H.E. Pennypacker Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 I was just at my local JB HI-FI looking for a UHD-BD player for our loungeroom. The AV person advised that the only BD players they would sell would be the extremely cheap ones for catalogues, though they could order/transfer stock. This is a shopping centre store, not a destination store (who they expect to continue to stock and sell a few models), but they apparently just sit and gather dust!
betty boop Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 37 minutes ago, furtherpale said: I was just at my local JB HI-FI looking for a UHD-BD player for our loungeroom. The AV person advised that the only BD players they would sell would be the extremely cheap ones for catalogues, though they could order/transfer stock. This is a shopping centre store, not a destination store (who they expect to continue to stock and sell a few models), but they apparently just sit and gather dust! thats jb hifi for you... sadly (nothing against the business or folk who work there) just a business reality.... probably more reflecting of fact that the better players like the pana 9000 or the pioneers, the importers have decided to sell only through the specialist and pro retailers rather than box mover.... sony sadly havent put out a decent high end player since about the bdp5000es at dawn of blu-ray so long has dropped out of race just focussing on the box mover specials. people are often streaming... but see how many discs still sell in super markets... tells you they sell in the sh!tload.... supermarkets wouldnt hold them otherwise. I still buy discs but then i do value the better picture quality and audio quality possible off disc vs say streaming in the 90-100 mbps possible via netflix and such also have access too. 2 1
michaelw Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 local jb is just as useless, they did have the panny 900 on special though
Steffen Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 Collapsing movie disc sales may have something to do with it. From 2017 to 2018 international disc sales dropped by 14%, while digital downloads/streaming grew by 34%. I think 2019 will turn out even more savage. Who's buying discs anymore when every UHD TV has Netflix, Stan, Youtube and Plex built-in? 1
Satanica Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 2 hours ago, betty boop said: people are often streaming... but see how many discs still sell in super markets... tells you they sell in the sh!tload.... supermarkets wouldnt hold them otherwise. I mainly see DVD's in supermarkets and barely a Blu-ray even. I have no idea if they sell very few or a sh!tload ... how would I know? I can't remember the last time I saw someone at the checkout with one. 1
betty boop Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 24 minutes ago, Steffen said: Collapsing movie disc sales may have something to do with it. From 2017 to 2018 international disc sales dropped by 14%, while digital downloads/streaming grew by 34%. I think 2019 will turn out even more savage. Who's buying discs anymore when every UHD TV has Netflix, Stan, Youtube and Plex built-in? who is buying discs anymore ... as i mentioned the mass populace... both DVDs and blu-rays as you will see in your local supermarket. if had anything to do with supermarkets they wouldnt be there if they didnt sell in the sh!tloads. they are utterly ruthless. reducing sales or sitting there ... out they go ! replaced with something else that does indeed sell. digital downloads ? what illegal ones ? streaming ? netflix ? have you noticed the absolute exit of anything worth watching on netflix ? all replaced by netflix content....then studios have their own deals ... some will sign with one streaming service some with others... others eg disney will come up with own... who is going to sign up to all these services. and then there is the point of ownership. peopel do want to often buy a movie...not possible with netflix and stan and youtube or plex really... when its hosted to stream it can disappear tomorrow. and then there is the enthusiast as one of those can also tell you with even 90-100mbps bitrates can access the quality on disc still surpasses streaming for BOTH audio quality and picture quality. then there is the wide variety of discs enthusiast watch. can say with confidence there is just not the variety available that is available on disc. So enthusiast will be others still buying. its no different that there are still folks buying discs in CD and LP heck long after LPs for instance declared dead I bought a record player some 10 years after the format was declared dead so suggest a long long life for video discs still..... 3
Steffen Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 11 minutes ago, betty boop said: digital downloads ? what illegal ones ? streaming ? netflix ? have you noticed the absolute exit of anything worth watching on netflix ? all replaced by netflix content....then studios have their own deals ... some will sign with one streaming service some with others... others eg disney will come up with own... who is going to sign up to all these services. and then there is the point of ownership. peopel do want to often buy a movie...not possible with netflix and stan and youtube or plex really... when its hosted to stream it can disappear tomorrow. I wasn't trying to convince you to switch from discs to streaming. I just pointed out the facts, and the trends that physical and digital sales are taking. The figures are from the MPAA report for 2018, here (page 30). 1 1
betty boop Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 3 hours ago, Steffen said: I wasn't trying to convince you to switch from discs to streaming. I just pointed out the facts, and the trends that physical and digital sales are taking. The figures are from the MPAA report for 2018, here (page 30). just answering your question... 4 hours ago, Steffen said: Who's buying discs anymore when every UHD TV has Netflix, Stan, Youtube and Plex built-in? unless it was intended as rhetoric which is fine no, dont have to convince me or anyone ....
poppybob Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 local jb is just as useless, they did have the panny 900 on special thoughThat’s surprising for JB HiFi. Normally only very cheap models for sale. I do like when they have the 20% off disc.
emesbee Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 And yet JB Hi-Fi still stock plenty of blu-ray discs. As far as players, amplifiers and speakers are concerned though, its base level stuff only. The Hi-Fi in their name is a misnomer.
