DVD Death Watch

Blake Sun, Jan 14, 2007 at 04:10 AM EST

With Blockbuster Total Access, it is really going to give Blockbuster one up on Netflix. With the convenience of exchanging the DVD at the store, something Netflix can not offer. It is going to put pressure on Netflix to step it a notch. I think this going to put Blockbuster ahead in the poll.

See for yourself: http://todayspolls.googlepages.com/blockbuster_vs_netflix_poll

CJ Mon, Dec 4, 2006 at 11:20 AM EST

The only way that online distribution of content, weather video or audio, will ever be the defacto money maker that the studios would like it to be, is if they drop the DRM. Let people get the music and the movies, and be able to do whatever they want with it, and physical sales become pointless beacuse we can simply burn our own physical copies when we feel the need to. The studios complain that to do so would incite piracy, but the siimple fact is that not doing so has already pushed that little problem upon them. the average contnet customer isnt going to grab their unfetterd digital copy and send it out to the masses. The people that do that are going to do so regardless of what type of protection you attempt to put on your product, and chances ae, have already done so well before you made your stuff available to the public. So DRM does nothing more then give the consumer a reason to not invest in online purchases, thus making the distributors less likely to release their content online, and then pushing thoes who do want their content digitally distributed without restrictions left to turn in only one direction for what they want.
I do think that online distribution could easily replace the current DVD system, and even speed innovation on content storage since we would'nt be stuck with distibutors stagnating on new mediums for the sake of sticking with what works, but it HAS to be done without DRM or any other type of restrictions. If they leave that in, then the only online content distribution that will ever work is already in action. It's called P2P.

jscherer61 Sun, Dec 3, 2006 at 10:49 PM EST

i am glad to be able to 'preview' some movie on sites like yourtvlinks.com because now i know that movies like superman returns and M.I.3 are not worth renting or buying.
"If DVD was on the way out, we wouldn't be seeing HD DVD and Blu-Ray movies being released."

they are....

Christina Sun, Dec 3, 2006 at 06:15 AM EST

Look, I consider myself to be one of those early-adopter, cutting-edge technogeeks, who is always the first on my proverbial block to have the latest, greatest gadget or technology. That said - I don't see downloadable media supplanting physical discs (yes, I realize physical discs can show signs of disc or laser rot - but a lot of that is more true for user-created discs or very early audio CDs, we simply just don't know how long current media is going to "last") quite as quickly as some people would like to think.

Look, I have RAID-5 arrays set-up across my networks. All of my music and a good portion of my 1000 + DVD collection is backed up on a media server using RAID-5 (and I have that server directly connected to my receiver and HDTV), but that doesn't mean that I am going to throw away all of my hard copies (or make back-ups every 6 months of my digital-only files), just because RAID is reasonably safe against crashes/errors. I'm not a bargain shopper when it comes to hard drives - but that doesn't mean that I haven't had my share of experience over the last 12 years (I'm only 24 and I got into computers at age 12) of hardware failures, especially hard drive failures - to make me trust them explicitly. A motor and magnetic disc are never going to be surefire. Hell, my mom's Tivo just broke two weeks ago - and she was a complete mess (I replaced the hard drive and re-setup the software and all is right with the world - but she lost her Christopher Lowell collection of shows and is still very sad) - I can't even imagine what her reaction would be if there was stuff she had paid good money for on the Tivo, and not just HGTV and Grey's Anatomy episodes.

And while it is very easy to connect a PC and a television - we have to remember that the majority of the country hasn't even switched to HDTV yet (not to mention the joke that is HDTV stations - it's getting better, but I still have about 400 more standard stations on my digital cable plan that are available in HD - and DirecTV and Dish network's offerings aren't substantial enough for me to pay for a damn dish) - or that people want the hassle of connecting a media center PC to a TV anyway (and it's not cheap to have the wires installed inside the walls). People like having something that just simply "works" - and downloadable media screws around with that far too much.

Yes, I see downloaded movies surging in popularity/availability - but I don't see them overtaking any sort of physical media until there are guarantees against disk failures and all the special features found on DVDs are included. As it stands now - it's just a way to watch a 640 x 480 QuickTime file via iTunes.

Divebus Sun, Dec 3, 2006 at 04:24 AM EST

To Donna Halper, the educator with a library full of VHS - I feel for you. The abandonment of VHS is not being done out of spite. It's just math. Those machines are too expensive to make and clunky to use compared to what can be done today. Sony continued to make Betamax machines for 10 years after they lost the battle with VHS (the last Betamax machine was made in 2002) and nothing or nobody could prevent the end game. They tried but reality set in.

As much as VHS does the job for you, there will be no way to recover the VHS media in the future for two reasons:

First, finding a VHS machine that won't munch your tapes in 20 years will probably be a chore. Second, the tapes may not survive anyway. The binders that keep the recording material stuck to the plastic tape dries out and falls off in a cloud of dust. However, that's the state technology had advanced to when video tape matured. We have the same problem in the broadcast world where much of what was recorded on video tape in the early days has become unplayable.

DVD and CD will be no different. It's already shown that this class of media will die of laser rot.

What's the point? Everyone values the medium itself (VHS, DVD etc) and forgets that the payload is the program material. If you have valuable program material, you must plan for the eventual demise of the underlying media and preserve the program by rolling it to something else, preferably something digital in a non-proprietary format that may be duplicated without loss. It's not that hard to find. Yes, it can get expensive with large amounts of material but the cost per program is still very low.

The digital world has presented us with new problems, like what to do with digital photos we take. What do you do with photos? Grandma used to have boxes of pictures. Digital photos don't exist like that any more and there's a strong likelihood that an entire generation of photographs will be lost without some way to archive and access them.

The digital world has also presented us with new opportunities, including releasing us from the confines of physical media. It would be possible to take thousands of VHS tapes and store them on secured hard drive systems, make the programs available in multiple places simultaneously, make them searchable, random access, take less space and let you use the library rooms for something else. That's what is possible at home as well. You could "check out" programs from the digital library, carry them to the classroom on a Video iPod, plug in to the TV and play whatever you like on demand. It's so easy, it hurts.

Simple, network attached RAID-5 hard drive arrays are easy to use and are quite safe. It may take years to play back all those VHS tapes into the storage system but one more play might be all you'll get out of the tapes anyway. No doubt, it's a giant leap but lamentling change and not meeting it will only ensure failure.

I'll continue to back up things to DVD-ROM but I can make multiple safety copies without degradation. I have also combined data CDs to DVDs, moved data from DAT tape backups (4 gigabytes per tape) to DLT (35 gigabytes per tape) to LTO-3 (400 gigabytes per tape). If I value the material, buying the new hardware to preserve it becomes simple to justify. I don't have to like it, but it's our only available reality.

