Unscripted: Everything We Know Is Changing | Disney Out | Sony In? | Physical Media In Decline
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- Опубліковано 19 лют 2024
- Unscripted! The Disney Movie Club is dead! Disney further exits physical media and Sony might take over their catalog? Everything is changing, and it's happening faster than I ever thought possible. What are we to do? Let's discuss.
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As a student, it’s worrying that the future of physical media may be at risk. While I’m building my library, I am wondering what’s most at risk of being pulled or go out of print. Just hope this golden age continues long enough for me to secure what matters.
Me I am going ham these last few months on Cheap Studio releases of movies I want in my collection doesn't matter to me if it's 4K, Blu Ray and if a Blu doesn't exist I grab the dvd. I have been so obsessed with Boutique stuff for the last decade I realize I need Studio releases of so many films I love. And I need em before it's too late!
Buy everything you can now
I just started collecting VHS and DVD. Prices are going up but they are still reasonable. Don't worry, physical media will always be around on the used market.
Is anyone surprised that Disney is closing a "service" they have slowly been stripping down to bare bones for the last decade?
It’s censorship and films being chopped up to fit the needs of whoever provides the streams that worries me. If I have the disc I have the version I intend to always enjoy.
There is also the problem of films not even being available because they might offend someone. Happy that I bought my blu-ray copy of GWTW years ago.
Don't waste now, worrying about tomorrow's maybes. Enjoy what we got while we have it and remember it fondly when its gone.
Well said.
You hit the nail on the head. When we watch a movie that we love are we really watching it because it is in 4K? When I first bought my DVD player about 25 years ago, I had so many good memories of watching it without rewinding the tape. The picture was perfect in my eyes. When I upgraded, it wasn’t the better picture quality that made me love it more. My movie memories started when my family went to the video store and picked something out that we enjoyed. Only choice we had was VHS or Beta. Yes it was crappy quality and we always had to mess with the tracking. But it was the movie itself that we enjoyed.
No for sure. And I just counted up all of the places I could remember being able to rent a VHS from in my tiny rural hometown. You could get groceries, pick up a script, and rent a movie at the same place. You could get a pizza and rent a film at the same place or next door. My hometown of 20k had 5-7 places to rent from depending on the year.
I enjoyed VHS too and rented a lot. But given the tape and TV quality back then, I didn't buy VHS. But, in 1997, I began buying DVDs and my physical media movie collection now has thousands of movies.
I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment.
I’m stopping the trend of just buying stuff in 4K, and in fact thinking of dropping it entirely for Blu Ray. I just want to watch the movie at the end of the day, it’s cheap and equally as impressive to 4K.
At first, with VHS- the thrill was that you actually got to see these movies at home. Now, the thrill is to see the movies in their best possible presentation. UHD does that. Streamng does not.
@@servare2599i agree,blu- ray is a solid format,also you don't have to spend a lot on a player.
I’m wondering if Sony will have the power to say “Let’s release a 4K of ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’” or will Disney tell them what to release.
Good question. My guess is no. Disney doesn't turn over their power to anyone.
My own Pie In The Sky request (meaning I am not laying awake nights waiting for it to happen) would be for Sony to release Blu versions of the 2-disc Disney Vault DVD sets, which not only had incredible extras but the coolest menus of any DVD I ever had, to the point that I haven't upgraded to Blu on those titles because the DMC Blus were so bare bones.
Could we just get Condorman? Is that too much to ask???
Disney is never going to license their properties to anyone ever again. And likely will not be releasing much of their own catalog on physical media ever again. I just watched the first episode of their THE SCARECROW OF ROMNEY MARSH, which came out on Blu-ray in 2019 and is now OOP. Let alone their limited tin edition of that, which also included the feature version of that (which Quintin loves), and they did not release on the BD.
I agree that certain things, I’d rather watch on VOD digital than not at all, but in general, I prefer physical media. For lots of reasons. Though I admit you make good arguments. One of my favorite companies is Warner Archive Collection, which tries to accommodate everybody. I give them a lot of credit for that. I’m a huge fan of them, their business model and their love of movies.
@@CerealAtMidnightyou do have a point Also I think Disney should just outright buy Sony in my opinion. Just Saying?
As a non-US person i couldn't care less about the Disney Movie Club and hearing that Disney goes further away from physical media doesn't really surprise anyone. The entire internet talks about movies and not many channels focus on the collecting and physical media part, so hopefully CAM will be able to keep its uniqueness and identity as a channel to celebrate physical media. Thanks, Heath!
@@Coolestmovies I agree, this is not much different then some of the stuff Heath is doing in collaboration with companies such as Kino, Imprint, Mill Creek and even Warner. As long as it's not presented as a commercial but as an honest opinions of the presenter I don't begrudge it. it's some of the perks they get for keeping physical media alive and in the public conciousness. I see it more as news and less as a commercial. Maybe this is the place to point out that until now Heath has been running his channel without a single sponsorship so we don't have to suffer through what I call "hidden ads" in the middle of the video. so if he gets free discs for his efforts then all the power to him. It's his job. It's like movie critics going to free screenings in the cinema. I don't see much difference. The consumption is on the buyers. Nobody tells them to go and buy every disc under the sun. Nobody tells them to react to FOMO tactics or endless sales. It's on us to apply judgment and discerment so our movie collecting doesn't turn into consumption and hoarding. It is OUR responisbility.
@@Coolestmovies It's actually nice to get a good look at these releases before deciding on purchasing. You get a better look at them than you do on the webpages.
