The Future of Home Video

Discuss North American DVDs and Blu-rays or other DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

Re: The Future of DVD

#26 Post by HerrSchreck » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:28 pm

domino harvey wrote:But as any collector will tell you, there's nothing physical about a download. Besides, you don't invite someone over and show off your collection of computer files
=D>

I share that sentiment intensely. This sentiment really extends to books, too-- I love the physical feeling of leaves in my hand, turning them, licking my dry fingers to turn them.

Hell maybe someday a paper cut will be on par with a massage if not an orgasm.

Well, that's going to far.

peerpee
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Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:41 pm

Re: The Future of DVD

#27 Post by peerpee » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:39 pm

Whether it's a legal download or an illegal download, the internet is quickly killing that physicality, and it's the smaller titles that are taking the hit first.

peerpee
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Re: The Future of DVD

#28 Post by peerpee » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:51 pm

david hare wrote:As an experiment, like yours, I illegally downlaoded the Crit HD Salo as a 720p file - it was less than 4.7 gig which seems to be the standard for these compressions at that particular site.
I assume you mean the BFI SALO BD? -- Criterion haven't released SALO on BD. It could also be the Carlotta BD I suppose.
We can't just gaze into a crystal ball and figure MoC might even get near a restoration of the titles. Or even if a restoration is in the works.
If the entire fan-sub world remains profit-free, and this work is being done out of love to fill a temporary gap, that's wonderful. It's when this work is justified by claiming that no-one else is doing anything about it, when it's assumed that nothing will happen, and when money is changing hands illegally, that it becomes unfair and unacceptable. We're on the same page about that though aren't we?

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Murdoch
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Re: The Future of DVD

#29 Post by Murdoch » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:52 pm

dx23 wrote:
domino harvey wrote:But as any collector will tell you, there's nothing physical about a download. Besides, you don't invite someone over and show off your collection of computer files
Not only that, I still haven't seen a hard drive that hasn't crashed. So even if you go by a system where you can re-download things that are in your purchasing account, like the PS3 and Wii do, there is the chance that you may have to download again an entire 1000 film library and that could take hours.
Going off of this - and as someone with very little knowledge of computers who would just like clarification on the matter - transferring movie files from one computer to another if you upgrade to a different desktop or laptop wouldn't be difficult, but it still seems a much riskier procedure than simply buying a new player where the DVDs are unaffected by the upgrade and if the player doesn't work the discs are still very much intact. Again, take with a grain of salt from a neo-Luddite like me.

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TMDaines
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Re: The Future of DVD

#30 Post by TMDaines » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:52 pm

peerpee wrote:Whether it's a legal download or an illegal download, the internet is quickly killing that physicality, and it's the smaller titles that are taking the hit first.
I hope you don''t need reminding but the packaging and the booklet of a MoC is what makes MoC releases so great. :) Especially the booklet as that is for me usually the highlight of the extras. That's one thing digital downloading can never replace and hence that is why the one fault I found disappointing with the Sunrise release was the ditching of the planned 100 or so pages booklet which was replaced with e-supplements. The value of a DVD package like a Criterion, a MoC or any other high quality release would diminish dramatically if it was all electronic. The exact same analogy can be made about books and e-readers to me.

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HerrSchreck
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Re: The Future of DVD

#31 Post by HerrSchreck » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:54 pm

peerpee wrote:Whether it's a legal download or an illegal download, the internet is quickly killing that physicality, and it's the smaller titles that are taking the hit first.
Yep, and it's very sad. Digital, which at first heralded a new quality in masters/telecine in film (and a boom in arthouse & silent film availablity over the past 10 years) and audio fidelity in music, has seemingly resulted in the end in little more than the mass proliferation of toilet-quality MP3's for music and the death of CD/album sales, and the crushing of arthouse and silent film as a viable mass market product.

And the death of real music 'scenes' & cycles, which took a few years to play out and be fully exploited (the early to mid-90's were the last go round with grunge on one side and the rougher hip hop of Snoop/Tupac/Dre on t'other), which requires full market control over the organs of the media after latching onto a "happening regional scene" or new style. Now the media doesn't respond to kids anymore, kids respond to (what's left of) the media.

What knocks me out is kids on youtube listening to the rock/pop/soul of the past and commenting "God I wish I was alive back then," or "Why can't music be like this today?"... when I was a kid such a sentiment was sacrilege. With the music that was around at that point who wanted to listen to 50's doo-wop (which was the "back then" generation)?