All that said, I heartily agree that Joe Sixpack will have absolutely no idea how or why any effort needs to be made to act on these realities. I don't have a solution for it but it strikes me that it's the right time to market a "Photo Vault" type electronic appliance. Physical media isn't quite dead but has one foot in the grave.

Donna L. Halper Sun, Dec 3, 2006 at 12:37 AM EST

So once again, we educators are left out in the cold. I have many many VHS tapes that will NEVER be on DVD. How am I supposed to show my students some of the most important examples of media history now that VHS is yesterday's news? Many teachers lack the budget for a fancy new DVD player and schools have collected libraries of VHS tapes-- all that will need to be replaced, and whatever for? Just because the next new and cool technology (which companies can charge higher prices for) comes along, why must we all be forced to comply with it? I am no luddite-- I am just happy with VHS and it works for me in the classroom. Too bad that's not important to anyone.

Jack Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 11:52 PM EST

I am fortunate to have been in the infancy of several "new" innovations in the last 25 years and I can draw parallels between them. I started a video rental store back in 1982 and watched the evolution from beta to VHS to DVD with laserdiscs in between. I also started selling pagers when the "motorola bravo" sold for $99.00 well before cellphones started to takeoff.

Very similar comparisons, cellphones only started to be successful when the price came down, the size became small and the battery life extended past 24 hours and cellphone reception became more reliable. Until that time, pagers were much more convenient, economical and reliable. Today there are still over 4 million pagers in use (because they are still more reliable than cellphones) compared to about 45 million about 7 or 8 years ago. What's this have to do with DVD's you may be thinking?

Very simple. When downloading a movie is quick, reliable, inexpensive and easy to accomplish...Then and only then will it begin to replace DVD's. The average DVD renter/purchaser in the US is not a technical savy computer geek. They just like to watch a movie, it's cheaper than movie theaters and you stick it in the DVD player and it works. Period.

My 82 year old mother still has a VCR with the clock flashing 12:00 and she represents a fairly large portion of the movie rental/purchasing households out there. Right now, it is much too complicated for these households to download movies, thus the DVD will be alive and well for quite a while.

When the time comes that broadband is much faster than it is today and flat panel TV's are the standard in all households...
1) you can pull up a menu on your plasma tv that lists all of the movies
2) you can select an HD quality new release movie and for under $3 it downloads in less than 60 seconds directly to a hard drive or memory in the TV or set top box
3) you can then hit play, pause, stop and rewind to watch this downloaded movie anytime you want...that is when DVD's will be found in stores that still sell vinyl, 8 tracks and cassettes.

I think within 10 years and probably closer to 5 years, the scenario I painted above will become reality.

What part Blockbuster, Walmart and Netflix plays in this whole thing...remains to be seen, but I think you will see some vacant storefronts in the not too distant future.

Eric Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 11:21 PM EST

I'd like to see the data that backs up your claim about shortening periods between dvd and movie release being the cause of reduced theater attendance. You say that your friends don't think it's worth it to go to theater because of the soon-to-arrive dvd, but that's the last of a long list of reasons to avoid the theater, others include high cost ($9 per ticket, plus expensive food/drinks and prohibitions on bringing your own), loud audience members, and advertisements (not just trailers) before the movie.
As far as DVD losing to downloads, why is it such a big deal that Walmart is offering downloads for an extra cost above the DVD? Since when did people expect to have to pay TWICE for the same product, simply in different forms? The great thing about DVD's is that you can rip them to your computer and do what you want with them (while the DMCA is an obstacle, according to fair use there is nothing wrong with this.) Until downloads of movies or music allows this kind of flexibility, I'll stick to my DVD's and CD's, thank-you very much.

Blamm Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 10:45 PM EST

Many people have commented that they will never prefer watching movies on their PC over their 42" plasma, etc....but computers and tvs are going to become one and the same. It won't be long...your 42" screen will be nothing more than a 42" monitor that can serve many purposes. I think Apple's new set-top box coming out this spring could finally help the home media center begin to take shape. Regardless, that is the future...so get used to it. Watch it on your iPod or plug your iPod into your mega-sized plasma and watch it. Same source...different screen.

Barry Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 10:31 PM EST

APS cameras were going to kill 35mm photography about 10 years ago. Didn't happen. Know why? Simple. Smaller wasn't better. You didn't get a better photo from a smaller negative.

DVDs on big screens are beautiful. If you think watching watery video on a handheld screen the size of a postage stamp is the way of the future, dream on. It'll have its niche for convenience, but Mom and Dad and the kids will never gather around the iPod or PC to watch "Rudolph The Red-Nosed reindeer".

In The Biz Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 10:30 PM EST

BTW - I love the guy who suggests to people who worry about losing their downloaded materials that they should set up a redundant RAID array on their computer. Hey geekoid? Most people I know barely know how to turn on their computers, never mind setting up arrays!! There will be a need for DVDs for a long time for those folks who just were dragged recently kicking and screaming from their VCRs blinking 12:00 constantly.

In The Biz Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 09:52 PM EST

Instant movie viewing in the vein of digital cable ONDEMAND with a way to record the movie you download is the way of the future. People who claim HD quality movies are available now to download delude themselves the same way people think a downloaded MP3 is "good quality." Truth be told, truly uncompressed HD media can easily exceed the capacities of even the new HD format DVDs. So how long would that take to download? Young kids with hours to wait to get a disc aside, the internet is not fast enough yet to make movie downloading a reality. Besides, despite what some others have said - I prefer to lay back on my recliner and watch my giant wide screen TV then sit with my overheating laptop on my legs and watch a flick.

Jay Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 09:10 PM EST

I agree with those that have experienced the crashing of hard drives, the theft of a laptop/iPod, and the "oops, I did not back this up lately". Personally, I love the ability to put music, etc on my computer and iPod BUT I will ALWAYS buy the hard copy until there is a sure way to not lose digital data without becoming a total gearhead and never leave my computer.

Divebus Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 08:20 PM EST

Everyone is missing all the points. There are multiple simultaneous forces influencing our technology and usability picture here. The technology exists to download and view HDTV resolution movies in your homes right now. I'll go on record to say that I'll happily pay for the same perpetual license I get with purchasing physical media in the model of downloadable media. That isn't going to take over for several reasons:

(1) Millions of pig-headed technophobes will reject whatever they don't currently own or have knowledge of for fear of being obsolete. This only slows the economical implementation of the new technology and prolongs the era of uncertainty. Overcome the fear and embrace new horizons. It's going to happen with or without you whining about it. The sooner you accept progress, the sooner it gets cheaper.

(2) The movie industry is dreadfully fearful of not recovering their costs to make movies. They should be. First, they shouldn't make crap movies and over charge for them. It only encourages pirating. Second, downloadable HDTV quality movies dramatically reduces the cost of releasing a movie. They don't need to make and ship 4,000 film copies for distribution which may cost as much as producing the whole damn film. Share that savings with consumers instead of lining your pockets and you'll see less pirating and more willing buyers (renters).

