him, ebay, amazon and buy.com, i dont think i've payed over $25 for a blu ray yet.

 

[Heist]

"The day my mother downloads and watches a Hollywood movie from the web will be the day I deep fry and eat my Seagate FreeAgent portable hard drive."

Well get ready to start muching ...

6 Years ago I said my mother, who's in her 50's, would never bother with an Ipod and Itunes.

Today, she's on her 2 Ipod and regulary converts her albums and checks out her Podcast.

Believe me, once people understand how simple it is to search > point > click > download > watch while sitting on your couch, it makes getting up and going to store look Cromagnin.

 

[MrMotivator]

people banked on records cds and tapes and look how that shit turned out. All it takes is for the media to fall in love with a product like they did with the ipod, Ipods run shit not cause they are better but because people think they are better. The only thing holding me back from fully embracing this internet download shit is content its not the price or how difficult it is. And that is really what holds back the download industry from taking off i know old ladies who can't turn on their computer yet they know how to buy songs on itunes and put it in their ipod.

Apple tv a step in the right direction xbox 360 also a step in the right direction. I do feel their prices are still too high for something you can't take with you tv shows should cost no more then 50-99 cents movies should cost no more than 2 dollars HD movies should cost no more than 4 bucks.

 

[MrMotivator]

Well get ready to start muching ...

6 Years ago I said my mother, who's in her 50's, would never bother with an Ipod and Itunes.

Today, she's on her 2 Ipod and regulary converts her albums and checks out her Podcast.

Believe me, once people understand how simple it is to search > point > click > download > watch while sitting on your couch, it makes getting up and going to store look Cromagnin.

yep i know mad people like that completely computer illiterate but they have a ipod and work that shit like a champ, Apple knows this and they are going to win eventually.

 

[Smakk]

Is there anyway to burn blu ray movies?

 

[Alderuhen]

Is there anyway to burn blu ray movies?

I was wondering the same thing . Maybe torrents , Blu-Ray Discs and a blu-Ray Writer are the only things needed .
Indeed , thanks for the thread . It's a very good read !

 

[QwietStorm]

Well get ready to start muching ...

6 Years ago I said my mother, who's in her 50's, would never bother with an Ipod and Itunes.

Today, she's on her 2 Ipod and regulary converts her albums and checks out her Podcast.

Believe me, once people understand how simple it is to search > point > click > download > watch while sitting on your couch, it makes getting up and going to store look Cromagnin.

Ok but you just ignored everything else I said. And your mother isn't the majority.

 

[Basilio]

yeah downloads is the future but there's no way i'm waiting more that 2 or 3 hours to download GB of a movie needs to be on demand i wanna watch and that's that

then again the way downloading is going, you better believe they will put something on the file to prevent you from copying or play it or distribute it forward

 

[brace]

Is there anyway to burn blu ray movies?

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/product.asp?PID=457&PageID=104

 

[dlow]

fuck That Shit
Blu Rays $30
Standard Dvd Under $10

Same thing they said with DVD vs VHS. This until TV technology caught up with DVD and it exploded. Then of course the forgotten issue of the studios stopping production of VHS while lowering the price of DVD. Trust me five years down the road you won't see DVD'd in the store. Digital HD downloads will look as shitty as DVD downloads looked when they were suppose to take over. A compressed HD movie will look no better then a poorly upconverted DVD on a 42" quality HDTV.

 

[hart]

True, but to be honest, after all the damn HD i watch, i cant do standard definition anymore. shyt is weird. even up converted

Thats it for me also...

DVD is not happening anymore.

Funny when most people see the HDTV for the first time they immediately want one

right now there are not many Blu Ray movies being offered for download on the net and this includes all the illegal torrent sites

if you have a 1080p tv you gonna need bluray

I can get some movies in Hi-Def 720p

I have an HDTV (720p) but I am looking to buy a 1080p with (120hz) in it.
I will buy the PS3 primarily for the Blu-ray player AND Grand THefT Auto

 

[Jagi]

yeah downloads is the future but there's no way i'm waiting more that 2 or 3 hours to download GB of a movie needs to be on demand i wanna watch and that's that

then again the way downloading is going, you better believe they will put something on the file to prevent you from copying or play it or distribute it forward

pretty much. if it were easy there would be tons of itune store copies flying around. at least itunes lets you share with up to 5 devices as long as your willing to share your login name and password.

they will not move forward on making download the new and only thing until they are comfortable with copyright protection

 

[thismybgolname]

Blue Ray won against HD-DVD but the victory is short lived.

Digital downloads is the future.

