Poll: Be honest with yourself, are you still happy with DVD?
By Ryan Block 
posted Feb 6th 2008 9:57PM
posted Feb 6th 2008 9:57PM
According to a recent NPD Group study, apparently seven out of ten HDTV owners don't see the need to go Blu-ray or HD DVD, because, well, DVD suits their needs well enough. We've yet to dig up the original report, but the point still begs the question -- and be honest with yourself now, this is an anonymous poll, after all -- are you still happy enough with the humble DVD?[Thanks, Sean]
It would be "A Daily Show" now...
LOL. +1
This is what my TV is for. you mean people use it for other things?
The Daily Show is lies, trash talk, propaganda, with reality or truth twisted to meet a certan agenda. Not worth watching.
No, the Daily Show airs on Comedy Central. You're thinking of Fox News. They're both pretty funny, so I'll forgive you for the mistake.
:P
I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY: Although I agree, I feel for you, as you are going to get negatively ranked. You forget that the show's demographic (12-25 year old men, sometimes older when lacking education) overlaps some of the readers on this site.
I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY: Although I agree, I feel for you, as you are going to get negatively ranked. You forget that the show's demographic (12-25 year old men, sometimes older when lacking education) overlaps some of the readers on this site.
@ Andrew: I'm sure you've seen thins:
"a recent study by the University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg Election Survey [...] said young viewers of "The Daily Show" were more likely to answer questions about politics correctly than those who don't."
"Viewers of Jon Stewart's show are more likely to have completed four years of college than people who watch "The O'Reilly Factor," according to Nielsen Media Research."
- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6117722/
@ "I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY" - It's political satire. It's probably the LEAST guilty of "lies, trash talk, and propaganda" because it never purported to be factual news. It's on Comedy Central for crap's sake.
I was NEVER EVER happy with it. It was so little above CD that i just felt robbed when i got 1000$ DVD burner.
Jeff. I love you.
Jeff, there are problems with your statistics.
First off, watching any show that discusses current event and politics is going to give you a better grasp of what is going in comparison to the average citizen because the average Joe doesn't watch the news, read the newspaper, etc.
Secondly, of course the younger demographic of the Daily Show is more likely to have a 4 year degree. Going to college these days is expected... it is the norm. 20-40 years ago it was simply not an option for most people. Baby-boomers and older (who are going to be the ones watching general news programming) are far less likely to have a college degree regardless of what channel/program they watch. Its more about a change in our society and education system than it is intelligence levels choosing certain programs.
I find the difference between DVD and Blu Ray to be quite stunning and noticeable. Once the Profile 2.0 players come out, I will get one. While I'll not worry about converting ALL of my DVD collection to Blu Ray, anything going forward will definitely be Blu, if available.
You know, not only that, but I feel like people aren't realizing that the prices of Blu-ray are going to drop. Fast. Currently, Blu-ray discs carry about a 20-50% price premium over DVD with expensive players being the main barrier to entry.
All I'm really saying is, if you gotta spend $20 to get a DVD, why not spend a couple extra dollars to get it in HD since you spent so much on that HDTV. So, the problem is getting the Blu-ray players in peoples' households? I think I hear a slimmed down $300 PS3 coming this holiday season...
Will Blu-Ray continue to drop in price? With the death of HD-DVD, what will drive Sony to lower the cost of components?
After paying Sony $300 for a DVD player a decade ago, I'm waiting until the prices on Blu-Ray to sink to $100.
1) Blu-Ray prices SHOULD drop, but will they? Am I the only one who remembers spending $8-10 on a cassette tape but when CDs came out they were $12-15 "because it's better and new technology". What happened? People got used to spending $12-15, so the prices never came down. I expect to see Blu-Ray prices to drop a LITTLE but not much. If they do drop more it will be because of #2
2) The movie studios would LOVE everyone to drop DVD and move to HD/Blu-Ray, since it has tougher encryption. Going to be a lot harder getting YOUR movies to play on YOUR devices unless you want to buy a Blu-ray AND then another copy that will play on your other equipment.
Make no mistake, if they could charge you full price for every copy, they would (compare the # of DVDs that used to come with both full-screen and wide-screen in the same package). I expect we'll see some doing like Fox has done with putting a "digital copy" in there, but it will be locked down (i.e. the Harry Potter DVD has a digital copy that only works on Windows devices).
Bluray looks amazing. There are a few HD channels that come close, but most don't even compare. And HD-DVD will probably fall soon. That being said, Bluray can be annoying. Every now and then (up to 5 or 6 times during a 2 hour movie) the audio will pause or pop, then come back out of sych with the video. You can get it back by rewinding to before the initial flub, then pressing play, but it's pretty irritating to have to sit remote-in-hand watching a movie you just paid $30 for on a player you just paid $300 for. Is this caused by the excessive encryption? I mean comon, how many of us bother to rip DVD's, let alone 50GB bluray discs. It's not even worth the hassle for 98% of the public. How big is your hard drive? I've got 750GB of space, and I still don't have enough to be stealin all the movies netflix is sendin my way. Nor could I fit even half of my DVD collection on there. Take a deep breath hollywood, you'll be in business a while methinks....