(3) The movie industry is on a tight rope, balancing the recovery of movie costs against greedily cashing in on successful movies. If the MPAA had their way, it would be "pay per view" no matter where you watched something - video iPod included. Ditto for the music industry. This is directly counter to what consumers want. They want to OWN the movie or music and use it wherever, whenever they want until the end of time. This disagreement slows the adoption of electronic releases - like arm wrestling. It slowed or hindered Betamax, DVD, audio cassettes and everything else other than movie theaters. Ironically, the studios make more from electronic distribution than they make from theaters. What is their problem here? The answer is "who is in control of it".

(4) Our "fair use" rights are rapidly eroding in favor of the RIAA and MPAA. The Digital Rights Restrictions those industries are writing into law (yes, they own Congress) will stagnate sales. The Independent studios are happy to take up the slack and keep pressure on the classic movie moguls. Careful, there, movie moguls.

(5) The mechanisms for distribution shouldn't be owned by anybody. If the movie industry owned all of it, you'll be paying $8.00 for popcorn at home if they had their way. If the technologists owned it (Verizon and Microsoft in particular), they would dictate terms of release to movie studios and stagnate the entire industry. It would get REALLY expensive for the consumer and our "fair use" would be gone. Art is owned by anybody watching or listening. Only the RIAA or MPAA thinks somebody owns it and the technologists int he middle want a piece of it without working for it. That's wrong. This only slows the adoption of what is technically possible today.

(6) The movie and music industry want a piece of the technologists. Steve Jobs (pbuh) has fought tooth and nail to democratize the movie and music industry in a fair way. In light of his success, the response is greed and jealousy from the RIAA and MPAA. They want a cut of every iPod sold now and a dramatic increase in cost to the consumer. Microsoft, who isn't trusted by anyone, had to give away the farm to get anything authorized on the Toshiba Zune - they're paying the RIAA a cut of every Zune sold because everyone knows those players are just full of pirated music (according to the RIAA). Now, that's a way to talk to your customers, RIAA. Call them all thieves. Guess what? You just launched a lot of pirates who are going to steal from you now out of spite. Again, this slows all technical transitions.

(7) Greed is going to slay everything we know if it goes too far. Fortunately, it's like an ecosystem that balances itself but it has limits. Once the equivalent of the polar ice caps start to melt in the movie and music industries, everything will drown. RIAA and MPAA, stop trying to cut open the Golden Goose. Users, stop the pirating but also push back on unfair practices and technologies which create lock-in and poor value for your money.

(8) Note to the RIAA and MPAA: Don't push Steve Jobs into a corner. He will find a different model for the needs of the consumer and it won't include either of you. You'll be very broke very fast. Be nice to that guy. He's shown you a way out of your problem and you've answered him with greed.

p.s. I love the Windows Vista advertisement from xlntech above. Oh, please. If anything is on Death Watch, it's Windows and all the crudely inferior technologies that Microsoft mimics from the really innovative world. I can't wait until everyone wakes up and Microsoft falls on their faces. It's happening now. I know more people who used to own a PC and now own a Mac than I know PC owners. There's a reason for that. Visit your local Apple store and see. Put a bag on your head if you must but make sure the eye holes are really big.

KB Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 07:48 PM EST

If you are like me and you have been through four computers in the last three years (for various reasons), you will never stop buying hard copy. I mean how many times can you reasonably transfer 20g of content from one pc to another? Not to mention there isn't a way (that I know of) to recover lost downloaded files from iTunes etc. without rebuying or having a hard disk back-up. Conclusion: PC/TV/Internet technology still has a way to go before the DVD (or whichever format you perefer) becomes obsolete.

gt Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 07:37 PM EST

Comments lovely. Smart one of them not. Increase technology will. Downloads digital is future the clearly. Today beyond look. IQ your increase.

Neighboors your's about think, place big a is world The.

Difference a make!

Peace world.

not_paying_mpaa Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 06:25 PM EST

The only model for downloaded movies that currently works is the illegal download. Consumers are not willing to pay anything for a proprietary file that won't play on every device they own.

I don't have a TV set, as such (there are a couple in the house but we canceled our satellite subscription ages ago and I haven't turned on a TV in about two years). I will never buy an HDTV or a home theater system or any of that other multi-thousand-dollar BS, because (a) watching video programming is strictly a background activity for me, (b) I don't care about HD or surround sound, since I'm not 100% focused on the movie anyway, and (c) commercial TV has advertising, and I resent it. Gets my hackles up. I refuse to turn on any radio or TV channel that has advertising. In the car I listen to my iPod exclusively.

I _only_ watch movies on my computers, and only while I'm doing something else. I have a spare computer in my lab that is used for little else. I haven't been to a movie theater in at least five years; it's obscenely expensive and grossly inconvenient.

As far as I'm concerned, DVDs and theaters are _already_ dead. If someone offered me a means to buy any movie I want, in an unencrypted 640x480 AVI format with regular stereo sound, for say $9 a pop, I'd do it. Until that service is offered, I will download everything I want from P2P, or occasionally I'll buy a DVD if I see it on sale. I can play it on my laptop, my desktop, my iPod, and any future device I buy. No lock-in and no danger of orphaned media.

Jeremy Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 05:42 PM EST

Downloading movies are as unreliable as cell phones. I can't remember the last time my TV or my DVD players locked up and needed a reboot, oh yeah I can NEVER! Sorry, I for one won't be downloading my movies or music. Files are too easily lost due to hard drive crashes or faulty hardware. I will continue to buy 'hard copies' and rip things myself.

Rottywielier Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 05:00 PM EST

I think the author needs to address the fact that 10 movies are pirated for every one sold. Sales are slack due to the proliferation of realy bad movies and too high prices for what you are getting. A massive number of people rent netflicks etc, and just copy till they have all the ones they like and unsubscribe.
If they charged $5-8 for a good movie, and $3-5 for the lame c**p, most of the pirating would stop and dvd sales would go up quite a bit, but even the cheap movies at Wallymart are sitting on the shelves due to the rent and copy situation, so they gotta cut big and not just depend on Xmas to keep the industry going.