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dx23
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Re: The Future of DVD

#32 Post by dx23 » Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:31 am

Murdoch wrote:
dx23 wrote:
domino harvey wrote:But as any collector will tell you, there's nothing physical about a download. Besides, you don't invite someone over and show off your collection of computer files
Not only that, I still haven't seen a hard drive that hasn't crashed. So even if you go by a system where you can re-download things that are in your purchasing account, like the PS3 and Wii do, there is the chance that you may have to download again an entire 1000 film library and that could take hours.
Going off of this - and as someone with very little knowledge of computers who would just like clarification on the matter - transferring movie files from one computer to another if you upgrade to a different desktop or laptop wouldn't be difficult, but it still seems a much riskier procedure than simply buying a new player where the DVDs are unaffected by the upgrade and if the player doesn't work the discs are still very much intact. Again, take with a grain of salt from a neo-Luddite like me.
Actually, that another issue. For example, those digital download copies that we get to redeem on iTunes are a one time download and they make it really hard to transfer to any other computer. You are right on the impracticality of upgrading hardware and how this affects the mobility of software download like move films.

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TMDaines
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Re: The Future of DVD

#33 Post by TMDaines » Mon Jan 18, 2010 3:32 am

dx23 wrote:
Murdoch wrote:
dx23 wrote: Not only that, I still haven't seen a hard drive that hasn't crashed. So even if you go by a system where you can re-download things that are in your purchasing account, like the PS3 and Wii do, there is the chance that you may have to download again an entire 1000 film library and that could take hours.
Going off of this - and as someone with very little knowledge of computers who would just like clarification on the matter - transferring movie files from one computer to another if you upgrade to a different desktop or laptop wouldn't be difficult, but it still seems a much riskier procedure than simply buying a new player where the DVDs are unaffected by the upgrade and if the player doesn't work the discs are still very much intact. Again, take with a grain of salt from a neo-Luddite like me.
Actually, that another issue. For example, those digital download copies that we get to redeem on iTunes are a one time download and they make it really hard to transfer to any other computer. You are right on the impracticality of upgrading hardware and how this affects the mobility of software download like move films.
Indeed. How many of the digital downloads of various things I've bought I actually technically own is another matter. Usually I'm just renting a licence that they can take away from me at any time and when they do I'm fucked.

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Tommaso
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Re: The Future of DVD

#34 Post by Tommaso » Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:30 am

david hare wrote:I also cringe, like Tomasso when I see small labels like MoC, FilmMuseum, Crit, Second Run and more being freely downloaded, and I wish the mods at one particular place would extend their stringent bans of proscribed material to include these labels. But I have no say in that.
Such a ban would certainly be the best idea, but I think it would make more sense to discuss it at that particular place than here.

And Nick, I'm happy to hear that you seem to agree with David's points more or less, points which are more or less mine, too, although David has expressed them so much better than I did. When I wrote that "the few hand-picked silents tend to be the same all over the world", I was well aware about the costs for getting even those few out and the need for international cooperation etc., of course. This wasn't meant negatively, then. I was just trying to point out how the situation feels to a dedicated lover of that kind of stuff, using it to explain why people download crappy avis and doing their own subs etc. more or less out of desperation. Making money from this would be indefensible, of course, but that doesn't happen anyway as far as I can see. And of course I'd be among the first to buy a real disc of any of those films should it eventually be released.

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denti alligator
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Re: The Future of DVD

#35 Post by denti alligator » Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:05 am

peerpee wrote:What about a Criterion-branded silicon-based indestructible 2TB harddrive that holds 40 x Blu-rays (BD50s). Then another, then another - stacked side-by-side. Your own private HD archive, of your own purchases, which as soon as you plugged it in had a 1080p menu system with a virtual shelf offering hi-res posters, production stills, original promotional materials for each film.
=P~

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foggy eyes
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Re: The Future of DVD

#36 Post by foggy eyes » Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:36 am

peerpee wrote:
I'm going out on a limb here but - for example - somebody is currently putting up near mint hi res SD quality of Pal Fejos early movies on BT servers. Shortly there will be very professionally subtitled versions of things like La Nuit du Carrefour and much more from the same places. It has simply been left to people in a couple of cyber commnties to do this stuff because ther is simply no market for this materai lin the commcerical world. And - well - maybe some TV broadcast rights or whatever are violated, and whatever else. But I know where I stand on this...
I agree that "it has been left to people to" throw together what they can, but I strongly disagree with the reasoning "because there is simply no market in the commercial world" or, as Tommaso says: "absolutely no label is making these gems available".