Lior is so right, I have never taken money from a studio or distributor my videos, I have never shared any analytics about you guys with anyone, and I'm always 100% honest about the release. The allure of a "free" (nothing is free, it costs me time I don't have) movies wears off real quick and all you're left with is the responsibility to accurately convey what the customer gets for their money. I take the responsibility VERY seriously, and maybe that's why I have such a solid relationship with so many of the people who make this stuff. I'm not here for free movies.
I’m actually glad Disney movie club is over. Years ago, my sister had it, and they started sending her multiple copies of Santa paws that she didn’t ask for. If Disney just had a regular online store that let me buy whatever I wanted, I would have been ok w/ that.
The only thing I "worry" about is the availability of DVD/Blu-Ray players. There will always be smaller labels picking up distribution rights, and so many second hand DVDs to buy going back decades upon decades.
I'll be turning 50 soon. I now understand why when my grandparents were dying they didn't really care. They were leaving a world that was completely different than the one they grew up in.
As my parents are reaching their end years, I almost envy them for passing on naturally before everything gets even worse.
Hear what you're saying, my friend. Find what you enjoy and embrace it! We have so much to be thankful for.
The 13th warrior is a criminally underrated film.
And my favourite Michael Crichton film.
Blank Check podcast in April.
To me 13th Warrior, Forest Gump, and A Knight's Tale are all fine movies that never should have been used in high school classes as an example of anything. 13th Warrior is good, but it's not a movie to watch to understand Beowulf. Knight's Tale is fun but it's not the best way to learn about Chaucer and Canterbury Tales. Forest Gump is fine, but can't be the best way to spend a couple days in a history class.
West World will always be my favorite Michael Crichton film.
@@johnm.withersiv4352 ua-cam.com/video/LBpq_RyBP98/v-deo.html
I just started watching it again last night on DVD. Lol
Yes to The 13th Warrior! I loved that movie (and the book). Still only have it on DVD, but I’m glad to hear there is an HD version out there. Hopefully it gets released on Blu-ray or 4K.
I bought a Blu-ray off of sloppy seconds website for 10 bucks. It just amazes me all the garbage on Blu-ray and still no 13 th warrior, dead presidents, the Salton Sea just all these movies that I love and have DVDs of that. Never got the Blu-ray treatment and I don't understand it
I’m kind of a vulture collector. In the 2000s people would find out I actually collected laserdiscs and give them to me. I love to haunt thrift stores for DVDs I’ve never seen before. Going forward, I may not have access to movies made post 2024, but I will have access to 100 years of cinema for next to nothing because of “the end of physical media.”
Always like coming here for honest, sometimes sobering, other times exciting, conversation and information. Keep doing what you do, Heath. Thank YOU!!
Super kind. Thank YOU!
Thanks, Heath! I have a huge collection and I'm an older collector, but I worry about younger people who are just starting to collect, especially those who are just getting into older classic films. I hope those classic films remain available in physical form.
This is me! I just starting getting into older titles as I feel the modern releases just aren’t doing it anymore. I just watched “The Window” 1949 the other night and it was great!
This is actually amazing news. I can’t think of a better studio to handle Disney’s catalogue than Sony, their physical media is great.
I prefer Warner Bros., mostly for their Warner Archive stuff. There isn't a doubt in my mind that, if Warner Bros. owned "Song of the South," they would release it. It would be absolutely covered head to toe in condescending disclaimers but they'd release it.
I think Sony is only handling the distribution and pressing of the discs. I don't think they are working on the actual transfers.
I agree. I think this is good news.
@@Emo_Parker They are doing the disc authoring as well, and Sony discs have much better authoring than Disney.
@@TBCOGR I don't know, I'm still waiting for Gone with the Wind 4K
Love these unscripted videos. The discussions you have are needed in our community, don’t let up!
While I'm a physical media guy all the way we have to admit that the market has shrunk insanely fast. I've been working on watching older films (currently working on a book covering theatrical releases of 1970) and its surprising how many of the films can be found online either legally or other means. Some of these films don't have physical or legit digital releases so to anyone preserving films on UA-cam or wherever is a godsend at this point. How long that lasts is unknown but currently they are a great resource and I don't feel bad about utilizing these providers for old films that the studios don't seem to want to market anymore. For current films I say support those legally but old movies you have to do what you have to do as we enter this untrodden path.
I love these ramblings and your realistic views. You constantly update your mind and so should be. Greetings from Sweden!
Also, nice to see another fan of "13th Warrior"!
Actually, back in the day, i did talk about watching edited movies on TV and planes. I resented songs being deleted from musicals to fit the movie into a two-hour time slot with commercials, or pan and scan, or curse words being dubbed with non-curse words.
Call me a snob but as soon as I was able to watch unedited movies, I always chose that over network TV. I've always thought commercials take you out of the movie and hated the editing they would do remove bad language or nudity, or just edit for time.
From 18 to 35, I subscribed to multiple premium channels and recorded movies I wanted to watch on VHS or HDD to watch or own. I was that one person that would schedule my VCR to record on the line input and schedule my Satellite receiver to change to the correct channel.
Life today is much easier. Watch on streaming, buy the disc or download from the internet.
Yeah, that frustrates me too. When I travel on an airplane, I don't watch the in-flight movies (who knows how they may be edited, censored, etc.). Instead, I have a bunch of public domain films downloaded on my laptop. These are actual video files, in the highest quality that I could find them, legally downloaded so that I can be assured that I know exactly what I am watching and it will be the version of the film that I selected myself when downloading.
@@SamLovesMovies25 If you own digital movies, like from Amazon, you could also watch non public domain movies on a plane. But I'd be careful about films with content that would offend people on the plane who can view it, especially children.