Guest Posted October 8, 2019 Posted October 8, 2019 Netflix is a joke really, I spend more time searching than actually watching. Don’t get me started on the quality of Netflix branded content.
March Audio Posted December 7, 2019 Posted December 7, 2019 Physical media will only continue to decline in popularity but BD is still strong
Guest Posted December 9, 2019 Posted December 9, 2019 I used to lament the fact that physical media is dying, but then I realised that everything worth owning is probably on physical media already anyway. I just need to discover it. When was the last time you saw a movie that was worth buying.. Geeze, I can't remember the last time I watched a new movie that was even worth watching Yes I'm a curmudgeon. Everything/anything worth owning already exists. There will never be another Trevor Horn, Anne Dudley, Nile Rodgers, Vangelis or Alan Parsons.
blybo Posted December 9, 2019 Posted December 9, 2019 2 hours ago, TDK said: I can't remember the last time I watched a new movie that was even worth watching For me it was Blade Runner 2049, but you are right, there are less quality mainstream movies these days. It's all cyclical though. TV series have gone thru a golden age but I suspect a bit more money will go back to movie production now with FTA TV just full over sport or (no)reality TV series... They've run out of comic books and re-booting old movies haven't they? 1
Mobe1969 Posted December 10, 2019 Posted December 10, 2019 (edited) Gee so down on movies! I've bought and seen so many new and old movies on blu ray and UHD this year it isn't funny. I started cataloging my viewing mid July when I started on a holiday, and the number I'm up to now is just insane. Sure some are better than others, but I've a wide love of styles, and low expectations that are either met or exceeded. I find it very very rare to have watched on and not found something I enjoyed. My disappointments are generally only for movies the general consensus is how great they are, and I don't see it. I still can't get into streaming though. Especially now I have a 4k projector, atmos, and my tolerance for any outage, let alone never knowing exactly what quality I'm getting (and visibly seeing and hearing issues and outages). Streaming still beats anything we had last century though so its all good. I just find the mindset I have when I decide to use netflix or equivalent, unless it is a planned viewing, reminds me too much of when I was a kid or youth mindlessly channel surfing and I more get stuck looking wasting time sampling and giving up. When I put in a disc, it is planned, and I watch it. I'm old and curmudgeonly too, but I find it makes me appreciate discs more. I waste less time. I get it in the best quality I can for it. And after a lifelong dream of having a home theater, I can say categorically, the setup I have way way way exceeds ANYTHING I could have thought possible and affordable when was dreaming, even when I was dreaming 5 years ago about it. Affordable proper 4k, not to mention Atmos/DTS:X. We are truly in a golden age. And even ignoring higher end gear, with a $15 a month netflix subscription plus a $500 TV, and say a soundbar, you are way way better off, content quantity, choice and availability, AV quality, and than 99% of non millionaire fans 15 years ago. Edited December 10, 2019 by Mobe1969
Guest Posted December 10, 2019 Posted December 10, 2019 (edited) 19 minutes ago, Mobe1969 said: And even ignoring higher end gear, with a $15 a month netflix subscription plus a $500 TV, and say a soundbar, you are way way better off, content quantity, choice and availability, AV quality, and than 99% of non millionaire fans 15 years ago. Oh I totally agree, the tech is now better than it's ever been - all I'm saying is it's generally wasted on most of the garbage being churned out by hollywood these days. There's only so much social commentary one can take, how many more marvel/DC garbage must we be made to endure. I could watch a random 10 min clip from any of them and I'd be lucky to tell you which movie it came from. I so agree: Edited December 10, 2019 by Guest
mrbuzzardstubble Posted December 10, 2019 Posted December 10, 2019 44 minutes ago, TDK said: Oh I totally agree, the tech is now better than it's ever been - all I'm saying is it's generally wasted on most of the garbage being churned out by hollywood these days. There's only so much social commentary one can take, how many more marvel/DC garbage must we be made to endure. I could watch a random 10 min clip from any of them and I'd be lucky to tell you which movie it came from. I so agree: Bereft of ideas / imagination. That's why they have to rope in guys like del Toro and Inarritu.