 

[Heist]

yeah downloads is the future but there's no way i'm waiting more that 2 or 3 hours to download GB of a movie needs to be on demand i wanna watch and that's that

then again the way downloading is going, you better believe they will put something on the file to prevent you from copying or play it or distribute it forward

I don't understand, you'll wait 3-4 months for a movie to come out on DVD!

With downloads, the movie studio can make it available the day they decide that the official end 1st run has hit.

 

[Heist]

Ok but you just ignored everything else I said. And your mother isn't the majority.

No, I paid attention.
You do realize the "majority" is an aging population who are moving away from buying most anything that isn't in its most convient form.

My mother's generation represents the majority - the baby boomers.
She simply realized that IPOD was 100x more convient that fumbling with 100 CDs and CD cases, so she migrated.

Like anything else, laziness caused her migrate to the most convient form ... she just happened to like the technology and want to explore it more - hence the Podcasting.

Mark my words - unless Uploadable/downloadable thumb drives with GIGS of content become the next medium, Blu-Ray/ DVD is the last physical based storage medium.

 

[FUCKYOU]

 

[NnubianN]

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[Anothermind]

yeah downloads is the future but there's no way i'm waiting more that 2 or 3 hours to download GB of a movie needs to be on demand i wanna watch and that's that

then again the way downloading is going, you better believe they will put something on the file to prevent you from copying or play it or distribute it forward

Really? What do you think comcast on demand is? Do you wait 3-4 hours to download a movie you watch from there?

My bet is that you won't necessarily be downloading a whole movie (yet), you'll essentially be unlocking the content to stream to your home. As a matter of fact, Netflix has teamed up with LG and are developing,RIGHT NOW, a service built in to future LG tv's that will allow you to stream/download movies to the TV.

The blu ray/hd dvd wars were for suckers. Digital downloads will probably get here by the time that blu ray/hd dvd market penetration has reached a saturation point.

 

[gene cisco]

Really? What do you think comcast on demand is? Do you wait 3-4 hours to download a movie you watch from there?

My bet is that you won't necessarily be downloading a whole movie (yet), you'll essentially be unlocking the content to stream to your home. As a matter of fact, Netflix has teamed up with LG and are developing,RIGHT NOW, a service built in to future LG tv's that will allow you to stream/download movies to the TV.

The blu ray/hd dvd wars were for suckers. Digital downloads will probably get here by the time that blu ray/hd dvd market penetration has reached a saturation point.

Your right. I have watched a shit load of streams this week downloading nothing for keeps.

Shit is easy now, you click, the movie buffers for 10 seconds and you are watching it with popcorn in hand, why deal with blu ray when you can do this.

 

[knightmelodic]

Don't y'all d/l HD and BR files from torrents and forums already? I've been doing it for years. Just play it through my DVI/HDMI cable to my 1080p and I'm good. Why pay?

 

[Mr. Equator]

Don't y'all d/l HD and BR files from torrents and forums already? I've been doing it for years. Just play it through my DVI/HDMI cable to my 1080p and I'm good. Why pay?

Those that know....

 

[PoppaSo]

The article is way off if you ask me. Walking in the store and buying a DVD is only going to be for the sake of nostalgia.

How many are still buying CD's? How many are walking around with a CD player? Same people who have a rotary phone or even a land line for that sake. If you hadn't noticed...there's no such thing as analog TV. How many people don't have their best 5o videos in their pocket or some other portable video device now?

Apple already has a Hard Drive with a wireless connection. You put in your closet and close the door. All your videos and movie will have simple search engine something.

Yes, there will always be stragglers, some people have vinyl records but that's another story another time and place.

 

[mrtech1200]

yessir, definitely a good read

 

[PoppaSo]

Don't y'all d/l HD and BR files from torrents and forums already? I've been doing it for years. Just play it through my DVI/HDMI cable to my 1080p and I'm good. Why pay?

I have a DVI/HDMI in my Mac. I capture video from a HD20 Sony to a 30" Apple. The quality is crazy.

Haven't downloaded a Blu-Ray directly to my HD yet. Not sure it even works if I did. Love to see the quality of that. Anybody ever try this? Will it even play of the HD?

I'm looking for the day when I DL 2K res digital and play it back on a HD LCD.

 

[World B Free]

The article is way off if you ask me. Walking in the store and buying a DVD is only going to be for the sake of nostalgia.

How many are still buying CD's? How many are walking around with a CD player? Same people who have a rotary phone or even a land line for that sake. If you hadn't noticed...there's no such thing as analog TV. How many people don't have their best 5o videos in their pocket or some other portable video device now?

Apple already has a Hard Drive with a wireless connection. You put in your closet and close the door. All your videos and movie will have simple search engine something.

Yes, there will always be stragglers, some people have vinyl records but that's another story another time and place.

PORTABLE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES ARE THE FUTURE!!!!!