I dropped Disney Plus because of the INSANE price hike. It doubled. Do you have any worries that digital movies will be edited because of “problematic” content? That is something I honestly fear about the loss of physical media.
Well, when The French Connection got edited, as soon as we called Disney out on it, they restored it to its unedited version. I think we just have to speak up when we see something wrong. I firmly believe we have all the power. They want our dollars. They serve us, not the other way around. At the end of 2023, Sony tried to drop all the WB movies that their customers had bought through the Playstation Store. It was big news and people were furious, calling Sony out on it. Sony didn't like the bad press, so they reversed their decision. They can only get away with what we let them get away with.
I used to collect physical media but after awhile I realized spending 30ish dollars for a disc (I live in Canada) to maybe watch once or sometimes not even at all just to have it sit there on my shelf and collect dust just didn’t make sense to me.
I see people pouring huge sums of money to cultivate collections that they never watch and are easily dwarfed by what’s available for FREE at your local library.
Once I moved past the nostalgia of physical media it dawned on me how much of my limited income was going towards buying inanimate objects that will be worthless someday (maybe even within the next decade).
Everyone is free to spend their money however they like but I’d encourage anyone to take a good hard look at why they feel compelled to amass massive physical media collections. We are not what we own, we are what we DO.
I basically have everything I want on physical media. There are a few exceptions such as the Fall Guy Complete Series, BJ and The Bear complete series, Love Boat Complete series...But Hey, at least I just got Gomer Pyle on Blu-Ray!
"Golly." 😁
I take a day away from my phone then it hits the fan! Great video Heath!
Hi Heath, I know you have touched on this in previous videos, but it needs to be said. The music industry went through this many years ago, with CDs collapsing to much lower numbers than video based physical media. With that said, I have and continue to purchase CDs with impunity, both new releases and legacy titles. They are still being made and will continue to be made going forward. Dont see this being any different for Dvd, Blu ray, 4k into the future.
Yep, agreed. I still buy CDs all the time, even though the young'uns don't even realize they're still being made. Why pay $40 for a vinyl copy with cracks and pops when you can get the pristine CD for $12?
@@CerealAtMidnightbecause Vinyl sounds better
I love vinyl, but it's become a luxury pursuit that's difficult to afford.
Agree. Every album I buy new or old - I buy on CD. No problems whatsoever getting what I want on compact disc
Hi Heath. Great take on this news and topic. I am so happy and thankful for my physical media collection in 2024. I love that I can watch most of the films and TV shows that I love because I chose to collect and can be (for the most part) independent of streaming services. It's a great time to be a physical media collector. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
Hopefully this means the 4K UHD of Air Bud is incoming
I was just watching Pluto, Tubi, and Roku Channel. I can't get over how much free streaming media there is, besides pay streaming.
I tried to watch a couple of movies on Freeverse but it was unwatchable for me because it was 10 minutes of movie and 2 minutes of commercials. I have gotten spoiled to the point the interruptions for commercials drive me crazy. If it was commercials at beginning or end or a movie or every 30 minutes I could take it but every 10 minutes was just to much interruption.
@@Stargazer-lg8cs
Especially when they choose the worst timing to break into an ad. Right in the middle of important dialogue or action scene, etc
@@Chaso-1124 Agree. Also when watching a movie with commercial breaks every 10 minutes, the scene hardly picks up again before another commercial interruption happens.
As a book fan as much as a movie fan, it’s interesting how paper book sales started to increase again after the Kindle/ebook boom. I’m not saying people will leave streaming and buy discs again but I do think humans will always like real things.
Yes! You just reminded me that I had 'The 13th Warrior' sitting in my VUDU wishlist, and the price had just been knocked down to $5! Thanks, Heath! 😊
Hi Heath! I love these Unscripted episodes! I agree with you that physical media is in decline, but will likely never disappear. Thanks for all you do & keep up the good work!
I miss the best times of physical media, video stores and movie theaters. I don't think sitting at home watching digital is as much fun or memorable but here we are. I still buy physical media and I don't think it will like 100% disappear but I've accepted that most people just want to sit at home and never go outside. This is beyond just physical media, but malls are also going bye-bye.
@@machiel5888 I don't think so because people hang out at malls and it's a very social environment.
15 minute cities is a big Leftist idea we don't want happening.@machiel5888
Great video man. Westworld from 1973 is just about my favourite Michael Crichton film/story. Did pick up The Hitcher today, very happy with Umbrella and what they're producing.
Because everything is switching to streaming my fear is movies will disappear. Sure we can watch movies now but once everything is all streaming we will never own movies anymore. Movie companies have wanted it like this since the beginning. They never wanted to sell their movies
That is true. I remember how they fought tooth and nail against VHS.
@@Stargazer-lg8cs Paramount+, Nexflix, Peacock and the rest charging a monthly subscription fee plus charging extra to watch a movie. It’s ridiculous enough is enough. Bring back physical media
@@Stargazer-lg8cs I can officially confirm that watching movies on Amazon Prime with ads sucks.
Im not sure if im too worried about the demise of physical media. Im also a big watch collector and there has not been a decline in popularity really in watches since the smart phone or the apple watch (which is the #1 selling "watch"). The quartz crisis for watches could be seen similar to this streaming era we are in. I think we are in the dip right now but it will bounce back I think.
It is on physical media once you save it to your HDD/NAS.
Hopefully this means a lot more updates for movies that are stuck on DVDs.
Thanks for the 13 warrior suggestion- I’m in. Also- Scary to hear about the dvd sludge. Gives one pause.
Thank you for the excellent very informative video.
I talk about physical media often. I’m definitely not
apart of that percentage of people not embracing buying dvds or blu rays. I do believe that someone’s
personal budget for the high prices of 4K releases and new released rare blu rays could be a factor.