Using a standard definition TV to watch the Daily Show is a poor life decision, let alone using an HDTV to watch that fud.
the daily show would actually look worse on an HDTV. it would be stretched and bad-looking since there is no comedy central HD
FUD?
Good god man, it's a comedy show! It's satire!
If you're taking it seriously you're doing something wrong.
Austin:
Thank you, captain obvious. That was the point of my comment.
Das:
It's satire?
But really, I suppose I used fud in the wrong context. I should have used crap. Jon Stewart just doesn't seem funny to me. Has he ever done a bit without laughing?
I definitely prefer Colbert Report.
There is more truth in 22 minutes of DS, than there is in 24 hours of "news" on Fox.
Not true. I'd bet the 12 hours per day they cover Britney Spears is true.
"Jon Stewart just doesn't seem funny to me. Has he ever done a bit without laughing?"
Jon Stewart is more in love with himself than Tyra Banks. The only person who loves themself more than those two is Colbert. I hate those shitty interviews he does where he basically acts like an immature jackass to everyone he has on the show.
Colbert over Stewart??? How could you... I suppose it's a difference in sense of humor, but I prefer Stewart's satire versus Colbert's jokes that are akin to Family Guy. Albeit I love both of them, don't get me wrong, just that Stewart wins in my book on all levels (I don't care that he laughs at his own jokes).
For those of you laughing at Colbert, just remember that I'll be the one laughing at you when the bears attack and you are unprepared.
One of the main appeals of A Daily Show is the complete lack of an ego on the part of Stewart (and behind his character I am sure Colbert has a similar opinion of himself). They don't take what they are doing nearly as seriously as those of us who love them. That is why they succeed.
alot of people read this site.
the number of people that voted went up really fast.
Most of the media I consume is in the form of downloadable content and streaming video and I only got an HDTV for my 360 anyway so I don't even care about the format war. Seems like an enormous amount of money to pay for something I'd hardly ever use.
Agreed. Only way I could get a 360 was to convince my better half that her soap operas would look better on a nice 42" HD TV. As to high def content I just download it and stream it through the 360.
Remember, digital downloads have zero resale value and you waive a lot of fair use rights. Oh yeah, the "HD" downloads right now look like crap. I'm sticking with DVD and Blu-ray.
My HD downloads (and I'm not talking from some subscription service) allow me a lot more "fair use" than anything the MPAA can come up with, or even anything they came up with for DVDs. I can play HD in Linux or any other OS. I can play HD without worrying about DRM overhead or intentional signal crippling because some mutilated driver doesn't like my monitor. I can transfer it to any number of backup devices without wondering if some restrictive copy protection scheme is going to stop me.
In short, you are treated more like a criminal if you purchase the movie than you are if you download it. I'll buy a Sony or Microsoft player when I can do what I want with the movie I purchased. If that means waiting five years for the hackers to develop some clever way to get around the various modes of control, so be it.
So, where are you getting these DRM-free HD downloads from? --INSERT SARCASM HERE-- :)
When was the last time you resold your video collection? How much did you get per disc?
"So, where are you getting these DRM-free HD downloads from?"
The interweb of course.
Sheesh.
Why, directly from MGM, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Universal, and Columbia's websites, of course! They finally discarded their antiquated notions of movie distribution and embraced the glory that is internets.
--HANDS BACK SARCASM.-- (Sorry, it's slightly used.)
@fhyageu: A few years ago I was short of cash, I found a used record store in Phoenix that paid me $6 each for most popular titles. It was either $6, or they didn't want them at all.
I can sell my used DVDs for anywhere between $2 and $10 each depending on the title. Your digital downloads (legal, of course) don't have any value and don't look anywhere near as good as physical media.
Downloading movies and tv shows illegally doesn't count as part of this discussion.
Please tell me where you are selling DVDs for that much money. They are practically worthless once you buy them. And $30 for BD movies is completely insane. How many times do you watch a movie? I much prefer the digital rental scheme for $5 a pop.
Blockbuster and MovieStop. I get $10-12 for HD DVD and Blu-ray discs.
Blu-ray discs aren't always $30. I love MovieStop since they have used Blu-ray discs from $14.99. Oh, and there's this thing called eBay, too. :)
I like buying movies because I can watch them any time I want, lend them to friends and family, or resell them if I choose.
Cheap digital rentals are another matter, though you are still trading quality for convenience. If you are the type of person who only watches a movie once, digital rentals are a great idea. I just wish the quality was better.
