The MBAs whose sole purpose on earth it is to inflate margins over and over and over again
Comment on DVDs are dying right as streaming has made them appealing again
db2@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It’s sensible for businesses to shift from physical media sales.
Sensible to who?
circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org 2 months ago
maccentric@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
*whom
😝
Arbiter@lemmy.world 2 months ago
For the businesses.
jqubed@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yes, the costs to actually make and distribute a physical disc are relatively low on a unit basis, but the cost of distributing a digital copy online make physical media look astronomical.
Arbiter@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Even outside of cost, the level of control they can exert is vastly higher than any physical media.
Being able to prevent someone from reselling the movie or game they bought is very appealing to rights holders.
OfficerBribe@lemm.ee 2 months ago
And customers. Almost everyone prefers to consume media in a simple way and that is streaming. Almost no one will go back to physical media. If streaming becomes absolutely unbearable, people would turn to digital downloads.
Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 2 months ago
sensible for businesses
Says so right in your quote
Blackmist@feddit.uk 2 months ago
Physical is practically dead.
One by one I’ve seen pretty much any shop that specialises in physical media go bust. Virgin Megastores, HMV, Blockbuster, Game. The media section in my local supermarkets have gone from several aisles of games and movies, down to a single rack of recent releases. Even in gaming, I’ve had my disc PS5 for two years now, and the only thing I’ve put in it was Top Gun on 4K disc. The other games (BG3, Talos Principle 2) I purchased weren’t even available on disc.
Consumers don’t want it in large numbers, so they stop making it.
prole@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I’ve had my disc PS5 for two years now, and the only thing I’ve put in it was Top Gun on 4K disc
You are really missing out then, because if you know where to look (like psprices.com) you will often find sales on only physical copies at Amazon, Best Buy or GameStop.
I’m talking like significant sales. Like AAA games less than a year old (that still costs $60 on PSN) for $15.99 kind of sales.
Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Really? Because used media stores are booming all over the place. Stores that sell new and used records alongside CDs, Movies, and video games seem to be in every mid size town I pass through.
Blackmist@feddit.uk 2 months ago
The smaller towns like mine feel the effects first. It’ll trickle up.
Game went that way, eventually being taken over by the used section, and now all we have left locally is CEX, which is used only. Most of the prices are about the same as buying new from Amazon. Anything really cheap is often the same stuff in subscription services.
Game still exists, but it’s tucked away at the back of Sports Direct shops in out of town shopping centres, and their main products appear to be plushies and funko pops.
It is dying, and I’m not convinced it can be saved at this point. Who has a CD player any more? DVD players have gone from a £30 box that everyone had to something stuffed in the attic and the apps are built into the TV. A 4K BR player is still £150+ even for a cheap one. You don’t even get Dolby Vision at that price point. I don’t expect the next generation of consoles to have disc drives at all.
Physical media is on life support, and it won’t be long before they pull the plug completely.
Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 2 months ago
The nice thing is that there are millions of discs and players still out there. For anyone who prefers physical media and avoids streaming (this guy!) there is no shortage. Prices could stand to come down. But even if they do quit making them, there are lifetimes worth of vintage media, and newer isn’t always better.
conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
For all the reality of “streaming rights are a shitshow”, what percentage of the population do you think is willing to buy physical movies?
Because I don’t think it’s all that high.
dan@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Someone go make Steam for videos and I’ll pay for media again. My stipulations are:
catloaf@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Steam isn’t DRM free, though. Most games use Steamworks DRM.
explore_broaden@midwest.social 2 months ago
Yeah I don’t think DRM-free is really a requirement for most people.
Tywele@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Steamworks DRM is not a requirement though.
dan@lemm.ee 2 months ago
I know, I modified it to make more sense for video.
SGG@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Companies see that as a mistake. They want you on a subscription for life that they can arbitrarily change at any time.
Profits not increasing enough for this quarter? Better cut content, increase prices, increase the number of ads.
Profits increased amazingly this quarter? Better cut content, increase prices, increase the number of ads.
Profits down? Better cut content, increase prices, increase the number of ads, and start adding extra paywalls to some content
They want you to own nothing. Oh you unsubscribed? Sorry even the content you paid extra to unlock was only available while your subscription continued, you will need to start your subscription again and then pay to unlock the content again.
A show isn’t popular enough? Better write it off, pull it from all distribution so you can claim it as a tax write off
sturmblast@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yarrrrrrrr
Blackmist@feddit.uk 2 months ago
I wouldn’t even mind the subscription if all the content was there reliably, and I only needed one.
I subscribe to a music service, because all the music is there and it’s easier than swiping it.
If I had to subscribe to four different ones to get access to all the artists I listen to, then I’d still be pirating that.
Stovetop@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Steam satisfies only your third point, though. Otherwise, no. You don’t actually own your Steam library, Steam itself is DRM, and it doesn’t have everything.
dan@lemm.ee 2 months ago
I know. I changed the terms. Pray I don’t change them further.
btaf45@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I was pissed when suddenly I could no longer play any of my purchased steam games on my Windows 7 desktop that had all worked perfectly before. Eventually all your steam games are going to be unplayable on your current OS, and any game that is no longer profitable to support on the latest OS will be permanently unplayable. That’s why I always prefer to buy games on GOG over steam. When you buy a game on GOG you really do own the game forever.
mrvictory1@lemmy.world 2 months ago
FYI Steam had videos a few years ago, new purchases are discontinued but one can still playback their existing library.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I honestly don’t mind copy protections, I just don’t like online DRM. If the service is good enough, I’ll look past that particular portion.
dan@lemm.ee 2 months ago
I won’t. “Copy protection” is much more about restricting and potentially even removing your access to something you’ve paid for than it is about preventing copying. I am not willing to buy something that can be revoked when alternatives are available.
Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 2 months ago
DRM = copy protection
sturmblast@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yeah, this is basically what we need.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I buy physical dvds. Sometimes I’m all that high when I buy them.