I grew up at a time in 1985 when the movie catalogs were featuring VHS for $90. from local retailers. I’ve watched several vhs, dvd and blu ray collector documentaries made from say 2014 to currently.
I loved the insight offered and it gave me so much
hope that collectors will always be around buying media. ❤️ Fight the good fight my friend!
I buy mostly blu-rays from boutique labels, not really interested in mainstream streaming.
You did a good video, Heath. I just did my dmc death video and I'm bummed, but like you, I'm ok. I will do a final order for sure. One digital movie I have that I can't get physically is The Jungle Book with Jason Scott Lee. I love that movie! I like your unscripted videos and I'm excited to see where your channel goes.
For me, the holdback with 4K is having all the extra Hardware to actually watch it.
Versus just popping in a blu-ray or DVD. 📀
What “extras”? A 4K Blu-ray player and a tv?
@@DestroyerOfWombs correct.
@@DestroyerOfWombs yeah the $1000 barrier of entry to this hobby
@@machiel5888 You can into it for well under a grand. Sure, there’s a cost involved, but there are some budget friendly options available. Even more so if you buy on a shopping ‘holiday’.
Y'know, it's interesting that I'm pretty much in the Blu-ray camp now (buying DVDs only if I have to) because from what I understand, Blu-ray is more durable than DVDs (more scratch resistant, not prone to disc rot, etc.) so why would DVD sales be so huge if most folks want to keep their titles?
That's the million dollar question. No easy answer, probably dozens of factors. DVD is good enough for most people, lack of retail store support for higher formats, Walmart's control of the market and their push for DVDs...the only reason Bonanza got a complete series release is because Gunsmoke sold well at Walmart and Walmart asked CBS/Paramount if they had anything else similar they could sell.
I know that, for people like my parents' age, often their eyesight isn't good enough to tell the difference between DVD & Blu-Ray. Plus, I've even known people my age who are so cavalier about their home video setups that they watch 4:3 shows stretched out to fill a 16:9 screen.
excellent accent work in this episode. It made the bad news less painful
Without physical media control of what we watch and how we watch it is up to someone else! I personally don't want to relinquish that control!
Hyperbolic maybe but just take a look around at the companies altering past movies and television shows "for our own good"...
Great video as usual!
I always enjoy the unscripted videos and this one was no different. Honestly, I'd rather have Sony takeover Disney's catalog instead of dealing with Disney. At least Sony cares about physical media. Perhaps, It'll give movies that have been stuck in a DVD format the chance to finally get released on Blu-ray and/or 4K Blu-ray. In regards to physical media itself, its death has been greatly exaggerated, despite the rumors of its demise. Movies, TV shows, music, and video games have been flourishing over the years when it comes to physical media. Floppy disks, VHS tapes, cassettes, CD's, vinyl records, DVD's, Blu-rays, and 4K Blu-rays are all being purchased because of the popularity of physical media. It's a wonderful time to be a collector. Love what you collect and collect what you love. Thanks, Heath! As always, I appreciate the hard work, passion, and dedication! Keep it up! God bless and stay safe!
Thanks for another insightful video Heath. I too am one of those people that love cinema as an art medium. How I am able to access the content probably doesn't matter to much to me. I'm happy to watch a DVD of a movie on the couch or I may want to watch a film on my projector and so want the best quality content for that. What concerns me about all you can eat streaming is being held hostage to the whims of the content platforms to remove films at will. Similarly, you buying a digital copy gives you a licence to view the content but not necessarily own it. It can also be modified from the director's original vision to align with todays society norms. But when I buy a physical copy, it is mine to view whenever I wish, I'm not bound by the studios desire to control how and when I can watch it or it can't be removed from my library. I guess what we are seeing today is the studios trying to bring back control of their content.
I always thoroughly enjoy your unscripted videos. You’re a great speaker. Unfortunately for me, many of the boutique labels are not for me. Most of the titles I’m interested in are from the larger labels, so I’m not buying much. And they’re coming out few and far between.
Hey, you're saving a boatload of money!
FWIW, My GI Joe discs had the same haze on them. Seeing it more with these cheap newer cases too.
i love your channel and i have no way thought of myself as a collector...and when i did start watching your channel i was jealous of all your movies and did not think i was worthy watching your channel...i have always bought movies because i loved them not because they were reference material or everyone that week was buying it....i have cerebral palsy...and i have watched movies because i can experience life and if i love a movie then i can get an emotional connection....i buy movies that i have an emotional connection...that turns out that my collection is small and i will never ever get a wall like yours..but you finally validated me by saying it should be about the movie first...if you love it then you will enjoy it :) im not a 4k snob but i do like 4k when they have my movies....my point is i love your channel and you love the movies too..and you probably won't mind and still like me even if i was not a technical merit geek :) thank you for all you do :)
You're always welcome here! Movies are for everyone, not just the elite, wealthy, or tech savvy. I'm glad you're here, Michael.
@@CerealAtMidnightthat means a lot...i love movies thank you for celebrating movies...we share that and i think it is wonderful i was thinking about this video and i just watched the tom cruise movie the firm and i had to laugh..my mom gave me the 4k version but i like the blu ray version better..and what you said that you had no snobbery against blu ray :) i said to myself i can relate to you :)
"Watching a movie is the important thing." But what movie? And how am I supposed to remember what movie I watched? Should I write down the titles? How can I remember what I streamed 10 years ago on some service that shut down 5 years ago? People have to realize that if we only stream movies then our movie minds will turn into mush and watching movies will become like watching UA-cam, just worse. Physical Media is THE way to watch movies. The only way that really makes sense apart from the cinema. Streaming is a poor replacement.