Let's take LA NUIT DU CARREFOUR, we know who has it and we've been after this for years. It's being restored and the copyright is being ironed out. What you've failed to take into account is that people are working on this title.
This is a good example. Going out on a limb too: I tracked down an affordable second hand copy of the Simenon novel in order to watch the unsubbed Carrefour rip, so it's great to hear we'll have a good disc available at some point in the future. But, if we're reduced to going to such measures for RENOIR (ffs!), how does that bode for the annals of non-canonical filmmakers and films? Have a look down Olaf Möller's rep entries in his new SoC list, and wake me up when we have a commercial system in place that can even dream of restoring + releasing more than a fraction of this stuff. It has to circulate underground (if at all) because there's no alternative.

HarryLong
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Re: The Future of DVD

#37 Post by HarryLong » Mon Jan 18, 2010 12:18 pm

How many of the digital downloads of various things I've bought I actually technically own is another matter. Usually I'm just renting a licence that they can take away from me at any time and when they do I'm fucked.
I've not explored downloading - legeal or otherwise - for a number of the reasons listed here (poorer qaulity, the fondness for having a physical object, etc.) plus being on dial-up and having had three computers crash (one twice) in the past year and a half.
But this is an imprtant downside to downloading ... much like the situation last year of Kindle owners who suddenly found their copies of 1984 repossessed...

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tenia
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Re: The Future of DVD

#38 Post by tenia » Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:51 pm

I don't know about the split in the UK or in the US, but I think the split in France is still 90 / 10 for the DVD / BR split.
If you go to a FNAC store, it will be like a whole floor for the movies, inside of which you will have half a wall for BR.

Nothing to worry.

As good as A/V quality can be, discount DVDs will still be more instantly available, with no need of investment in a new player (even cheap), and especially, in a new 40" TV in order to enjoy the new stuff you just bought.

I personally believe (I talked about it in the BR Only : Yay or Nay thread) that BR future is directly linked to the price of a properly-sized HD screen, which still seems to me too expensive.

Anyway, when I look to all the Carlotta release for 2010, it's only DVD. Wild Side ? DVD. HK Video ? DVD.

As for the digital downloads, I think it's a farce. A big nice farce. It's expensive, and of cheap quality. You can't watch it where you want, you can't transfer it to anywhere you want, you don't even know if the original language version will come with subs !
Unbelievable. I won't compare it to the outlaw offer, but I can't understand why something we have to pay for is worse than something free. It's not really making me wanting to stay in the righteous path. I've seen some pretty nice HD rips (especially Watchmen DC - Thanks Paramount for not selling it in France ! -), and yes, my DVD looks just like crap. Plus, they don't need to be particularly big to have a nice video quality. But I'm really not an expert on that.

Fortunately, most of the time, DVDs give me already almost anything I want.

Plus, like TMDaines, I did some work on Melville for school, and the CC / MoC DVDs + extras + booklets were almost the only basis I've used for doing a 20 minutes introduction to his work.
And of course, as a collector, there are some piece of collection I wouldn't give away for anything in the world. In the buying, the watching, the ordering, there is always some memories attached to them, sometimes even better than the movies themselves.

To conclude, I think I've read on DVDBeaver that the principal worry about BR is that some movies that we really wanted to be in DVD finally succeeded to make it, but now, we're not sure at all if they will make it to BR, even in 10 years. I still think it's an elitist and technophile format, and that DVDs should not be put aside.
Moreover, I regret it's always the same movies that are coming in new better faster more expensive editions. BR is only 4 years old, and Kubrick's Warner movies already have 2 HD (3 when you count HD DVD) editions...

It's just starting this whole process over and over and over. And it really saddens me.

As for fan subbing, we have a really strong community in France. But that's not important. The most important is that, when you fan sub House MD, FOX gets to you, send you nice emails, and then shut you down. But when you fan sub Dollhouse, they have a link to your website and your subs directly on they Dollhouse blog. That's something I'm still amazed.

Anyway. I don't have the big picture in mind, and it's something way over me.

But things could be done, especially for legal downloads. Cause, again, when you make people pay for things they could have in a better quality for free, that's just playing with fire.