Steve Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 03:36 PM EST

Don't worry about DVD's, they'll be around for awhile. It's movie theatres that are obsoleting themselves. When the gap between theatrical release and home consumer release is finally gone, the theatres will lose 40 percent of their business. And good riddance. People are fed up with rude patrons, high prices, and advertisements at the theatres. And the studios are fed up with having to market their movies twice (once for theatrical, and then again for DVD, months later). Marketing costs nearly as much as the movie production budgets nowadays. Thus, releasing a movie in every medium simutaneously will create a larger "event" for a movie's release, and actually make movies more profitable. And with large-screen surround-sound home theatres ever more popular, you can see movies at hom the way they were intended to be seen--without annoying ads and strangers talking all around you.

x Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 03:31 PM EST

downloads will(almost)never completely replace DVD's.
The cost of making DVD's is NOT high. its cheap. the problem with them is studios still charge too much for them. they should be the same as a movie ticket. I dont know if they've done studies, but I think a lower price
would help their profits with greater volume. I'm not alone here, I have thresholds of perceived value:
DVD=$9 cd=$6. But they wont go there, so I wont buy.

mr c Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 03:18 PM EST

i can agree with melk
especially with competing formats

Victor Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 03:18 PM EST

Unless BlueRay or HDDVD becoming accepted, DVDs aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

WalMart and Apple iTunes approaches are probably good ones. They address a particular use-segment -- people who want the portablity of digital files to be viewed on integrated portable devices, like iPods, personal DVRs and laptops without the need to lug around players and DVDs.

melk Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 03:12 PM EST

Perhaps it's the digital age but why do so many of you think in such a binary way? It won't be either HD downloads or DVDs. It'll be both, for a long time, because there are so many people out there who don't own computers,don't understand the Internet and barely know how to work their cable box. DVDs are astonishly simple to use and that is a huge factor. And as a videophile, I still see that the 480P DVD video quality works pretty well for all but the biggest TV sets. I think it is far more likely that HD downloading will affect the fledgling HD-DVD market.

chris Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 03:11 PM EST

use the best of both worlds pc and the tv connected. for the average movie watcher it no problem to go over to the cabinet and pick out a movie. But like myself i love movies. I cant stand all of this reality tv crap thats wasting time and space on most tv channells but thats a seperate argument for later. anyway when you have tons of of movies a few hundred it can take awhile flipping through all of the dvds that you have just to find the movie you want. with a pc I can sit back in my recliner or on the couch with the wireless keyboard and pick the movie I want and when its done can go to the next movie with getting up and putting the old movie back in case and back into the wall unit. which means i can have less dvd movies lying around. and since routers are cheap when a pc gets old I can leave it on in the closet or another room and it becomes my file server. or i can let my wife go back to watching the regular tv shows. thats convience. Note you dont have to download movies from the net thats just a bonus. just rip the movies you have to your hard drive in any format you want. then you are only minutes from what ever you want to watch. The real nerds will put a couple of tv tunre cards on there server and have them automatically recording the entire season of multiple shows of things they like. thats tivo on steroids. awesome

Joe Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 02:44 PM EST

Until the phone companies deliver on their nearly 2 decade old promise to give America our Super Information Highway in exchange for BILLONS of dollars in tax breaks they're already getting, most of Americans will never be able to effectively download anything. I love my Netflix subscription.

Doob Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 02:41 PM EST

I think Chicago Paul has it about right here. DVD's aren't vanishing anytime soon, but as broadband internet continues to reach everywhere more people will realize they can store any media file and watch it on anything they want from an iPod to a 70 inch home theatre; it becomes just a question of preference. Heck man you can get a thumb drive with 2 gig or more and keep a mess o' movies with your keys!
The convergence of the PC and the TV is the next wave in consumer electronics.

Jeff Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 02:19 PM EST

This is all getting ridiculous. I like owning a dvd. I like haveing a shelf full of movies. I for one feel almost no need in almost any situation to download movies and watch them on my pc. For crying out loud, what is so painful to people about browsing in a store? Get out once in a while you techno-geeks!

Christine Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 01:58 PM EST

I've been in the CD/DVD replication business since the early 90's (well, DVD didn't start until later, of course). Replicators are aware that time is limited for CD/DVD production. One of our equipment technicians, who's predictions have always come true, told me once that "no moving parts" is the future. Drop in a little chip and that's it. That means computers will be overhauled too someday -- no more spinning drives. If we haven't figured out by now that nothing stays for long, then we deserve to go the way of the dinosaur!

brains Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 01:37 PM EST

It comes down delivery. Bandwith, compression, and especially fiber optic. When Walmart beams me a high-defintion, full-screen, full-audio movie quicker than my drive to Blockbuster I will switch. Until then. na.

KWM Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 01:33 PM EST

Get Real, DVDs may get replaced by another media format, but not downloadable media. It seems like nobody is considering the fact that there is still a huge number of the US population that does not have access to high speed Internet, but still buy/rent DVDs. The only way my parents can get high speed Internet is via satellite and they are not ready to dish out the money for that kind of service. However, they are definitely going to continue buying and renting DVDs. I have high-speed Internet access and may want to preview a movie via PC, but if I like the movie, I would prefer to purchase the DVD package with it’s cover art, booklets and extra features.

Lars Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 01:06 PM EST

Well - as all players in the adult industry knows the DVD sales are going downward - and rapidly! Why? Simple reason : People don't want to stand in a XXX shop buying- blushing and beeing ashamed. They want this material on their 42" in their living-room with or without their wife/girlfried present.
The technology now offers a small set-top box that offers that. That WILL kill the DVD - allthough I don't see anything wrong with a few percent who want's to own a disc.... just my thoughts!

Matt Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 12:28 PM EST

I dont know anyone who would rather "curl up with an iBook and a mug of Swiss Miss" than watch a dvd on a plasma high definition television. I think whoever wrote this blog needs to get in touch with reality. Laptops and PCs are ok for watching 20 second clips on Youtube, but I would never prefer watching a movie on it over a television.

John Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 12:28 PM EST

The author makes a logical fallacy, straw man, argument here. With no real facts to support the argument, he instead relies on conjecture and presumably anecdotal evidence. In a word, this piece is largely tripe.

What's missing here is the exponential growth of HD televisions, and downloadable movies do not yet offer the quality product that DVDs do. not to mention the US, in particular, is lagging in broadband penetration as compared to many countries.

Will downloadable movies replaces DVDs? Has downloadable music replaced CDs?

Not by a long shot!

Give us facts, not fulmination and fatuous conjecture.

+++ Lost Carrier

mrc Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 12:00 PM EST

nothing wrong with watching movies on a pc. What most people dont realize is just because you use a pc does not mean you have to look at the movie on a 19 in ch screen. use that 46 inch plasma or lcd tv that you have.It great. I have a 55 tv that is low resolution and movies still look good. And if you bought a pc in the last year or so I hope you got one with an extra video out , composite or svideo. and you are all set. also alot of the lcd and plasma screens have vga inputs
so even if you have a cheap pc you can watch on the good screen. You have an advantage with a pc and the internet you can watch any format you want with the right program.. To the guy with the 90 inch projection
shoot plug that pc in and any of the game consoles you may have.

mary Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 11:52 AM EST

Have you all forgotten about DVDs for FREE at the library? Our town's library carries tons of DVDs and they don't cost the patron a dime. I will never watch a movie on a screen smaller than my 32 inch TV, in a comfortable setting which doesn't require setting up special equipment. There are 2 main reasons I don't often go to theaters: other annoying patrons and VERY uncomfortable seating.