... but I admit that's an extreme and an old person perspective. I also own digital movies and stream something from time to time. But yeah, that's not my world anymore.
If you're concerned about these things, I would highly recommend you keep a movie journal. At the very least, you can open a free Letterboxd account and jot down your thoughts on a movie.
This video is excellent and I can definitely relate to so many things you’ve touched upon. Recently I’ve decided to start just enjoying movies again and to stop studying the technical aspects of my disc collection.
An example would be how I was initially disappointed with the release of The Good The Bad & The Ugly on 4K disc.
Why disappointed you ask, because it didn’t have any HDR applied to it. How spoiled I’ve become when I found myself criticizing a product that looked so so good. Compared to the VHS I used to watch with my family when I was a kid it’s not even comparable.
I want to be that collector who enjoys the film first and then analyzes the technical aspects of the release.
Thank you for this spontaneous video essay. I got a lot out of it.
(Copied in part from a reply below) I agree that certain things, I’d rather watch on VOD digital than not at all, but in general, I prefer physical media. For lots of reasons. Though I admit you make good arguments. One of my favorite companies is Warner Archive Collection, which tries to accommodate everybody. I give them a lot of credit for that. I’m a huge fan of them, their business model and their love of movies.
I have not yet upgraded to 4K. I have a handful of 4K discs that I can’t watch because I have neither player nor device upon which to play them (I prefer projector to TV set and I only have a 1080p projector).
I may get a 4K player and if I have to upgrade to a projector that does upscaling, I may (don’t want to pay the big cost for 4K projector). But mostly, I am happy with Blu-Ray and will support many releases on that medium as much as I can.
Thanks again for an excellent and honest video on how you see things where we are now.
Thank you for your thoughts on this. It's helpful to keep apprised of the situation. However, I'm not feeling the effects of this "new" situation yet, since I'm very focused with my purchases (mostly Asian stuff), yet still (somehow) behind on my Blu Ray splurging.
Well, we got over 100 Asian movies on Blu last year and Imprint just announced a whole line of "Imprint Asia" releases, so it makes sense you're having a hard time keeping up on the new titles!
@@CerealAtMidnight - Indeed! :)
My concern is that Sony has not been that great in releasing their own titles let alone others. Still waiting for 3 Stooges Blu-ray releases and some Tv titles from them.
Great video Heath! Though, the churn of "the sky is falling" videos from other content creators this week will be brutal. The conspiracy theory part of my brain is saying that Best Buy knew of Disney's plans to change distribution/manufacturing.
Yeah, it's gonna be ugly this week. Part of me actually does think the sky is falling a little bit, but then I remember that the reality we're seeing unfold has been in the works for a long time. I've been saying for years that one day we'll look back at all we had at our fingertips and realize we were living in a golden age. I believe that golden age has begun to end.
@@CerealAtMidnight I've made the comparison before, but we've seen this transition with physical to digital as it happened with video games. While video games don't have the history, or some argue the mainstream appeal of movies, many of the same growing pains are present here.
It's very similar, yep. With my PS5, I'm totally digital. I own no physical games for it.
Why are the sky falling? Because Disney closed the Disney movie channel? Sorry, I don't get it... maybe I missed something. In this same video Heath says that Sony wants to buy Disney's catalog. Sony is acing it's physical releases. Why are the sky falling?
Looking at the big picture, I think everything we know is either coming to an end or changing into something we don't recognize. The studios are collapsing, the art is disappearing, and the idea of a home media collection of discs is becoming more elusive. This isn't just about the DIsney Movie Club, this is about Disney exiting the market entirely and the business further consolidating. It's contracting. Getting smaller. Shrinking...declining.
What sucks about the demise of physical media is overly compressed streams . At this point you will not stream anything that approaches the quality of disc. I don’t care if you have a gig or more down you are still limited by the compression used. I also don’t like grabbing a disc and finding out it’s unplayable due to rot or scratches or any number of things. I have been ripping everything I buy for the past seven years to a home media server (96tb so far) and I watch everything that way. And the other major downside to streaming is censorship. Can’t see a streaming version of French Connection uncensored. What is acceptable today will get cancelled in a year or two and you’ll lose access to more uncensored films. But the only answer is to continue buying physical and there just aren’t enough of us to make a difference.
Subscription based streaming is much lower quality than transactional video on demand purchases through iTunes or Vudu. The compression on Netflix, Peacock, etc is pretty bad, but it's much better when you actually buy the movie outright. You can even download it and watch it offline.
@@CerealAtMidnight That's an interesting distinction I wasn't aware of. Do you know if that better compression is also true of one-time movie rental streams on Amazon or iTunes? The ones that are like $6 and you have 48 hours to watch. I much prefer renting movies this way vs. paying for subscription platforms.
I can't say for certain, but I suspect a rental would look as good as a purchase, since it's something you paid money for. With streaming, it's sort of a buffet: less quality, more quantity. Once you get into spending money for a single movie, they want us to be happy so we keep doing it.
@@analogblues it's not a distinction though. Anything that originates as a stream, whether a 48 hour rental or a "purchase" is still HIGHLY compressed when compared to physical media. There is simply no way at this time that streaming is any where close to being an equal to disc.
@@chriswhite8717 True, but that's not a point relevant to why I asked Heath the question. I'm a huge advocate of physical media in large part because of it's better A/V quality to streaming. But when I choose to rent a movie digitally, I'd prefer to get the better of two options. If renting a la carte is superior to streaming it through a subscription platform, that's the route I will take when renting a movie.
The 13th Warrior was released on bluray from France's Metropolitan/Concorde label. I've had it for years.
