DVDs are going nowhere for a VERY long time. Don't worry.
I can't be arsed with either format, I'm happy with my 'normal' dvds. Not much of a difference(unlike when it was going from VHS to DVD) if you have a good television and dvd player imo. Saw a blu ray playing film a few weeks ago and wasn't that blown away that I felt Ooooo I have to go and get myself one of these or I will be left behind...
I doubt DVD or the new formats like Blu-ray and HD DVD will be around for long.
Downloading movies to your PC (legally of course) will wipe out the movies sections of stores and rentals. If all the major studios vote for some legal way to allow people to buy movies directly from a movie site then any format will be extinct.
However, will DVD's be around? Heck yeah! 3 more decades I'd say.
I agree with MP, there is, and always will be, a certain 'magic' associated with actually owning a physical product -- It feels nice to actually be able to hold your purchase, look at the cover art and such. With movies and music I will always purchase the physical product over the digital version as long as it's available.
That said, downloads certainly will become the next standard in the near future. Though I doubt people will download them directly to their computer, as computer screens are much smaller than most people's TV screens. I'd bet there will be download boxes, similar to cable boxes, that you can purchase, that will hook up to TV's and allow you to download the movies on that.
I was at Best Buy the other day watching a Blu Ray version of the third POTC movie on a Samsung 40'' HDTV with surround sound, and I was VERY IMPRESSED.
I watched that in HMV on what looked like the same size television, and I didn't see much of a difference compared to my normal dvds, didn't make me want to upgrade...
I said that to the person I was out with and one of the HMV workers heard me and I don't think he was very happy, he he.
Re: What will happen to regular DVDs?
Originally posted by SnakeEyes
When either Blu-ray or HD wins, what'll happen to the tons of normal DVDs?Will they go away like VHS?
To be honest, I'm kind of worried, since I own over a 100 movies on DVD.
Nothing will happen. DVDs are here to stay for a long time until some other hip brand new thingy will come out. I have a HD DVD home theatre system and a friend of mine has a Blu-Ray system. Every other saturday before I go out we are watching them at each others house. You can play your normal DVD's on either system, but its also up to each person to decide which system he/she wants.
Originally posted by BackFire
I agree with MP, there is, and always will be, a certain 'magic' associated with actually owning a physical product -- It feels nice to actually be able to hold your purchase, look at the cover art and such. With movies and music I will always purchase the physical product over the digital version as long as it's available.That said, downloads certainly will become the next standard in the near future. Though I doubt people will download them directly to their computer, as computer screens are much smaller than most people's TV screens. I'd bet there will be download boxes, similar to cable boxes, that you can purchase, that will hook up to TV's and allow you to download the movies on that.