joe Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 11:47 AM EST

I think days are numbered for all the old-school movie providers (like Blockbuster, and yes, even Netflix).
I'm sick of scratched DVD's, don't even buy them anymore, would far prefer cuddling with my wife near our family room fireplace to watch a movie than sitting in a cramped seat next to some smelly, popcorn-munching, farting dude.
To say nothing of threater economics (let's see - which is better - paying $9 each so my family can go to the theater to see a movie, or renting something for $3 and getting to stay home...hmmm).
All I want is an Internet-based service that lets me download a movie at broadband speed down to a DVD-RW disk that I can reuse, pay a couple bucks to do so, then pop the disk in my player. Then life will be good. Forget theaters, forget home-delivery DVD services, forget Blockbuster stores.

joe Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 11:46 AM EST

I think days are numbered for all the old-school movie providers (like Blockbuster, and yes, even Netflix).
I'm sick of scratched DVD's, don't even buy them anymore, would far prefer cuddling with my wife near our family room fireplace to watch a movie than sitting in a cramped seat next to some smelly, popcorn-munching, farting dude.
To say nothing of threater economics (let's see - which is better - paying $9 each so my family can go to the theater to see a movie, or renting something for $3 and getting to stay home...hmmm).
All I want is an Internet-based service that lets me download a movie at broadband speed down to a DVD-RW disk that I can reuse, pay a couple bucks to do so, then pop the disk in my player. Then life will be good. Forget theaters, forget home-delivery DVD services, forget Blockbuster stores.

Paul Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 11:31 AM EST

has anyone considered that teh main reason DVD sales have been dropping recently might be related to the painfully inferior quality of the films released over the past year? When there are consistently good movies with good extra features coming out, sales will increase.

Bigredhunk Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 11:31 AM EST

On a tangent,

DVD sales have leveled off/dropped mostly because you can't expect people to keep gobbling them up like they were a couple years ago. You have to draw the line somewhere. You're not going to keep buying and buying, building a 10,000 DVD collection. At least most people aren't.

As for the theaters, I think DVD sales have cut into ticket sales. Much more importantly though, are the prices and the social graces at theaters. In average-sized Davenport, Iowa, the National Amusements chain charges $6.50 during the daytime. That might not be much to people in major cities or high cost areas, but trust me, it's a lot around here. That's what it used to cost for a nighttime ticket. (What's maddening is that old people get in for $3.50 during the day. I guess that's why prices are so high, young people have to subsidize the old people. Ridiculous!! Your average retired couple has a helluva lot more money than your average young couple. The old people just have a stronger lobby.) The second reason theater attendance is down IMO is manners. People have no manners! I used to be a MOVIE FREAK when I lived in Columbus, Ohio (great theaters there). I still go to a lot here, but nowhere near the # I once did. And, okay, they make a ton of crap movies now, sure. But the reason I stay home is PEOPLE! Easily, 3 out of 4 movies I see I have to put up with people talking. Whichever demographic you pick, they talk. 3 desperate housewives together, blab..blab..blab. No wonder so many marriages end in divorce. 6 high school kids together, let's see how annoying we can be!! It's too much for me to take. You drive to the theater (at least 50 miles round-trip for me), pay way too much for a ticket (not Davenport, b/c I refuse to go there), take 3-4 hours out of your life, then you can't even enjoy the movie b/c people are talking. The theaters say they care, but not enough to have people watching out for this activity. Sure, I can go out (miss 10 minutes of the movie) and complain, they'll come in and give the talkers a warning (that'll do a lot of good). If I go out and complain again (and miss 10 more minutes of the movie), they'll kick the talkers out. It's just too much!! I'm very interested to see how this new Regal thing works out. Supposedly they're going to offer their frequent go'ers the opportunity to hold call boxes. These boxes will have 4 buttons....one for the theater being too warm, one for theater being too cold, one for people talking, one for (can't remember). I LOVE THIS IDEA!! I doubt it will make much of a difference, but it's a good first step.

Oh, yeah...TAKE AND THROW AWAY YOUR CRAP WHEN YOU LEAVE THE THEATER! I MEAN, HOW HARD IS THAT???

Chicago Paul Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 11:13 AM EST

I think alot of you are not getting what this topic is about. First, i don't think DVD's will go away at least not for 10 more years. The downloading of movies to your pc is growing and currently most people that download them will watch it on their pc. However, eventually, your PC,TV will be the same thing. That is to say,your big screen HDTV will be the monitor, you'll have a bluetooth keyboard and of course you'll have 7.1 sound through your Home Theatre. You'll have one or several hard drives in the set top PC box and you can download movies to the hard drive and watch them. This is what it will be like. Microsoft Media Center PC's and Windows Vista is just the beginning.

Bryan Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 10:54 AM EST

First off the Walmart downloads are incompatible with iPods. Which leads to my next comment that DVD's will not become obsolete so long as they CHANGE THE LAW and make it legal to rip your DVD's to your hard drive just like you do music CDs.

Once this happens, there will still be an incentive to buy physical media (which I'd rather have as a backup anyway) and build your library digitally, allowing it to be compatible with your system and or devices.

If anything the technical limitations of the current download process will hinder DVD's demise.

xlntech Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 10:51 AM EST

New Audio & Video technology will make DVD's obsolete in the next few years. Those of you who collect them will join the "8 track, cassette and Vinyl Record" collectors. In other words, collecting DVD's that you'll watch once or twice makes absolutely no sense, you're wasting your money.

Joe Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 10:51 AM EST

DVD's are on there way out. The person who brought up that dixv is idea a bad way to compress DVD's hasn't looked into the new compress technologies lately. This is better than ever and is continue to improve. Most people don't realized that a DVD is compressed digitally into a MPEG 2 file. MPEG 3 or MP3 was originally created for moive's, but someone decided to use it on their music files to save room. There is also MPEG 4. This is what DIVX is based on. The reason this has not been more popular is because there is not standard like MPEG 2/3. When this happens, expect a change. A new movie compressed using MPEG 2 is about 7.5 gigs. Changed to MPEG 4 it is 2.5 gigs. This includes all the special features,the different sound tracks, and the subtitles.

With broadband, I can download a 2.5 gig file in about 10 minutes. That's not that long. Also, if the service is available, you could just have it streamed to your video device and start watching immediately (IE Comcast On Demand).

People have stated the they don't want to watch show on a PC or a iPod. I don't either. That is where Windows Vista comes in.

With the Windows VISTA coming out the Jan for consumers, this will only make it easier for people to watch downloaded show/movies. Vista was designed to be in your living room running everything on your TV with a remote. Microsoft has already made all the money they can at the pc. They are trying to branch out into all areas of the house. This is why window media center come standard on Vista.

Also, movies can be kept on a computer that then streams them to a TV. Using a RAID 5 system to make sure that if anything fails, you will never lose your movie's. Hard drive space is very cheap, so this is not an issue any more. A 750 gb drive is only $350.