I hear what you're saying, but I still don't see any indication of being in a fast decline. I still think Physical will never go go away. But, if for whatever reason it does? If digital/streaming is the sole thing? i'm just not interested. As you mentioned having your favorites on one format or the other. For the most part I agree w/ that, which in turn leaves me having no real interest in streaming. I'll just watch what is already in my collection going forward. I can enjoy that for many years to come and not miss a beat.
I won't ever consider collecting anything that is digital, games, movies or music. If I can't put it on my shelf I won't own it, that doesn't mean I won't watch it, but ownership is a big thing for me.
How is having a hard drive with films on it not ownership? It's less fragile than a disc, and nobody can take it away from you. I don't think you really understand what a "Digital collection" is. It's not an Itunes library, it's a hard drive with files on it.
Speaking of the days of the video store really puts it into perspective. I remember when VCRs came out they were so expensive I could only afford to rent one for the weekend. We well get to the point in the future when movies are made by AI on demand to suit your individual tastes. I just try to enjoy the ride wherever it goes.
I still have my Walt Disney DVDs for many of their classic films (animated and live action) and the quality is quite high for standard definition, so not worried about Blu-ray upgrades for those, at least for now.
yes, but I had to replace Fantasia and Sleeping Beauty cause the folders eventually corrupted .If dies the more you play it.
Thought provoking and informative. For me, depressing. I love owning blu ray and selective 4ks. Guess I’m gonna have to treasure my current collection all the more.
Do you leave your iTunes purchases in the “cloud” or do you download a copy to your PC?
They've been in the cloud for a decade and I've never lost anything. In fact, they get upgraded for free whenever a 4K master hits.
@@CerealAtMidnightI’ve had a few problems with TV series. The episodes I’d downloaded I can watch but with other episodes I get the message “the item you’ve requested is currently unavailable”
The best unscripted video ever! ❤
13th Warrior had a Blu-Ray release in Germany. I have it in a double pack with "The Eagle". But both this and the single release have been out of print for years. I dream of an Arrow 4K Limited Edition release for this. I would pre-order so fast.
Hi Heath! I appreciate your thoughts. I don’t feel the same way on a few of your topics. For one, I am reluctant to embrace digital in any meaningful way. I know you keep saying “you won’t lose a movie once you purchase it digitally”, BUT, I purchased 100’s of albums and songs off iTunes, over the past 10-12 years. And now, many are gone from my library or only certain songs are available from albums. I have no idea what had happened. Has anyone else experienced this? I also spend a lot of time at my cabin in Northern WI. I have very limited access to internet up there, which is actually kind of a blessing, so physical media is my “go to” while I am there. I also feel that so many of my friends, and people in general, are fed up with streaming services and are canceling subscriptions like crazy. I just dropped my Disney bundle. It feels like, when people start to realize they don’t have access to movies they want to see, they will start migrating back to physical media. Once you make that move, you have it forever and can watch it whenever you want. This will take some time, but I believe it will happen. Look at the resurgence of vinyl. I realize it’s apples and oranges, but there are similar connections to what happened there. Then again, you know way more than I do about the industry and trends, so maybe I am totally wrong. I do enjoy these topics and discussions! Keep up the great work brother! Cheers.
I'm not really trying to convince anyone to do what I've done, just being honest about where I'm at. A lot of the physical media people (even here in these comments) feel more like cult members every day. Talking about the end times, the bible, building bunkers...it's like their discs are their own version of Jesus. I really want nothing to do what that level of idolatry. I just want to watch movies and talk about them. This whole scene is going south fast.
@@CerealAtMidnight I started watching your channel because I'm a physical media guy. It seemed like a good channel to stay in the loop and connect with like minded people. I prefer a physical disc because it's what I know and how I experienced movies growing up. Also in our current political environment a film can be censored or pulled from streaming at any time. Corporations can't censor a disc they previously released because of the way current political winds are blowing. Think about The French Connection. Here lately I've been turned off by these unscripted videos. Disney dropping the movie club really isn't news worthy enough of a 20 minute video. In my opinion it was a terrible service for several reasons. Disney has always created artificial scarcity with their video releases. Get it soon it's going back to the vault for the next decade. Remember those commercials in the 90's? Also I'm getting turned off by the slight references Jesus believers are cult members. Yes there are physical media people who are extreme just like there are streaming people who are extreme just like there are sports fans who are extreme. Please lay off the religious comments. It's kind of offensive and a huge turn off.
Anyone who believes the corporations will continue to play nice needs a reality check. They, as in none of them, will guarantee every title ten years from now. They won't have to, and they won't. At least one free streaming service is being shut down because of bad ad revenue. More will follow, and I can't see any corporation willing to keep paying for video libraries without massive revenue streams to back it up. That's not happening. They all will cut corners over time.
@@CerealAtMidnight
Heath,
I never said I felt like you were trying to convince me of anything. I simply threw out my opinions and my experiences with digital. I really enjoy
our open environment of discussions.
I’ve been collecting physical media since the 1980’s, when my family purchased our first VCR. It was all because my love of movies and TV shows. It will always center around that passion. For over 40 years I have been enjoying my favorite movies and shows on physical media, streaming and digital. It has only been during the past couple of years, that I even became aware of thecphysical media/streaming and digital debates. I just purchased the movies and shows I wanted on whatever medium I could. I’m starting to wonder why we spend so much time and energy on these debates, discussions and dissension. Let’s just enjoy what we currently have for options, because, ultimately, we have very influence on what is happening or what will happen in the future:).
