The introduction of the CD and DVD both were highly successful because there was no format war. DVD recorders caught on much more slowly due to the format war, and to this day their is a LOT of incompatibility and glitchy, unpredictable playback. I'd hoped that the industry had learned a lesson.

I hate format wars.

I think everyone is missing the boat here. The real future is movies on demand through your cable company, phone company, internet provider, etc. If you can watch any movie you want any time you want (for very little cost - say around $.99) why would you want to own a physical copy of it? I think these format wars will be irrelevant as consumers will bypass it for this much more elegant (and cheaper) solution.

Quote

technoguy100 wrote:
If you can watch any movie you want any time you want (for very little cost - say around $.99) why would you want to own a physical copy of it?

A-hem.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000634DCC/qid=1101827198/sr=8-2/ref=pd_csp_2/104-2789325-7710310?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846

Trust me, something like THIS will always be a big seller.

Movies-on-demand WILL be a big thing, but it won't replace actual copies. People like having their movies even more than they like owning music. It MIGHT replace Blockbuster video, though, so yeah, on-demand will be available for sure!

Anyway, I've watched my "Back to the Future" DVDs about 50 times since I bought them...do you really think I want to spend $50 watching my favorite movie again and again?

Quote

technoguy100 wrote:
If you can watch any movie you want any time you want (for very little cost - say around $.99) why would you want to own a physical copy of it?

One, I doubt they'd ever rent a movie for only 99 cents. Media companies aren't that generous.

Two, I prefer to have the content in my possesion not there at the whim of the media companies.

One of the things I enjoy about my powerbook is being able to watch DVDs while out traveling. You can't do that without your own personal disc.

While it's nice to watch a movie on demand, its much nicer having the copy to play anytime you feel the urge. Also, how am I going to watch the FIve Deadly Venoms on a rainy sunday afternoon without the disc? You think VOD is going to have that for me? I think not. Only the Hollywood crap machine working there.

Store your movies in your iPod.

Btw, I do watch some movies over and over again. Not 50 times like small white cars but easily more than 10 times. My sons do watch some movies 50 times though.

Great. So the DVD players that frenzied shoppers bought last Friday are going to be on their way to obsolete in 14 months.

If the new-format DVDs will not be able to play in current players - including the one sitting in my Macs - the consumers are not going to be happy, and probably confused.

I would assume the new players could play current DVDs, but it's the other compatibility issue that's going to be the problem.

Quote

Anonymous wrote:


I would assume the new players could play current DVDs, but it's the other compatibility issue that's going to be the problem.

You're right about backwards compatibility, but why do you think THAT's the bigger problem?

You think that people will care MORE about having to replace a $150 piece of electronics than they will about replacing ALL of their DVDs, which for many people means thousands of dollars?

I'd MUCH rather replace the player than all my movies. I have a rather modest collection compared to some of my friends and I'm pretty sure mine is at least $1,000 worth of discs.