Posted by Doug Jacobs on 01/22/08 00:51

Derek Janssen <ejanss1@nospam.verizon.net> wrote:

> > I know that a lot of people think downloads are going to be the end of DVD
> > or physical media, but think about it - we've had the capability to buy
> > electronic versions of entire books for over a decade, yet bookstores
> > aren't in any danger of closing now, are they?

> In fact, Amazon's had to RE-launch electronic books for, what, the third
> time, and the public's *still* not buying them!

Yes, and this time with their own Amazon branded reader, even. I don't
get it, really.

> (Although books aren't subject to studios' el-dorado dream of taking
> back "control" over their movies' screenings, and getting that sweet
> percentage of EVERY customer viewing--
> You'd think the curtain would finally have been ripped back on the Evil
> Master Plot after the DiVX Wars.)

Some companies, and the pointy-haired morons that run them, never learn.
At least some companies learn from their own mistakes - but it seems to me
they never learn from mistakes that other companies make. It's as if
they're intent on making each mistak for themselves.

> > Digital distribution may be fine for certain things. Rentals come to mind
> > immediatly. Why wait for the mailman to bring your Netflix to you when
> > you can download your movie over night?

> ...Um, because sometimes I rent the disc to watch the documentary?

I know I said movie up there, but there's really no reason you couldn't
bundle the entire contents on a DVD into a downloadable file that still
maintained the same menu and chapter structure a physical DVD would have...

> > Anyways, as for why DVD sales are dropping? I can think of many reasons:

> I can remember in the late-90's, when some independent anime companies
> were leery of getting into the new waters of DVD, and still put some of
> their lesser-selling niche titles out on VHS-only, to "test customer
> interest" in future disk release for the titles--And fans felt
> "blackmailed" into buying VHS tapes they knew they'd have to throw away
> in a couple of months anyway (as opposed to not buying it, and giving
> the company the wrong idea)...
> At that point in the 90's, nobody was buying *any* VHS under normal
> circumstances, PERIOD, and we fans grit our teeth and grumbled, "Making
> us buy the...Ohh, pally, you'd BETTER come through with that disk, for
> what we have to go through to keep you happy... >_< "

> ...Now update those sentiments to hi-def owners and DVD.

Yes, I remember those days.

I really hope the anime DVD industry gets better, but from what I'm
seeing, it's only getting stupider and greedier...

Anime series are one thing I definitely won't buy until there's a complete
boxset out.

However, now it seems the companies are regressing - going for a more
Japanese attitude of putting 2 or 3 episodes on a disc and then charging
$35 (MSRP) for it. What the...? With DVD-9, shouldn't they be doing 6-8
episodes? 7 disc series are SO 20th century! :(

--
It's not broken. It's...advanced.

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