Some of you people need to wake up. It is coming, just like DVD's, only this will happen much faster.

It seems that some people are mad that the DVD's might go away and leave them hold hundred if not thousands of DVD's that are now low video resolution. Current DVD's highest video is about 500. Your new flat screen is almost 1100. You will have to buy all new Blue-Ray or HD-DVD's to get the best picture from your flat screen.

The sky is not falling, it is just changing. Just be ready for it.

amduscious Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 10:50 AM EST

I find it funny that most posters here assume you have to watch a downloaded movie on your PC, iPod or laptop. I am pretty much anti-technology and I leave most of that at work. I still have a tape answering machine, have my first computer, and just now bought my first cell phone. Yet because I travel I did splurge and buy a video iPod. So after one long two month trip overseas I was able to download every missed episode of Battlestar Galactica , plug my iPod into my widescreen TV and watch them. Yes, there was some loss in the video from the compression used but not nearly as much as I expected. For 99% of the play time for the episodes I never even noticed; so with a little more improvement, I can see downloading any movie or TV show to an iPod, or some other piece of equipment like these DVR recorders I keep hearing about, and can see watching them on a widescreen.

And with how fast technology is progressing, I am sure it won’t be long until movies are available in pure HD downloads once all old analog TVs are gone and everything has gone true digital. That doesn’t mean you have to ditch the DVD collections you already have - heck I still have my tape collection and have a dual DVD/Tape player. But your current DVDs from the last 10 years aren’t HD and you will still find yourself going HD-DVD, Blue Ray DVD, or downloading in the future anyway to take advantage of the HDTVs that are now all the rage.

So yes, the current DVDs as we know them have a limited future - the big question will be what replaces them to go true digital High Definition. This WON’T mean you just have to watch them on a small screen but it WILL mean you can watch them on a much wider variety of 21st century technological wonders be it a small iPod screen or your own personal in-home HD widescreen movie theater with surround sound - and the optional popcorn machine!

Kung Fu Rodeo Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 10:36 AM EST

While I don't see DVDs going the way of VHS any time soon, video downloading is only going to become more and more popular. As for those who are posting comments about not wanting to DL a flick because you'd rather watch it on your TV, well, the two aren't mutually exclusive. I've been able to download video and watch it on my big screen for years, either by burning it to disc or by simply connecting my PowerBook to my television.

And it's only going to get easier in the next year to do this, with the advent of Apple's iTV and other various media center PCs coming into their own. As the first poster, Slammy, indicates, the only thing that will hinder downloads from becoming big business is the insane DRM the media companies insist on crippling their product with.

Phil Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 09:55 AM EST

SOMEONE needs to STOP Wal-Mart! They can sell downloaded movies, but if I buy a DVD and upload it and sell it, its piracy? I own over 2,000 DVDs, its a library! What kind of hard drive holds that many movies? The DVD is a quality and managable format.

Duke Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 09:36 AM EST

Downloadable movies will be the death of DVDs the way online newspapers have put regular newspapers out of print.

Del Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 09:27 AM EST

We live in a small fishing village in Mexico.
Downloading would allow me to watch movies here, in English.
Sign me up.

Jack Alvino Sat, Dec 2, 2006 at 09:27 AM EST

NOOOOO!!!!! Until download quality gets better I would definitely like to watch a crystal clear DVD with surround sound on a nice big TV! Not on a PC or Video Ipod screen!!! It boggles my mind that people view these amazing works of art on such little, low quality screens. George Lucas/Steven Spielberg spend zillions of dollars to bring an amazing vision to the screen and kids watch it on a crappy little video IPOD screen. If this keeps happening, film studios will stop making cool quality stuff and they will just make inexpensive, crappy low-resolution $3 budget movies. And once people learn to steal these downloaded movies it could mean the collapse of the film industry all together. It is cool technology but it could end up hurting the very artists that we all love! Just like what has happened to musicians with the dawn of iTunes and all of the music downloading. People should have to pay for quality merchandise so artists will be able to survive and continue to provide us with great art!!!

eric murphy Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:49 PM EST

no way. the complete seasons of tv shows will always be better experienced on DVD, not on a PC. i can't imagine being able to watch 'The Sopranos' on my PC or laptop exclusively. i can't bear to watch 'Entourage' or 'Friends' on the small dinky screen of an iPod, either.

Chris McVetta Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 09:14 PM EST

Movies are still meant for the theater - (Um, unless, of course those movies are the awful 'Superman Returns.') - especially if it's something so complex and entertaining as "Casino Royale."

But I had the pleasure of watching "Clerks II" on DVD the other rainy day ...and it was awesome!

The id and I('m) - "Not even supposed to be here today!"
www.theidandi.blogspot.com

Joey Jo Jo Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 06:44 PM EST

You know why Divx never caught on? Because when you bought the movie, you couldn't keep it in perpetuity.

Babs Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 06:31 PM EST

I edit video projects on my computers and I need every last gigabyte to finish my projects. There's no way I'm cluttering up my drive space with a movie file and if I'm going to buy an external drive, then I'm using it for project files, not to store movies.

Besides, there's something very human about needing to touch and feel objects to have a sense of ownership. As far as I'm concerned, if you can't touch it, then you don't own it.

Joey Jo Jo Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 06:04 PM EST

When Apple came up with iTunes, I was ecstatic about downloading all my music. Then my iBook died and took my whole collection with it. I tried to back up everything, but some things didn't make it. For that reason alone, I will always want my own personal hard copy.

Rose Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 05:30 PM EST

On Sunday, my new SONY HD 46" flat screen television is coming (a X-mas gift from me & hubby to each other!) Do you really think I'm going to watch movies on my 19" computer screen? Please!

EP Sato Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 05:27 PM EST

On Krushgroove's comment. I think it is Brandon Routh, but in the picture it looks kinda' like Kyle MacLachlan.

Jane Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 04:02 PM EST

Howard, I work for a movie studio and I don't think I'm biased when I say this: I'd shoot myself in the face if I could only see a movie on my beloved Powerbook. You're right- you can't beat watching a film on screen and the next best thing is to see it on a TV.

I've tried watching movies on my laptop, but it's an experience no one can share with me, unless they want to watch over my shoulder at the local Starbucks while latching on a headphone splitter so they can hear the tinny audio. And nobody at home wants to pull up an office chair or sit side by side with me at the dinner table to check out an action flick on my 12" screen. Part of the fun of watching a movie is when you can share it with others. You just can't do that on a computer.

krushgroove Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 03:39 PM EST

Who is that in the pic? It's certainly not Brandon Routh...

Tim Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 03:30 PM EST

Of course DVDs days are numbered...but how big that number is is the question.

As broadband makes its way into more American's homes, the faster the transition will be.

The iPod video isn't going to kill DVDs...it's going to be the cable/satellite companies, combined with companies like NetFlix and Microsoft.

