Movie Studios Turn to the Internet: Are We Ready to Bid Farewell to the DVD?
By Rob Scott
September 27, 2011
September 27, 2011
- Hollywood studios are responding to the 40 percent drop in home entertainment sales by recognizing that the future may heavily rely upon ramping up Internet delivery businesses.
- According to the Los Angeles Times: “Across Hollywood, a quiet revolution is brewing that’s about to transform living rooms around the world… In the next few years, the growing number of consumers with Internet-connected televisions, tablets and smartphones will face a dizzying array of options designed to make digital movie consumption a lot more convenient and to entice users to spend more money.”
- “It’s now critical that we experiment as much as possible and determine how to build a vibrant market for collecting digital movies,” says David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment division.
- Studios may be eager to change, but have yet to determine how it can be effectively accomplished with a uniform approach. As a result, the immediate future will most likely see an expanded but confusing selection of options for consumers.
- The article looks at some of these potential options including premium VOD, cloud computing, UltraViolet’s “virtual locker,” new offerings from Apple’s iTunes and sharing movies via Facebook.
Topics: Apple, Cloud, DVD, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Studios, Home Entertainment, iTunes, Movie, Sony, Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Studio, UltraViolet, UV, Video, VOD
6 Comments
Pretty sad to think of a world with no DVDs. I can’t really imagine having a movie collection only online. Something about the safety of having the DVD sitting next to me combined with the apprehension of an internet mishap makes the idea bothersome. The world is changing, however, and I’m sure any concerns I have now will soon just be a thing of the past, and I will look back and find this post crazy.
Pretty sad to think of a world with no DVDs. I can’t really imagine having a movie collection only online. Something about the safety of having the DVD sitting next to me combined with the apprehension of an internet mishap makes the idea bothersome. The world is changing, however, and I’m sure any concerns I have now will soon just be a thing of the past, and I will look back and find this post crazy.
I agree with Ryan. As I sit at my desk typing this, I can see my collection of DVDs and Blu-rays — and I feel a sadness. Will I eventually sell the collection and have the same regret I experienced when I gave away my record collection? What will I look at against that wall when my movie collection is in the cloud? Also, I’m still a bit uneasy offering iTunes or Amazon gift cards instead of DVDs or books for birthdays and holidays. It somehow feels less personal (I’m sure the recipients would argue this point). But I suppose that is why they’re called disruptive technologies. And even though I no longer live in LA, I look at the article’s photo of Rocket Video closing its doors after 30 years, and I feel a little empty…and old.
I agree with Ryan. As I sit at my desk typing this, I can see my collection of DVDs and Blu-rays — and I feel a sadness. Will I eventually sell the collection and have the same regret I experienced when I gave away my record collection? What will I look at against that wall when my movie collection is in the cloud? Also, I’m still a bit uneasy offering iTunes or Amazon gift cards instead of DVDs or books for birthdays and holidays. It somehow feels less personal (I’m sure the recipients would argue this point). But I suppose that is why they’re called disruptive technologies. And even though I no longer live in LA, I look at the article’s photo of Rocket Video closing its doors after 30 years, and I feel a little empty…and old.
After giving my original comments more thought, it’s interesting to note that the last 30 or so movies I watched at home were streamed via Netflix or on-demand from Verizon. Even in my History of the Motion Picture class, I streamed “Nosferatu” (1922) and “Jules and Jim” (1962) from online sources. Since this seems to be my pattern of consumption, why do I still feel so attached to my collection of physical media?
After giving my original comments more thought, it’s interesting to note that the last 30 or so movies I watched at home were streamed via Netflix or on-demand from Verizon. Even in my History of the Motion Picture class, I streamed “Nosferatu” (1922) and “Jules and Jim” (1962) from online sources. Since this seems to be my pattern of consumption, why do I still feel so attached to my collection of physical media?
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