No New Format

The Blu-ray format reached prototype stage in October of 2000. It will, arguably, become the standard as of this year: 2008. So it took 8 years to develop the latest prevailing disc format. Remember that DVDs only came to market as of 1995. So five years after VHS was beginning to be replaced, it’s replacement was being replaced.

One can’t help but wonder how much of this is upgrading technology for the good of the consumer vs. simply inventing new markets for consumers. You should believe that as soon as you upgrade your Star Wars: The Complete Digitally Remastered Director’s Cut Boxed Set they’ll come out with yet another format. Expect that one in 2013, one year after the Mayan’s predicted the end of the world, mind you.

I say no new format. No new disc format, anyway. America and the rest of the Western World is largely giving up on CDs, favoring digital music instead. Let’s do the same for video. There’s no reason to own media at all, actually. Just stream it at all times, from whatever device. If manufacturers and studios really wanted to upgrade technology for the good of the consumer, that is the direction they would head.

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