Do you think DVDs will become obsolete?

[mjaure]

My co-workers and I are having a discussion on whether or not new or existing technology would make DVDs become obsolete. Just getting into Blu-Rays myself, I tend to purchase Blu-Ray titles that include a copy of the standard DVD. Toy Story 3 Blu-Ray also included a disc of a Digital Copy that can be used on portable devices like an I-Pod. I don't see streaming on-line or directly to a TV wiping out DVD sales.

How do you think movies will be primarily viewed in the future?

Thanks!

--Mary

 

[phorsenuf]

My co-workers and I are having a discussion on whether or not new or existing technology would make DVDs become obsolete. Just getting into Blu-Rays myself, I tend to purchase Blu-Ray titles that include a copy of the standard DVD. Toy Story 3 Blu-Ray also included a disc of a Digital Copy that can be used on portable devices like an I-Pod. I don't see streaming on-line or directly to a TV wiping out DVD sales.

How do you think movies will be primarily viewed in the future?

Thanks!

--Mary

I see it the other way. I think streaming and instant access will be the way in the future. Look how many people already use that method.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I see it the other way. I think streaming and instant access will be the way in the future. Look how many people already use that method.

I agree with this. It wasn't until Netflix allowed me to stream through the Wii that I decided to make the jump.

 

[phorsenuf]

And people just aren't streaming movies, but TV shows as well.

 

[fraggle551]

I certainly hope not. I haven't even finished replacing all my VHS tapes with DVDs! I'll be too broke to switch everything again

 

[ckay87]

Oh absolutely. I think the immediate future is streaming video content. But I also think they will become obsolete because EVERY technology becomes obsolete sooner or later. Ask me the same question with respect to anything and my answer will still be yes.

This opinion submitted by someone still bitter because she can't play her old vinyl. Or cassettes. Or 8-tracks. Or.....

 

[Planogirl]

I prefer having access to movies that I can keep on my shelf so to speak. I think that DVD's will become obsolete though and so will Blue Ray.

 

[DVCLiz]

For my needs, I'd like - and I think the day will come - everything to be in digital format only. To be able to access all my books, movies, magazines and music in digital format and have only a player or device to take up physical space in my home would be my ideal.

I don't mean I want those physical formats to disappear for the people who want them. I'm neutral about that and the marketplace will take care of it - If enough people switch and there's no market they'll stop producing physical CDs and DVDs anyway.

I'm almost there, too. I buy almost all of my books and magazines in digital format now - only a few that are priced higher than I want to spend or ones I want to keep on a bookshelf and have a physical copy of.

I'd be delighted to download all movies and not have any physical copy to store.

 

[C.Ann]

I prefer having access to movies that I can keep on my shelf so to speak. I think that DVD's will become obsolete though and so will Blue Ray.

I do too..

But - as with most things - they will fade away.. Then the folks who bought VHS movies - then had to purchase them over again in DVD format (when VCR's became next to impossible to find) - and purchase them a 3rd time (when Blue Ray becomes the only option - and then obsolete) - you will then have the luxury of purchasing the same item for the 4th time, when they switch to yet another format (that will of course include the purchase of a new electronic doo-dad to view it on)..

I don't like to watch anything on my computer or a portable DVD player (in terms of movies; tv episodes; etc.), so the best we can hope for is that there will always be some sort of convertor available for the "old" stuff that will work on the "new" stuff..

Such is life..

 

[design_mom]

Oh absolutely. I think the immediate future is streaming video content. But I also think they will become obsolete because EVERY technology becomes obsolete sooner or later. Ask me the same question with respect to anything and my answer will still be yes.

This opinion submitted by someone still bitter because she can't play her old vinyl. Or cassettes. Or 8-tracks. Or.....

I agree with this. Every sort of technology will eventually become obsolete because something better/cheaper/more convenient is invented.

I think it will take a while before DVDs are completely gone though. So many people have so many they'll still be around for a long time...but eventually, it will happen.

