AVRant #105: Silver Fixation
What happened to last week’s podcast? Inquiring minds want to know. What did Dina buy on Black Friday? What about Tom? Who would make an ugly woman? How to piss off Tom. Todd wants to know if HD audio offers anything to the guy without a surround sound system. Jared has a question about his Westinghouse display. Scott tries to trick Tom. A very expensive iPod dock has caught Tom’s eye. Want to know what Tom has in for review? This is the episode. The APC H10 and Infinity speakers came right after the podcast. AVS hates Tom. That’s Okay, he’s not a fan of you guys either. Pioneer has a new high capacity blu-ray disk (you’ll never see it). Blockbuster MediaPoint – too little too late? Tom puts himself on the chopping block. Bleeps suck. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to vote for us at Podcast Alley.
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I think Blockbuster would be very successful if they did the following:
1. Allow access to HD quality downloads for their entire library, no exceptions.
2. Price those downloads at the same rates they use now ($3.99?)
3. Create an interactive system for their box where you can schedule downloads of new content when they are available. A “queue” so-to-speak. Without this, they have a major problem: People want to watch stuff quick, so if you can’t download it in the time it takes to go to the local Blockbuster and back they’ve missed the boat. a 3-hour HD download isn’t going to cut it.
4. (Optional model) The BEST solution would be to charge more but allow x-at-a-time streaming of current DVD-quality movies. This is something that would trump even Netflix. People might pay up to $35/month if they could stream as many new release DVDs as they wanted. This system coudl differ form Netflix in that the system might only handle 3 in the local queue at a time. Once you select the movies they begin downloading the first 3 in the queue. A manual “update my queue” button could be provided if you swap around movies.
Biggest problem there, Clint, is that the library of available titles for streaming or download is determined by the studios – not by the service provider.
Vudu, Netflix, Blockbuster and the rest are at the mercy of what the Hollywood studios are willing to provide them. They can’t just rip DVDs or Blu-ray discs and start streaming the files over the ‘net.
Vudu seems to be the most aggressive and successful so far in procuring both quantity and quality of movies, but even they are limited to what the studios allow.
Netflix clearly demonstrates these restrictions. Their standard def library is largely older or more obscure titles that the studios basically “unload” onto the download/streaming services. The high def library is still quite small and limited. But most telling are the “strange” versions such as 4:3 Pan & Scan versions or “stretch-o-vision” versions. It’s not Netflix that is to blame…these are just the versions that the studios permitted them to stream.
For anyone who really believes that downloads and streaming will completely replace discs – it just isn’t going to happen. Any legal download or streaming service is still at the mercy of what the studios allow them to deliver. If it turns out that the studios can make way more money with downloads/streams, then yes, naturally they will migrate. But we all know how slow Hollywood is. They could be looking a goldmine in the face, but they still won’t let go of the old dried up oil well 😉
Rob – great points. I’d like to think if there was enough public demand for streaming content, the studios would respond but I think we all know that isn’t the case. They’ll hold jealously onto their old paradigms just long enough for the new way to lose its public interest and then they’ll come around. So, expect streaming of all new movies about the time they release holodecks.
I’ve watched a few movies from Netflix since I am a subscriber and I still see this service as a view a movie from a computer solution not home theater. Until I can get at least good DVD quality and 5.1 surround I’m sticking with disc formats and snail mail from Netflix. I installed a woot purchased $139 Memorex BD player for a friend and I was really impressed. Build quality was very good and with the on-board decode to analog 5.1 outputs we ran it staight into his old receiver (no HDMI)and had uncompressed audio. I guess I am more driven by quality than convenience. Blocky video and 2.0 sound is a step backward for me.
Tom, you won’t buy iTunes compressed formats, why put up with overly compressed HD content? Yeah, it’s free with what you alreay have (Netflix and Xbox) but it ruins the experience for me.
Nelson – you’re right, it’s all the the free. But honestly, I’m like you. For new/important movies, I’m all about the better sound and video. But for older stuff/stuff for the kids/stuff I’m not excited about watching, streaming is fine. If it weren’t for the price (free) I wouldn’t do it. I certainly wouldn’t pay for it (and didn’t when Roku came out).
Ok thats it, you have talked enough about forum-trolls. I want to know more. So thanks to you im creating a AVSForum acct today! Just to see how I do as a troll LOL!!
I’ll try my best to counfuse people, and why not, I’ll be part of the “me too” crowds. And if I read people trashing you, i’ll join in.
Now cuz of this podcast, my world to the internet it opening up more and more. But dont worry I wont end up in Second Life, im happy husband.
But if I do infact become one of thouse evil trolls, this is where it began LOL!!
Hey this was the 1st show I had listen from AVRant.