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colinr0380
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Re: The Future of DVD

#39 Post by colinr0380 » Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:23 pm

HarryLong wrote:
How many of the digital downloads of various things I've bought I actually technically own is another matter. Usually I'm just renting a licence that they can take away from me at any time and when they do I'm fucked.
I've not explored downloading - legeal or otherwise - for a number of the reasons listed here (poorer qaulity, the fondness for having a physical object, etc.) plus being on dial-up and having had three computers crash (one twice) in the past year and a half.
But this is an imprtant downside to downloading ... much like the situation last year of Kindle owners who suddenly found their copies of 1984 repossessed...
Slightly off topic but I think the following may be relevant. This is actually affecting video games as well, and it might be interesting to look at the example of Steam on the PC. In my case with the Left 4 Dead games, which introduced me to Steam, you can purchase a physical copy of the game as per usual but mostly you purchase the right to 'activate' the game on your online account. This account is transferrable between computers simply by logging into the Steam utility from any terminal, so theoretically you should be able to play a game you own anywhere and on any computer, which gets around the previous problem in the computer game world of limited numbers of allowed activations of a game to prevent unauthorised re-selling or people passing games on to others without authorisation (a system that placed far more restrictions on the end user than DVD has ever done - though Divx was a failed attempt early in the life of DVD to produce a similar kind of 'limited number of plays' disc) , which was something which upset a lot of people as it was seen as restricting content that they had legitimately purchased.

Steam also provides the ability for online gaming, as multiple Steam users can link together in the same game, (likely similar to the way you can on the XBox, though I've never used that console). Along with that it also allows the member to purchase games online and most importantly automatically updates games with new content and patches (it may be wishful thinking to hope for a film site set up in the same manner that lets users upgrade from standard to high definition formats of the same film?) This automatic updating of a game is a really neat feature and helps to overcome the immediate outdateness of a purchased product, which is just more emphasised in the video game world, but can be applicable to films too.

However despite all the above praises for Steam I still do have reservations about what happens to the latest and greatest games after a few years have passed. Will they be supported indefinitely, and do places like Steam (or The Auteurs, or any other subscription service for films that may be set up) really have an indefinite obligation to maintain support following a customer's purchase of the right to see a film or play a game whenever they want, rather than just to rent access to it during the time that such access remains economically viable for the organisations involved to provide?

Of course all these issues are going to expand even more when Microsoft and other big companies start moving into cloud computing (and the suggestion that Windows 7 will be their last physical OS, amid talk of the Windows Azure operating system) and encouraging users to overcome their doubts about storing all their data and programmes online rather than on a physical hard drive because they know that is where the money is to be made, in the intangible, rather than a physical, fixed product.

I have my doubts, as with anything there are great advantages to be had from a totally online media environment (especially for the distributors), yet there are also some difficult issues of 'ownership' of a purchase amongst many other problems to be overcome. For example at the moment, especially out here in the sticks of rural Britain where the only reason that I have access to a broadband connection is because of being lucky enough to live in an area where there was a local community project to create one for the area, I'm not sure if I really want to make the ability to access the basic functions of my computer dependent on my internet access, let alone on the constant speed of such a connection.
Last edited by colinr0380 on Sun Feb 07, 2010 7:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

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TMDaines
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Re: The Future of DVD

#40 Post by TMDaines » Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:36 pm

colinr0380 wrote:Slightly off topic but I think the following may be relevant. This is actually affecting video games as well, and it might be interesting to look at the example of Steam on the PC. In my case with the Left 4 Dead games, which introduced me to Steam, you can purchase a physical copy of the game as per usual but mostly you purchase the right to 'activate' the game on your online account. This account is transferrable between computers simply by logging into the Steam utility from any terminal, so theoretically you should be able to play a game you own anywhere and on any computer, which gets around the previous problem in the computer game world of limited numbers of allowed activations of a game to prevent unauthorised re-selling or people passing games on to others without authorisation (a system that placed far more restrictions on the end user than DVD has ever done - though Divx was a failed attempt early in the life of DVD to produce a similar kind of 'limited number of plays' disc) , which was something which upset a lot of people as it was seen as restricting content that they had legitimately purchased.
Steam is one of the few examples of digital distribution done right. Still, unless there is a crazy offer on Steam I'll still opt for the purchase of a physical version.

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John Edmond
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Re: The Future of DVD

#41 Post by John Edmond » Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:11 pm

In addition to digital distribution, how much do people think the shift in DVD renting has changed the market for buying DVDs and Blu-rays?

I ask because it seems a large part of the collapse in DVD purchases could be seen as a result of a return in renting. When DVDs were first introduced they significantly hurt the rental market due their low price point for new releases, and more importantly they scratched easily. As a result I, and pretty much everybody I knew, gave up on renting. However, in Australia buffing machines have solved this problem while in America Netflix must exacerbate this to a tremendous degree.

