Macworld Forums: The digital video distribution dance - Macworld Forums

Post your comments for The digital video distribution dance here

I think all of the iTunes digital copies do the download thing - at least, that's what happened with my copy of Juno. I was a little surprised that they would set it up to download from iTunes instead of include the copy of it on the disk (esp. since it took up a fair bit of bandwidth), but maybe it has to do with the copy protection scheme.

Regardless, the digital copy thing is a really cool addition, as it helps fill the gaps between the DVD and my laptop/iPod. I would love to see more movies with the feature. I know I can copy (most) movies with Handbrake, but the time involved (longer than the movie itself on my 2.33 GH MacBook Pro with 2 GB RAM) makes that an inconvenient solution. I know I could just buy the move on iTunes, but that locks me into Apple's copy protection scheme in a way that ordinary DVDs don't.

Just compete in an open and free market already (says the liberal). DVDs and downloads have their respective merits (DVDs with digital copies (as though the MPEGs on DVDs aren't digital) have the best of both worlds). It's like fast food restaurants complaining that you can buy Coke at supermarkets.
Here's a thought, don't ask the studios to advertise for you, tell them to put "digital copies" on all discs. Then print/air your own damned ads. I've never seen an ad promoting an iTunes offering that didn't come from Apple (well, maybe at the very end of a TV show, but who's still watching?). Why should the studios advertise for the stores? They should promote the movie and let the store drum up its own business.

"It’s rumored that Toshiba will release a super up-converting DVD player by the end of the year that will make existing DVDs look as good as Blu-Ray."
Not likely. There are already up-converting players, some of them very good, but you can't make genuine HD out of what's on a video DVD. The data just isn't there.

Genuine HD or not, if the vast majority of viewers can't tell the difference, how less appealing does replacing your DVD library with Blu-Ray become?

I'm not sure the majority would be so vast, if people saw real HD properly presented. Be that as it may, for the slim minority who can see the difference, saying "making existing DVDs look as good as Blu-Ray" is simply not true. The difference is marked, even though I watch the 1080p discs on a 720p display, and I have two very good machines for upscaling DVD to 720p.


And whether or not I want to replace my library doesn't affect the truth of that statement. Truth is, I buy very few Blu-Ray discs, but even fewer DVDs now. Only titles I must own. And I do enjoy renting from the limited selection of HD on my AppleTV.

If the Toshiba rumor is true, we'll both have to see what they come up with before we can judge just how acceptable the quality is. If it turns out, to the general public, to be like the difference between AIFF and the AAC audio files Apple sells, it could make Blu-Ray a tougher sell.

Am I the only one who sees Toshiba's strategies as FUD reminiscent of Microsoft tactics? So they cave and admit defeat in the BlueRay/HD battle and then turn around and promise a new miracle solution to be released "sometime in the future that will make your discs look just as good as BlueRay". In the meantime, the public holds off on buying BlueRay discs until they see what this miracle format offers. Sales of BlueRay tank without Toshiba lifting a finger. Considering how Toshiba collaborated with Microsoft to develop HD, it would surprise me that they picked up a few "business practices" from their partner. Who knows, Microsoft could even be behind it. (conspiracy, I know)