Do you guys think that the Video on Demand sales take away from DVD sales? or is there a different market for VOD vs. DVD? Personally I prefer DVDs for movies I enjoyed, and VOD for movies I just want to check out.
Knowing that I have nothing to back it up, here's what I think. :)
I think VOD doesn't necessarily take away DVD sales... I think it plays to a different market--a.k.a. people who have access to porn via the internet, but aren't able (for whatever reason--disapproving wives, no DVD player, etc.) to collect DVDs. As one who mainly watches DVDs, I've certainly used VOD as a ... well as a sort of extended, paid preview method (try before I buy kind of thing), but it's almost always dissppointing even in that capacity, and that's all it is. If I like what I see, I'll buy the DVD. I think the main appeal of VOD though is it's "portability" and "porn without evidence" aspects that appeal to those who don't have the ability to build a DVD collection.
Anyone who actually KNOWS anything about this have any ideas? Hehehe. I'm talkin' out of my ass here...
In my case no. I can't imagine wanting to watch porn on my computer intead of the TV.
The only thing that takes away from DVD sales in my case is DVD/VHS rental. If I'm not sure about a movie, I'll rent it before buying it. If it's a simultaneous DVD/VHS release and I rent the DVD from my local store, they generally deduct the rental from the sale price (and match Internet sales prices for me). So, in that case it doesn't cost me any more to try before I buy.
When there is not a simultaneous release, I'll usually rent the VHS version. But then it eventually costs more for the DVD's that I buy (when you take the cost of the rental into account).
Overall, renting first saves me a lot of money.
Back to the point...I can see how VOD, could affect DVD sales for others in the same way that DVD/VHS rental affects DVD sales for me.
Well, I watch all my DVDs on my computer.... but that's because I have a 24 inch wide-screen monitor, 5.1 channel surround sound, and a nice comfy leather desk chair. =)
...but I've never tried VOD... I've subscribed to a few websites and watched the streaming video they provide, and I'm always disappointed in the picture quality, even when it is designed for high bandwidth users, and I suspect that I'd feel the same way about VOD. I would guess that VOD effects sales in the same way the rentals do, whatever that is.
Netflix's original idea was to be a VOD company, but they realized that they could send DVDs through snail mail faster and cheaper than they could send the same bits through an internet connection. It's all about the quality... VOD costs about as much, and often times more, than renting a DVD and they have to compress the hell out of it in order fit it through your connection in a reasonable time. The bandwidth costs more than the postage would....
If VOD were delivered as actual DIVX (or XVID) .AVI's that could be played using standard software, it might be quite appealing as a surrogate for DVD purchases/rentals.
Why? Because I could play the file full-screen onto my big screen tv using my video out card. And DIVX (XVID) looks almost as good as DVD.
Hell, I might even be willing to purchase (not rent) DIVX (XVID) .AVI's instead of DVDs, if I were able to play them indefinitely (rather than having them expire). This would save the porn producers a buttload of manufacturing and distribution costs.
But with the way the vast majority of VOD is delivered today (tiny resolutions and proprietary players), you can keep 'em! It's not a reasonable technology.
Don't think VOD will ever truly take off. Complicated to watch it. Not as good quality as DVD and you are stuck to your computer monitor. Hardly comfortable. Nah, Can't beat relaxing with your nearest and dearest turgid one on the couch or in the armchair watching on big screen and remote in left hand and nearest and dearest in your right ( depending on your orientation of course). Of course if you're watching Evil Angel or Red Light you can toss the remote.
^ I still don't like VOD (primarily for the reason as 10 years ago). I do, however, like being able to download content, which I can store on my own hard drives and then stream from to a media player. I realize that there are services, such at Fyre TV that will stream to Set top boxes which get connected to TV's. But, I'd still prefer downloaded HD content to streamed SD content.
Bit of a bump I know, but I was about to open a thread about this anyway so: If you buy a VOD download to keep, is there any way to transfer it to a DVD? That way you have the best of both worlds; like many of you I'd rather not have to be stuck to my PC monitor. More so than that though is the fact that even a 1Tb HDD will fill up damn quickly as far as VOD is concerned; being able to copy it to a DVD would be ideal. I agree that VOD is a great way to try before you buy but I can't see it becoming a replacement for DVD. Edited by - DirtyDAWG on 7/7/2013 8:54:05 AM