I’m now going to sit down and watch something. I’m not sure if it will be streaming, digital or something from my physical media collection. I also don’t care what format it is. I’m just happy I have to options to watch what I want;). Cheers!
I can understand the studios getting out of physical media but I don't understand why they would not outsource their catalog to a boutique brand. They make a little money for basically doing nothing. The problem with streaming is that I do not want to have to manage or pay for a bunch of subscriptions to see the movies I want to see. I don't even want the hassle of start/stopping a subscription for a couple of movies. I have Netflix, Viki and Prime (just because of the free next day shipping). Physical media gives me the ability to own just the movies I want and I don't have to worry about a streamer dropping the movie sometime in the future. Physical media also gives me the chance the see the old movies from 20, 30 and 40's which are really hard to find on streamers.
Sure. Go ahead and stream. Can you be sure you are seeing an unedited version? Even if they clam it is complete, they could be lying. Remember a few years ago when l was a Cinemax subscriber, and was noticing that they were editing scenes out of movies, l called to complain and was told "oh, yes we edit movies all the time." Class action lawsuit, anyone?
Streaming is like the radio. The radio never tried to replace albums. It serves a purpose, plays edited material, and has lots of interruptions, but it still serves a purpose. You get to try something for almost nothing. If you like it, cool, you can find that thing somehwere else. If you don't, you turn it off.
@@CerealAtMidnight as someone who says you hate censorship of any kind you are missing the point. I made the same point. Unless you have a physical disc of French Connection, you aren’t watching the original version ever again.
The French Connection was restored shortly after we made a fuss about it.
@@CerealAtMidnight point taken but it’s not the only example. If only people didn’t find themselves perpetually offended by things then the censorship issue wouldn’t be an issue at all and we could just worry about bitrates 🤷🏻♂️
I'm not sure about Disney Plus but in prime, nightmare before Christmas opening song at very beginning you can't hear the leaves fluttering across the screen, but in the 4k you do get the sound effects of the leaves. Just makes you wonder what else you're missing in digital copies of movies.
I watch movies in all the possible ways I can; paid streaming services, Blu-ray, digital rentals, uploads on UA-cam, Tubi, etc… anything. Would I like to have things I love on 4K/Bluray? Absolutely, but at the same time I’m not going crazy worrying about it.
There's plenty of money to be made in 4k discs. They're not going anywhere. If they're still making 8 tracks for Nancy Sinatra, they'll keep releasing discs of most films.
One important aspect of physical media's existence that isn't really spoken about pertains to older films. The prospect of profits (even the smaller levels these days) often leads to film restorations. Outside of a couple of non-profits and the Library of Congress, it wouldn't really be happening very much otherwise.
So, we have reached 4k standards only to go backward in quality with streaming? Another thing is that Disney just released 'Cinderella' and 'Snow White' on 4k last year, I would think that they are going to continue with their animated classics on 4k at least. I can't imagine that they will only do two films and then stop, these are beloved classics.
The only type of media in which I've adapted to digital only are video games. Because the games are often released incomplete or need patches, and the digital versions load faster, there's little point in owning them physically unless they are retro games.
For movies, music and books, I don't think I'll ever be able to adapt to a digital only world. I could probably adapt to digital only movies if there was parity between the physical and digital worlds. I would expect the same quality and all extras when purchasing movies digitally.
I still have The 13th Warrior on DVD - there's no blu ray in the UK.
Well, if it helps, today's mail included a book by Tim Lucas on the film Spirits of the Dead, Batman script book and two Euro-horror DVDs from the Full Moon sale. I'm just going keep the support going as I can. Cheers!
I will always prefer physical copies over digital.
I had no idea Disney Movie Club was closing, I just ordered ten exclusive Blu-ray’s that I’ve been procrastinating on. Now I’m just a couple movies away from owning all Disney animated films on Blu-ray
look at your wall. look at my wall. everyone I know is obsessed with Vinegar Syndrome, Blue Underground, Arrow, Criterion, Synapse etc. etc. Physical media is not in decline. A lot of weirdos are crying over Best Buy and Walmart and who cares.... what do you buy there? Forest Gump or Titanic??? Boutique labels are taking over. Anything worth releasing will be released.... I liked your video but I barely agree with half of it.
What do i know I'm surely no expert. But I hear these prices r rising on streaming and people are simply not happy with the CONSTANTLY rising prices of streaming?
Streaming isn't making any money for most studios, but it is giving people an easy and cheap access to mountains of movies.
Ownership is important too.
For the stuff we really love, yes. But some of us won't watch anything they don't own, which is a recipe for bankruptcy and unhappiness. This obsession with owning everything that touches our eyeballs is madness. It wouldn't be so bad if these people weren't gatekeeping every conversation about movies I try to have.
I think if Sony puts love into the Disney releases with special features and cool packaging, they will sell well. But we shall see how its handled.
Also, I think there is a fear of digital because it gives corporations more control (pricing, film selection, editing history) and they don't seem interested in even pretending they care about the fans anymore. Although as mentioned in other comments, pirating solves a lot of these problems.
Another personal worry, if the streaming model overtakes the theatrical model it may effect movies from a developmental level. Leaving us with films that have that straight to streaming quality. Im sure we'll get good stuff, but I i dont want 100% of movies to be reduced to "content." Although you could argue that may already be happening anyways.
There's nothing wrong with digital if its archiving the discs you own and self hosting.
Is cool to see a huge physical media collector like you (and with a lot of knowledge of films) that acknowledges the fast decline of physical media that is happening right now
I have tried to tell a lot of people, about all rumours that suggest xbox is gonna stop physical game releases soon.
And everybody says it doesn't matter, that videogames and movies are not related.