 

[tasha99]

I think they're already on their way out, and blue ray is for people who need to own stuff. Almost anything can be downloaded or streamed and in years to come, the "almost" will disappear.

 

[Jennasis]

Of course! All technology becomes obsolete eventually as new tech replaces it.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I am a librarian considering a career change because of this. Eventually everyone will be able to stream/download every sort of movie, tv show, book into some sort of digital device. No need for a physical copy of anything eventually. A library would be nothing but maybe meeting rooms with computers at best, if towns would fund such a thing. But it would be awhile before everyone is forced to switch to all digital.

The flip side is that it makes me very nervous if everything is digital. If you break the thing you download everything onto, or if there becomes yet another digital format and everything becomes unreadable, or how to switch what you already own onto the newest and greatest thing. I worry about having nothing to "show" for all that investment.

I think this point struck home when I was watching my mom do genelogy research with old family photos from the past century. I realized we have hardly any real printed photos of my nieces and nephew (her grandkids), since they are all digital. How would that information survive later on? All of our photos would probably be stuck on some long-abandoned laptop or such, probably unreadable in some archaic format. It's something that got me thinking, that's for sure.

As for DVDs, I wish they would invent movies on a flash drive type device. It's would have a solid casing, and be durable and can last longer. At our library, we are constantly throwing out DVDs that get scratched and unreadable after a few uses. They are too fragile, and I hate seeing all that money wasted on a flimsy technology. Video VHS cassettes were 100% more durable.

I think I still want to own a physical copy of most things I buy. I don't trust that technology will always be on my side.

 

[Robinrs]

I work in TV commercials and everything will eventually be sent digitally. Some of our stations are fighting the change but tapes and discs will be a part of the things we laugh about soon.

 

[C.Ann]

I think I still want to own a physical copy of most things I buy. I don't trust that technology will always be on my side.

I agree.. And there will be times when technology won't be on our side.. Hopefully only for short periods of time, but who knows? Have people forgotten what happened with communications problems in the past? Or the ATM situations (among other things) when Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc?

I have almost all of my photo's (and my families photos) in printed form, on CD's, on back-up CD's, and many still on my computer.. (Have to get to work on backing up and printing out those..) Books that are of interest to me, I keep.. Either because they are reference books (which include photos) - or they are books that I will eventually read again.. (I also have an extensive collection of books - with photos - from 9/11..)

I understand that technology will move forward (will have to move forward), but I'm not ready to rely on it always being available to me - on a constant guaranteed basis 24/7, 365 days a year - so I will employ whatever means possible to retain as much as possible - in a format that doesn't depend exclusively the reliability of technology..

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Everything will be digital media. DVD's will be dinosaurs.

They already almost are to my kids. They watch everything online or streaming.

Is Blu Ray a streaming media?

 

[phorsenuf]

Blu-ray isn't something I'm jumping on the bandwagon with. I don't see us converting to that method.
As for streaming and watching, I hook my laptop up to my tv and watch it that way.

 

[bicker]

Of course! All technology becomes obsolete eventually as new tech replaces it.

This.

 

[brerrabbit]

I certainly think we are moving to an all digital world and believe it or not that move started a number of years ago. Numerous electronics companies have been selling video storage devices for several years. It's essentially a huge harddrive. You buy the DVD, coppy it onto the hard drive and then can digitally access it from your TV. You have to physically buy the DVD to legally store it as that purchase conveys the copyright. You then store the DVD away. I can see in the future that you can buy the product (movie, TV show, concert, music etc) the same way you buy an I tune today. Store it on your digital storage device and access it however you want. No exchange of hard media just all downloaded through your internet connection.

I think that people (even younger ones raised in the internet age) will want to feel the sense of ownership and these large scale storage devices will let them have the "pride of ownership" if you will.

 

[bicker]

I doubt people will actually "store" this stuff on their own digital storage device - rather they'll download it to their device while they're using it, and then they'll delete it to free up space, with the ability to download it from the service it was purchased from again later, if desired, subject to the contract terms purchased.

Exactly the way Kindle works now.