Microsoft has got the right idea with their system of purchasing of television shows on the Xbox 360. You can purchase many shows in Hi-Def or Standard-Def...watch them, and delete them from your system's hard drive. If you want to watch them again, Microsoft lets you download them again, for free.

Until Apple release their iTV and other companies make it simple to get downloaded content onto the TELEVISION, DVDs are here to stay. The television is king, and people don't want to huddle the family around a laptop to watch a movie in iTunes.

Ceballos Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 02:45 PM EST

Phew, it's encouraging to see all these responses on the comments section. I kinda freaked out a bit when i saw the headline and wondered "what the hell am i supposed to do with my 600+ DVDs?!"

sarahhh Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 02:29 PM EST

I would neeeever choose downloading over buying DVDS because it's fun to have a collection and my computer is a piece of crap.

Casey Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 01:36 PM EST

DVD sales are stagnating because back catologues are being exhausted, not for lack of interest. Not to mention our economy, which isn't exactly supporting our buying habits with gas prices, rising costs of health care, etc. Also keep in mind that studios earn BILLIONS of dollars a year in DVD sales, yet they're whining because it's not trillions of dollars -- I don't seriously think there's that big of a decline, except some execs' back pockets are getting stuffed as quickly as before.

Call me naive, but I don't see downloading movies as the future. Songs are different than movies because they're nice, 3 or 4 minute experiences, and you don't need large screens to listen to them.

Jess B. Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 12:52 PM EST

Aw, hell no. I know DVD players will become obsolete eventually, but not so soon! I'm just gonna' agree with everyone else who said it -- why pay to download a movie and watch it on my relatively small computer screen when I could buy the DVD and watch it on a big ol' TV with much better video and sound quality? I'd go with the DVD any day.

Besides, I feel the same way about DVD's that I do about CD's. I like to have a physical copy that I can hold in my hand. How am I supposed to watch a movie with my friends or loan it to someone else when it's nothing but a file on my computer? And what happens if my computer crashes?

I mean, if we come up with a DVD alternative that's higher-quality, more compact, and reasonably-priced, then rock on. It'll happen eventually, I'm sure. But until then, I love my DVD player and my ridiculously large DVD collection.

Darth Nihilus Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 12:15 PM EST

Bunch of garbage. DVD sales have leveled off due to market saturation, but people will always want hard copies of their favorites on disc, whether it is a CD, DVD, or HD-DVD. As Jael also pointed put, those of us with big high-def TVs and surround sound home theatres are never going to want to watch movies on a puny IPod or laptop. Get real, and stop with the spreading the doom and gloom to get attention to your column.

dee Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 12:14 PM EST

Supes Returns was sweet and nostalgic but I won't be converting to downloads over DVDs anytime soon. I love my DVDs. I have an ipod and the time it takes to download TV shows, shorts, or movies alone onto this device is a turn-off. With that much time, I could have been half way through my DVD!

Andrew Wickliffe Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 12:01 PM EST

Did you guys run a DVD Death Watch when Amazon's unBox started, since it's just about the same thing(only LESS movies from Wal-Mart)...

Just wait until it comes out Wal-Mart is going to be watching your every move (like Amazon does... like the Army does if you get their game).

james Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 11:38 AM EST

I dunno, I think that this "Death Watch" theory is BS. Downloading movies on people's iPod doesn't have enough influence to kill the medium alltogether! Plus, rentals have too much of an influence on the market. The DVD has been around for less than 10 years, and it is not going anywhere.

Ed Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 11:25 AM EST

I'll download big budget movies on the internet to stay away from the mainstream crowds. But there's nothing like going to the local Laemmle Theater where independents bring a more sophisticated crowd.

DVD's and CD's already had a shelf life when they first came out, I would much rather see the technology go to portable memory sticks.

Josh Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 11:23 AM EST

I graduated from college with honors, receiving a BA and also had a minor. I landed a job in my field. The problem? It pays crap. I can't afford any big, nice computers (actually the nice laptop I had crashed after the warranty expired, so just a cheap, low-memory computer now), I have no modem and use cheap dial-up (I'd be lucky to even download a movie without it quitting on me). I don't buy that many DVDs these days due to the income situation, but I do on occassion, and also rent, for buying five DVDs a year costs much less than what I'd need to download and watch videos with good quality video and audio (did I mention I can only hear the audio on my computer through my headphones?). The TV I have isn't big; I won it at afterprom my junior year... but it's still bigger than my computer screen. So unless someone wants to hand over some free stuff to me or help me land a better-paying job (four years of crappy raises, yay), then I really hope the DVD's not dead yet. Heck, I still use my VCR because I can't afford Tivo. And under the Bush administration when they voted not to raise the minimum wage, and the middle class started to disappear as the gap widened between the lower and upper classes, I think the majority of America would still like to use DVDs for a while more as well.

MJ Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:40 AM EST

I've gotta say that the idea of watching a movie or TV show on my computer is ridiculous! Unless you have state-of-the-art sound equipment with a gigantic computer plasma screen, it just doesn't make sense. I downloaded an episode of Prison Break back in September because I missed it. Watching it on my computer screen was downright uncomfortable.

And you know what the other issue is? Studios constantly double-dipping! How many versions of Monty Python and the Holy Grail have come out? And Star Wars?

Howard Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:34 AM EST

Bob and Ep, I totally agree that the kickin' home theater is the optimal way for watching a movie AT HOME. But for me, nothing beats watching a good movie in the theater on a 20' high screen (and no, I don't work for a movie studio).

BTW, all the Superman Returns comments here are dead on. It was easily the most disappointing film that I saw this year.

Talking Moviezzz Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:32 AM EST

Sorry, but I doubt that downloading movies will catch on, at least like music downloads have.

Is it so hard to go to the store and buy a DVD? Or click on Amazon to mail it to you? And once you buy it, you can keep it forever.

With a download, it only exists on your computer. If that crashes, or you get a new one, you don't have it any more. Not to mention all the different copy protections the eventual download will have on it.

And who wants to sit in front of their computer and watch a movie? Or even on an Ipod?

If Joe and Jane Sixpack are having trouble figuring out the difference between getting a widescreen or fullscreen DVD, do you think they are going to be able to download a film onto their computer and then network the computer to their TV? Or burn it to DVD? Why the hassle when you can buy many DVDs in the $5-$10 range.

I really doubt this will catch on.

Rahul Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:31 AM EST

I'm a big geek, so I'll always go for the physical discs with extra features and commentaries.

Kevin Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:24 AM EST

True movie people will ALWAYS want to own a PHYSICAL copy of the film the same way that music people want to own CDs or vinyl. The idea of downloading movies (and music as well) works only as a way of testing the waters. I'll download MP3s and (if ever I own a computer with enough memory) even movies, but only to see whether or not I want to go out and purchase the product. Having a movie sitting on my hard-drive gives me no sense of ownership. I need to touch it...I need to appreciate the packaging and the extras. There is no comparing a downloaded copy of Fellowship of the Ring to opening the 4-disc bohemoth that is the Collector's Edition.

