Whatever Happened to Blu-ray ?

[NiteHawk]

I'm not complaining @ $9.99 per movie, but I only see a few consumers at the Blu-ray/DVD section of Best Buy.  Streaming media is a definite blow to physical discs.

Click here for more information.

[maverick11359]

G'day NiteHawk,
                        "The quality of HD streaming is dreadful, an upscaled DVD has less artifacts than the streamed video" . A  Quote from someone under your article I just Read ..  I see this quote and ones like it so many times, when reading articles that Blu-ray is dead .

                         We now have super fast internet in OZ and I have finally relented to Pay TV . LOL . which I get for free because of a package deal with our telephone / internet provider .I just pay for individual movies via that internet provider if need be, which will never happen. But like most I've talked to on the other local forums here in OZ state that the quality of streaming  is so bad ( and it sounds like you have the same in the States) because our TV screens are so big. In the end my wife and  youngest daughter ( who has come home for a while) watch all the reality,  shows e.g the wedding show and wife's of Melbourne on the internet Pay TV channels .So it has its purpose but when it comes to Movies we watch Blu-ray's .

                         Maybe where a bit behind in sampling all Technologies than the rest of the western world being physically isolated down under but we end up with the best technology with out the trial and error you guys seem to go through first. Our local JB HIFi store now brags to have the largest Blu-ray collection than any other store in 200 miles . It has a larger stock of Blu-ray Movies than DVD . The manager reckons sales are great !

                         Unlike yourself when I go Blu-ray shopping the Blu-ray isles always have people in them , probably more than the DVD isles.

                         Anyway I hope that 4K Blu-ray take off because my next display will definitely be 4k/Ultra full HD , whether it be in  90" LED LCD TV or 100" Projector . I luv the 4K picture quality.

     Mav.

[submariner]

We get our BR discs from Love Film now Amazon, so I am just waiting for the notification that they are dropping postal Bll Ray discs - I can smell it coming.

[The-Ish316]

It looks like blu-ray will be morphed into a 4K variant. However, I wonder if a physical media will be at all commonplace like HD blu-ray content is today. Even Sony's announcement at this year's CES to strengthen its relationship with the largest 4K content provider, Netflix, makes it seem that physical media will not be as prevalent as HD content on blu-ray.

Yet, I cannot help but think of how poor today's HD content is via streaming and then think of how much worse it must be for streaming 4K content... then add to that 3D 4K content... that's got to be a very highly compressed video stream via internet. Streaming may be convenient, but it's quality still lacks what the physical media can produce.

Just my two cents worth.

[maverick11359]

[The-Ish316]

Oh, and then let's watch our 3D & 4k or even 6k content on a 7 inch screen... better yet, let's watch on our 5 inch screen... because we can. Sheesh! Oh, please let me sit down in a comfy room with family or friends ("why not both," you say) and darken the lights, watch the 50+ inch screen with full surround sound at near reference level... and experience the movie together in HD... now that's a home theater experience and the way the movie makers intended it. No compression artifacts, no glitches, just pure, visual and aural beauty.

'Nuff said.

[Sterling2]

I tried Netflix. I was disappointed. Content was not exactly blockbuster; and, surround sound never materialized . So, B movies in stereo was what I got. Since my leisure time is a luxury spending it watching low quality movies, in every respect the word quality can be construed, simply did not appeal to me. On the other hand, Blu-ray is awesome. I hope for 4k Blu-ray disks and players since streaming is still a hassle for me not being particularly adept at the process.