Optical Media vs Digital Distribution
 

With the news that Warhawk is doing well as a downloadable full game over PlayStation Network service, Sony decided to deliver Gran Turismo 5: Prologue and SOCOM: Confrontation online as well as on store shelves.

iTunes is making a killing as the leading music provider, combining with other online music stores to beat out sales of CD albums and singles consistently over the last few years.

Movie downloads are on the rise too - more people prefer to download their movies for free (illegally), buy or rent them from stores like iTunes and Netflix, or watch bite-sized snippets on YouTube, rather than go out to the cinema or rent a film from the video store.

There are several issues that put the movie studios and record companies off fully embracing digital distribution (e.g. piracy, not making money, etc), but there is no denying that there is a big demand for online content.

That doesn't mean optical media is on its way out, though.


What are your thoughts on optical media and digital distribution?
Do you like downloading your movies and games from services? Or do you like having a physical object to hold and desire? Will one prevail over the other in the future?

I've never much liked the idea of digital distribution. Too easy to lose a harddrive. Plus, I like the feeling of something practical I can hold on to. Also, with physical medium, I generally expect a higher quality of packaging, not to mention the product itself. I don't want to buy a CD to find it's ripped in 128 or some garbage like that.

Also, as to not wanting to see movies in theatres and such, yeah. That's just what this generation needs. More reason not to leave the house and learn some social skills. Look around this board to see why -that's- a terrible idea.

I'm the same way with books. I know I should use an e-reader. It cuts down on paper usage, it cuts down on all sorts of problems, but goddamnit, it's not a book. It doesn't smell like a book, or feel like a book... it's just not right.

For some sick reason, i'm inclined to agree with Deni on most of what he says.

I personally enjoy the fact I bought an album/game and I can hold it in my hands. For instance, yea...I could have saved the trouble to NOT buy Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts I-IV, but I did buy the 2 CD set, and now it's in my hands. I won't ever have to worry about it getting deleted, or be in crap quality.


With Deni's comment about the theater... Personally I think the theater is going to die out soon, and it will be replaced by digital movies or home theater systems. First off, its just way too expensive nowadays to go to the movies, and second off, I find going to the movies to be a waste of time anyway due to people talking/making retarded comments during the film. People have lost their respect when it comes to going to the movies. Its sad.

People keep saying that, and yet we keep seeing box office records fall year after year.

There's a huuuuge gap between the monumental finacial successes that many hollywood summer blockbusters are compared to the revenue of smaller indie films, though.

It differs here in Australia compared to the US as well. Over there the audience is MASSIVE for indie films - not cause there's a larger population, but cause people really WANT to see films like that. Sprout's Blood Grinder film is one example. You'll NEVER get that kind of reception here.

Home Theatres are an investment, and one my dad is particularly proud of. Everytime we rent a DVD that makes full use of the surround sound and our big lcd, he always utters the obligatory 'THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN A CINEMA!'.
I don't think the legit online content can really match up to the use of a DVD or Blu-Ray right now anyway, especially when you consider the sound and picture quality. An upscaler may be one solution, but it doesn't fix it all.

I think it's funny the way Apple introduced the Air as a way of getting people into digital distribution...how Jobs kinda let it slip that if you wanted to watch a movie, just buy it off iTunes. Hahaha.
My friend, macfag that he is and owner of an Air, champions that idea, as if it is the FUTURE THAT WE ARE MEANT TO HAVE and all that jazz.