Wait for the pressing plant that manufactures both movies and xbox games, to lose the production and revenue of xbox physical releases, and the prices of physical movies will skyrocket.
But physical media fans don't believe it.
I knew it was in decline, but it's picked up so much speed in the last few months, it's making my head spin. I hate it. I hate where we're headed. I hate what technology has done to us. But at the same time, I'm gonna watch my movies and try to be happy.
None of today's news makes me think anything will significantly change with regard to our getting access to Disney's back catalogs on physical media. New titles and crown jewels, sure, but I don't see the Fox archive suddenly being mined.
Neither do I.
Disney signed a deal with Mill Creek last year. This deal was for selected back catalogue titles from the vaults of a few Disney owned companies. Will Mill Creek up their game and release 2K and 4K transfers. Mill Creek's back history is ropey to say the least.
I'm searching for an my 3.5 floppy disk that has a Nintendo emulator on it with a hacked copy off Final Fantasy 1 where the characters look like FF2 characters. I still have a removeable 3.5 disk drive.
I stand with you Heath 🙏🏻
I agree Totally that it is about the movie. The special features are cool but there wasn't such a thing when we were kids. You watched the movies you loved regardless of how, just like you said. There was many a VHS recorded off of Cable or the TV passed around amongst friends & family. I have some 4K's, a fair amount of Blu-rays & a lot of DVD's. I recently found myself cleaning up 2 old VCR's I had around & have been buying movies I used to enjoy but on VHS. They are cheap & amazingly they still look good. I watch them on a 32" Sony flat panel TV & there is absolutely nothing wrong with the quality. No it isn't DVD quality but it is still very enjoyable & I find them as cheap as 30 cents a piece. The best part of doing this is we have an old tube TV & VCR at my job & it has made so many people stop & smile when they see it playing. Everyone stops & talks about a memory they have from when they were younger. I think that is part of what is great about movies. It isn't just about how they make you feel but how they bond you to other people. I like hearing you talk about going to being more about the movie than the format because that is where the magic is. Thanks Heath, Keep being you man, your awesome & your excitement is contagious!!
Sony taking over Disney physical distribution should be good news, theyre one of the big movie corps that at least care about the format.
At this point in my life, I have as many, if not more, years behind me than I do ahead of me. The sheer volume of physical media output ALREADY produced far outweighs the time I have left to enjoying them in good health.
I think the ownership aspect is going to gain some attention over the next 5 to 10 years, no matter the format, even if it is just a hard drive to work outside of a service.
great video! But lets discuss further the most important part of it...Why are we not getting an upgraded release of 13th Warrior!!! Seriously it is a fantastic movie, terrible underrated. Its on my top 5 movies of all time and i watch it religiously once a year, some parts I re-watch them here and there multiple times (“Lo, there do I see my father. Lo, there do I see my mother, and my sisters, and my brothers...LOL) I got my DVD copy a few years back but think a 2k or 4k is needed :)
The scene at the end where the Viking gives that speech in the rain..."lo I see my father" etc is one of the all-time greats!
It’s not really about sales, it’s about pushing subscriptions to Disney + and other Streaming Services.
Digital is not the substitute people think it is. Not that many titles in a decent collection are on streaming, the focus is on recent filler titles. Now Bob Iger announced he is raising prices and deleting titles for Disney +
Streaming is a separate market that replaces rental subscription casual viewing markets. Physical media is a separate marketplace albeit smaller than the casual viewer mainstream.
Can you elaborate on why you think "digital is not the substitute people think it is?" I feel that's directed straight at me, and I'd like to talk more with you about it.
I wrote a long reply that disappeared (like a streaming title) about how streaming services are deleting titles and raising prices while focusing on bland mainstream content to the exclusion of older content. Also how they degrade the experience with nonsense like a big white “skip credits” icon… I tried watching the original Star Trek on Paramount + and they only offer the CGI cuts and also cut off the credits completely. They deleted the first 6 movies too…
I don't know why your comment was deleted. Maybe it had profanity in it? I'm happy to have this conversation.
I'm not the biggest streaming fan (I prefer digital purchases), but shouldn't we recognize that for $10 or $12 a month, people can see movies they previously wouldn't have access to? Rental stores are dead, so if someone wants to watch Star Trek and can't afford to buy the entire series on Blu-ray, I don't see how that's a bad thing. Everyone has different finances and means. Seems to me we should want to see fandom grow. Streaming helps that happen.
No I don’t post profanity, it was a glitch. I got an error message from UA-cam. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be streaming. I’m saying that there is a separate market for physical media that streaming and digital doesn’t replace.
To be clear: NOTHING is as good as a disc. But the future is now, and discs are dying. They'll never go away completely, but the golden age we've been living in for the past few years is ending. I'm not going to stop watching movies or talking about movies here on the channel just because the disc market is in decline. That's what I'm saying in this video. I'll watch them however I can.
Relax and watch a nice movie . Many of us already own more discs than disney plus has content. Im looking at this as possible good news that will lead to the unlocking of the fox library. To something over due like Tombsone in 4k and something crazy like a blu ray of Mystery Alaska.
Love 13th Warrior. The book is a little different in parts but really enjoy it the movie too. I have the DVD and digital HD copy. Really want at least bluray copy also.
I got my email from Disney today. Gotta stock up on those live action 50s and 60s flicks before I can never get them.
Might be off. Topic might be on topic but as far as physical media I wish companies wouldn't release 20 versions of one product. I don't need a regular version than a regular version with the Blu-ray and then the 4K with the Blu-ray and then the 20th anniversary, then the 25th anniversary and then the 30th anniversary and then the oops we forgot to put this in the original version version.
I totally want the aliens to find my collection