metal beat Posted December 10, 2019 Posted December 10, 2019 (edited) Ever since they closed down the video rental stores, my blu ray players has lied dormant collecting dust. I find buying movies a complete waste of money for something you play maybe 3 times in a lifetime. Nothing like music where you can play forever as one uses one's imagination and spirit. Blu ray players are like cd's - DEAD imo Edited December 10, 2019 by metal beat 1
aechmea Posted December 10, 2019 Posted December 10, 2019 Well, it sort of depends ... I don't do movies at all, so it means nothing much to me if DVD and BD disappear, or streaming for that matter. Mrs. A bought a few DVDs some years/decades? ago but like @metal beat says they haven't been played since. These days she watches SBS World Movies occasionally for her movie fix or maybe something on free-to-air TV. Our potential problem is that it appears as though we won't get NBN in the foreseeable future (that's another story) so if we ever get a bit interested in movies, with no streaming we would need DVD or BD, or move house. I still like physical media so a disk and a player would be my choice.
audiohippo Posted December 10, 2019 Posted December 10, 2019 (edited) On 09/10/2019 at 8:51 AM, Sime said: Netflix is a joke really, I spend more time searching than actually watching. Don’t get me started on the quality of Netflix branded content. +1 And the actually streaming quality is not even close to Blu-Ray. If it’s a top movie, I still buy the disc. Edited December 10, 2019 by audiohippo 1
betty boop Posted December 10, 2019 Posted December 10, 2019 30 minutes ago, audiohippo said: +1 And the actually streaming quality is not even close to Blu-Ray. If it’s a top movie, I still buy the disc. just put an order in wiht the 20 + 5% of jb sale... when discs and option to own for ever and a day on disc is so cheap... i'll always buy. certainly some stuff eg mini series and stuff i'll just stream. but movies to watch again and own will always be what i get on disc. cant rely on streaming for titles to still be there when I want to watch
Mobe1969 Posted December 10, 2019 Posted December 10, 2019 17 hours ago, TDK said: Oh I totally agree, the tech is now better than it's ever been - all I'm saying is it's generally wasted on most of the garbage being churned out by hollywood these days. There's only so much social commentary one can take, how many more marvel/DC garbage must we be made to endure. I could watch a random 10 min clip from any of them and I'd be lucky to tell you which movie it came from. I so agree: Yes, which is a good reason to ignore critical acclaim and noisy minority "consensus". Infact so many movies I avoided for a long time due to bad noise on them that I ended up thoroughly enjoying isn't funny. And that includes the Ghostbusters remake (IMHO Feig is fantastic in anything he does, and the Hemsworth outtakes/ad libs are worth the disc alone), Grimsby (and I don't understand with all the Trump hate how this movie didn't get a look after the US election, given what happened to him in it...), Holmes and Watson (I'd put it below Talladega Nights, but above Step Brothers. I personally found it a hilarious spoof on the Guy Ritchie Holmes movies). Chatting on forums about Ghostbusters, I came to the understanding that the majority of detractors hadn't even seen it. Eg, when asked specifically what they hated about it, in general it was like 1: Was a huge fan of the original and hated the idea of a remake, 2: was not a fan of anything Feig had done, nor McCarthy. So if you were of that mindset, why would you bother seeing it? So either liars who never saw it, or hate watchers. Either way, opinion zero value. 1
manchu Posted December 10, 2019 Posted December 10, 2019 I must be the only person around still buying DVD's, let alone BDs. That's only because my car has a DVD player and screen in the roof for the kiddies. The head unit does have a HDMI input, but due to some DRM nonsense it can only play that source to the front screen :( DVD/BD Players will still be around while the discs cost less than 'owning' a downloaded copy. I paid around $5 a pop for 2019 release DVD's, while apple wants $25+ for SD versions of the same. crazy.
cwt Posted December 11, 2019 Posted December 11, 2019 5 hours ago, manchu said: DVD/BD Players will still be around while the discs cost less than 'owning' a downloaded copy. I paid around $5 a pop for 2019 release DVD's, while apple wants $25+ for SD versions of the same. crazy. Its satisfying when you can wait awhile for the discs and get 2 3d blurays for under $20 ; they all come down eventually. Similarly as Mobe said ; when your told via "group think" whats good and whats not I wonder how they know what appeals to me
Steffen Posted December 11, 2019 Posted December 11, 2019 11 hours ago, manchu said: DVD/BD Players will still be around while the discs cost less than 'owning' a downloaded copy. I paid around $5 a pop for 2019 release DVD's, while apple wants $25+ for SD versions of the same. crazy. I find that hard to believe, which movies were those? For $25 you get HD or 4K versions from Apple, it's the top pricing tier. Unless they're blockbusters you usually pay under $20 for HD and 4K. I've never paid more than that for a movie from iTunes, and netted a lot of 4K HDR movies for under $15, some for under $8. In my experience, disc sales can't compete anymore. Also, many HD movies I bought in the past have been "silently" upgraded to 4K (some to Dolby Vision and Atmos) for free, an upgrade path my DVD and Blu-Ray collection sadly lacks...
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