I would argue that this is central to what price digital downloads end up settling at, enough to compete with rental companies - so around $2-3. Of course considering iTunes, and the prices charged for digital distribution at the moment this is a long way off.

akaten

Re: The Future of DVD

#42 Post by akaten » Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:47 pm

I've been thinking about what would come next that could please both those who enjoy the physical product and the benefits of digital in years to come, what about the idea of booklets with download codes?

To use MOC as an example, you'd buy the book, containing 80-100 pages or so and then use the code on the inside direct on their site or through an affiliate such as auteurs.com.

This would be especially interesting for the likes of BFI, as they could merge their BFI Publishing range of digest books into their home release range of films. You would buy a BFI Classic book, which features the typical short book length essay by an author, with the additional short pieces and archival articles of BFI booklets included as reference. The code for the same film/s would be found on the inside page that you'd activate it for download on their website.

Perhaps if you were a BFI/Sight & Sound member and subscriber you would also gain additional materials and updates to the film/s you have bought and code registered on the site.

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TMDaines
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Re: The Future of DVD

#43 Post by TMDaines » Tue Jan 19, 2010 3:45 pm

akaten wrote:I've been thinking about what would come next that could please both those who enjoy the physical product and the benefits of digital in years to come, what about the idea of booklets with download codes?

To use MOC as an example, you'd buy the book, containing 80-100 pages or so and then use the code on the inside direct on their site or through an affiliate such as auteurs.com.
You would use the code for what? The film?

akaten

Re: The Future of DVD

#44 Post by akaten » Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:24 pm

Yeah the code would be for the film and any extras included in the package, you can already see digital code gift vouchers on the highstreet, but I think the next step is codes for the particular item you are buying.

Could be a great way to draw the buyer back to the site, to see the wider range, it could possibly allow for additional content to be made available at a later date, or to address unforseen problems, easier than Criterion having to replace discs.

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strangerinparadise
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Re: The Future of DVD

#45 Post by strangerinparadise » Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:32 am

TMDaines wrote:
strangerinparadise wrote:I do hope their suppositions aren't misguided, for their own sake. Personally, I mourn the fact that the recent Blu-rays of City Girl and 8 1/2 aren't graced with high definition DVD counterparts. It's more than a tad arrogant, and the production companies involved just might lose a little badly needed dough by choosing this option.
Why is it "more than a tad arrogant"? We already know that they won't make as much money by doing a Blu only release but it will reduce their costs and will increase the volume of titles they can release. It isn't as if the guys at MoC are doing what they do for the cash anyway.
I was a sour puss when I wrote that; I agree with your points. I hold on to DVD as I have so many catalog titles that never will see the day of Blu-ray - and I fear that I will be discontented with their PQ to the point of great annoyance after having succumbed to the lavishness of the Blu-ray picture, which I for that reason have yet to view. So I was only being selfish. Have any of you guys had the same fear as I?

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fdm
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Re: The Future of DVD

#46 Post by fdm » Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:45 am

Try it, you'll like it.

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RobertB
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Re: The Future of DVD

#47 Post by RobertB » Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:09 pm

Switching to blu-ray didn't get me depressed by bad pq of DVD. But switching to a bigger TV at the same time did! (My old TV broke down last year, so that's when I invested in the new stuff). Good DVD editions will only look better. Like Criterion. Upscaling is a nice thing, so that's the good news. But bad quality DVD is almost impossible to watch for me now.

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strangerinparadise
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The future of DVD-R: Better set your timer at 5 years!

#48 Post by strangerinparadise » Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:37 pm

US Library of Congress report to be published.

UK magazine Computer Act!ve recently revealed this tiny piece of information from the hopefully to-be-made publicly available report: A DVD-R can only be expected to last 5 - five - years! Good to know in these days when major studios charge big buck$ for subpar DVD-R releases, but never underestimate their power to be able to suppress such reports if they should get the notion...

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domino harvey
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Re: The future of DVD-R: Better set your timer at 5 years!

#49 Post by domino harvey » Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:26 pm

We're really at critical mass here with the studios decision to focus on truly disposable media in the quest for a cheap buck. It's definitely time to meltdown and panic-- Carrie Brownstein, take it away: "This is fucking AIDS! This is 9/11!"

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strangerinparadise
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In God We Tru$t

#50 Post by strangerinparadise » Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:33 pm

domino harvey wrote:We're really at critical mass here with the studios decision to focus on truly disposable media in the quest for a cheap buck. It's definitely time to meltdown and panic-- Carrie Brownstein, take it away: "This is fucking AIDS! This is 9/11!"
Why, The Dollar will always reign supreme, didn't you know?

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