That being said, no matter what technology comes along, there will always be some physical product available for people like me that are willing to pay $40 for the Criterion Collection copy of a movie. My guess, the next big in thing for both music and movies will be the individual flash drive. Instead of CDs and DVDs, movies and music will be put on USB flash drives, then packaged in the usual way. CD players and DVD players will eventually include USB ports as well as all cars. That way, things like iPods will be able to be used on everyday equipment but you will also be able to plug in an individual album or a movie and not have to deal with the middle-manager that is the home PC. I imagine videogames will also benefit from this technology.

GeeMoney Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:21 AM EST

Brandon Routh is soooooo hot. I just saw Superman the other day... I was drulling over him. What was this blog about again?

Jusa Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:18 AM EST

I want the hard disc. Downloading is fine for those with high-speed connections. However, things can go wrong with downloads; computers can crash. Keep the hard discs around, I say.

Also, with the downloading, is copying to hard disc permitted? On a purely superficial note, I still prefer to see the artwork of a DVD box and disc. I continue to cringe a bit whenever I see a DVD cover that's plain (no cover at all or gray/silver).

melissa Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:13 AM EST

I'm so glad many other people are not enchanted by the idea of watching movies on computer screens or video iPods. I can't even muster an interest in watching an entire TV episode online.

julie Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:11 AM EST

Hopefully, WalMart will read these comments and realize that most people do not want to watch movies on puny little screens or take up their computers space with a two hour movie. Every time "they" try to shove some new technology down our throats, Im glad to see everyone doesnt rush out to buy the "new" and chuck "the old". Im mad about the VCR going down, as people like my parents are reluctant to buy a DVD so they will just watch the old stuff they have, since they cant watch new movies. Plus, not everyone has a TIVO and people still record stuff on VCRs. Wake Up WalMART! People with little money shop at your stores! Let some fancy store do something new and expensive... stick with what works... if it aint broke... why fix it?

Paul U. Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 10:04 AM EST

shut up

EP Sato Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 09:55 AM EST

Amen Bob G! 5.1 surround sound and a big screen tv, good friends, the lights dimmed and the sound on hella loud because the neighbors are out is an experience that no computer screen has been able to reproduce, at least not for me.

Bob G. Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 09:42 AM EST

According to the website, the Superman Returns download will not work on an Ipod. Anyways, when I want to watch a movie, I want to see it on a 42" plasma with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound, not on a little 17" with computer speakers.

Roxanne Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 09:26 AM EST

Ditto pretty much everything that's been said here, though I'm still switching over some videos to DVDs (because I like to buy shoes). Why would I want to watch a movie on a really puny screen?

By the way, Wal-Mart is evil.

Jon Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 09:25 AM EST

Out here in the sticks (well, Middle America), I still know a lot of people who are figuring out how to work their DVD players. I can't imagine how long it would take for them to figure out how to download a movie, burn it to a disk and then watch it. The template these doomsayers seem to be following is the rise of iPods and their effect on the music industry. But the sad truth is we live in an age in which CDs are essentially singles collections with lots of filler. The equivalent for DVD would be downloading a favorite scene or chapter. And I don't think that's going to happen. The model they should be looking at is the rise of internet shopping. Ten years ago they said it would take the place of malls all over America. But people like to hold stuff in their hands before they purchase. So now there's really only a select group of consumers who make online purchases regularly and the rest get in line at WalMart.
Oh, and one more thing! My local DVD store has scrapped their HDDVD and BluRay sections due to lack of interest.

mike Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 09:15 AM EST

My guess is that both DVDs and downloading will be available as long as the market will support both. Right now, tv shows are being downloaded and DVD'd and a lot of the shows are in syndication for free.
As for Superman Returns, there was a bigger crime than breaking and entering, it was boring.

Michael Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 09:08 AM EST

I can't, for the life of me, understand why anyone would want to watch a movie on a computer screen, much less on an iPod or cellphone screen. But this is coming from a guy who was really shocked that people would talk on the phone more or less all the time if given the opportunity.

Tim Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 08:59 AM EST

If DVD was on the way out, we wouldn't be seeing HD DVD and Blu-Ray movies being released.

I'm not worried a bit.

brandonk Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 08:50 AM EST

Well, playing music on my computer is one thing...I don't particularly like watching movies on it, or on the tiny screens of portable devices. However, I rarely buy DVDs because I usually just watch them once, so I joined Netflix.

ep sato Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 08:25 AM EST

I read "obituaries" for the cd several years ago. They also said that used cd/dvd stores would go the way of the dodo thanks to downloads and ipods. While I do agree that the businesses are probably on the decline, the rapidly decreasing cost of tv shows on dvd (I recently saw Sopranos dvd sets selling NEW for $45. Compare that to prices as high as $100 a year ago) will probably attract some new consumers and keep the digital discs around for a few more years.

And movie downloads are still pretty big in terms of harddrive space required for them, so it's not like we can keep massive libraries in our pcs or ipods. As collectors and creatures of habit, many of us will want to keep entire seasons of shows instead of just some key eps.

On the SUperman Returns tip, while watching it, look out for the scenes when Superman super stalks his ex girlfriend, tries to get her to commit super adultery, AND that extra special scene when he super breaks and enters into lois lane's house and has a super creepy moment of checking out her son while the kid is sleeping. Superman or super felon? You decide

Rich Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 08:25 AM EST

At this point, putting these two together is a little nonsensical. Downloads will eventually doom DVDs, but only when HD on-demand is routinely available. One of the big reasons theater attendance is down is the rapidly improving quality of home presentation. One of the hottest holiday items is a big-screen plasma TV. Why spend $2K on that and then watch the latest flicks on your iPod? Once broadband makes HD downloads available, though, it's over.

Jim Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 08:22 AM EST

Most people that shop at Wal-Mart can't afford extra's like Ipods and computer downloads. I see this failing just like their foray into the DVD rentals by mail did.

Jael Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 07:44 AM EST

Aren't those statistics skewed? When DVD came out, for a year I rebought all the movies I loved the most. My extra cash didn't go to shoes or music or (eep) savings, it went to restocking my movie library. I'm sure I'm not the only person who did this. Do the stats account for such a surge in sales? If not, maybe sales aren't really slagging.

bud Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 06:35 AM EST

We have a 90 inch projection TV. Do I want to give that up to watch downloaded movies on my ipod? NO! I hope this is a Chicken Little moment going on here.

Slammy Fri, Dec 1, 2006 at 06:12 AM EST

DRM issues will keep me away from downloading movies the same way it keeps me away from downloading music. Call me paranoid, but I don't trust that crap.

I buy CDs. I buy DVDs. Big Brother, stay the hell off my machine.