No New Format

Originally Posted on January 14, 2008 Last Updated on February 20, 2008

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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Discussion

Ms. Wakame 14 Jan 2008

I’ve always believed this about DVDs. I used to have a massive collection of them and VHS, and I realised they were just sitting there gathering dust because I’d already watched them and didnt feel like watching again.

Music CDs, mixtapes and LPs I feel differently about because it truly is a wonderful archive to browse through and listen to over and over, feel and smell the inserts, lie back on the carpet with a good friend who cant think of a better way to spend the day than reminisce different triggered past memories together and spark new music loves… this is a part of my past I often think about and miss.

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nathan 14 Jan 2008

I completely agree with the concept of listening to music with friends in such a way, though I don’t know that I have much of an affinity to actually own the jewel case and book. Though it would be nice, and completely doable at barely any extra cost, if they’d include the album’s artwork (not just the cover, like iTunes does) when you download an entire album.

In the same vein, I wish they’d include the lyrics to a song in the mp3 itself, as there’s a field for it in the ID3 tags.

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shawn 14 Jan 2008

there are higher definition tv’s coming out soon.. i think its funny…

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