Whats humble about DVD? Its a great format!
Agreed. Actually, the main reason I don't regret buying an HD-DVD player is that it's been the best upconverting DVD player I've ever owned.
I've never understood this upconverting nonsense. How is this player going to make my DVD disc (which doesn't change) any better?
Mike - Good upscalers use better algorithms to enlarge the image. It's similar to choosing the best method for the particular image you're working on when you need to make something bigger in Photoshop. I've never seen the algorithms they use, but I like to think that they're very complicated! Obviously, they can't create new information from nothing, but they can do a better job at resizing it than most built-in scalers.
It's the same kind of technology that's in play when you enlarge the window or fullscreen a movie file on your computer.
The graphics card is filtering the image to prevent as much aliasing and artefacts as possible, and there will always be some!
Enlarge an image in MS Paint and then do it in Photoshop, filtering makes a huge difference :)
Don't have the category I would vote in: DVD was good, Blu-ray/HD-DVD is better.
I've got a Blu-ray player now, and will buy Blu-ray over DVD, but I'll still be happy watching the hundreds of DVDs I've collected over the years. I will only re-buy on Blu in exceptional circumstances (ie. Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc.)
I've yet to feel the need to buy an overpriced player and media when DVD and upconverting looks just fine to me.
I think that standard DVD plus a nice upconverting player looks perfectly respectable on my HDTV. That being said, if my player ever dies, I'll likely buy blu-ray.
http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/02/27/1080i-vs-480p-hdtv-smackdown-on-lord-of-the-rings/
NO COMPARISON
Great link. Yeah, DVD is acceptable with a good upconverting player, but hi-def video (I'm doing the Blu Ray thing) is like putting on glasses after years of living with hazy vision. Details like blades of grass in landscapes, the iridescent patterns in the irises of people's eyes, folds in fabric, wisps of hair... there's no comparing DVD and HD/Blu when it comes to those minutia, and they DO contribute to a convincing sense of "being there".
To me personally, while the increase in quality when watching BR or HD is noticeable, it doesn't increase my enjoyment of the movie significantly. And even after watching BR/HD it's not like watching regular DVD makes me wanna say "what a crap quality". So while my next DVD player will be HD or BR (the latter seems more likely now) I'm not in a rush to get it.
You know what I would like to see when it comes to DVD movies - normal menus with good response time. Where do these menus' designers get off on making menus that half the time you can't tell which item you selected or not, it takes 2 seconds for it to respond to a selection and those stupid footage loops in the background - don't get me started on those! Is it really too much to ask to make a decent loop that doesn't skip when comes to the end?!?
The menu systems for dvd's seem to be all the same. With the only abillities to display video, images, and play sound. With choices being a gif like display.
I believe (dont quote me on this) that BR and HDDVD both have menu systems setup so that the menu designers can actually program it like a video game.
I loved DVD over VHS for alot of reasons - better picture, chapters, clean pauses, bonus content, etc. HD formats have better picture, but dont really increase convenience in any way. So I think I'm sticking with DVD for now. HD seems just marginally better.
Like many said before, if you sit 3 feet from HDTV - then difference is really stunning. If you sit on your sofa 15 feet away - they difference between SD (DVD) and HD (BR, HD DVD) is really marginal.
Nevertheless, HD is here and it is to stay. DVD is bit outdated by now. Whatever comes next years - and costs $100 - would be better than DVD now.
I would ahve liked to see an option something like "DVD has been great, but I only buy Blu-Ray (or HDVD) now" without the snotty 'are you serious' comment and without the inclusion of the make believe HD downloads.
Dude, you take life WAY too seriously.
Um, OK. I just meant that there's a segment that prefers HD media that A) are not snobs and B) are not 'HD' download enthusiasts.
youre still taking life to seriously
Problem with HD-DVD and Blu-Ray is what others like about it - it requires an expensive HDTV to enjoy. Even without the format war, financially speaking I am just not up to the $1000+ investment (TV, players, surround sound, discs, etc) to enjoy the format. My current setup has done me well and just no rush to re-invest in replacing all that equipment.
But, all those people who have HDTVs want something to watch in HD now. Go into a store and look at all the HDTVs the sell, then count the number of tube TVs left. Even Wal-Mart sells HDTVs.
HDTVs are the next TVs, and Blu-Ray is the next disc.
The next TV you buy will be an HDTV... so what is the issue?
So what's wrong with VHS?
I remember having to prove to a friend that there is a substantial difference between VHS and DVD quality. He was in complete denial and said he couldn't tell the difference at all. We pulled out Star Wars IV and played the same scenes from both until he grudgingly admitted there was a very noticeable difference. Good old times...
(and yes I know you're being sarcastic, just reminded me of this instance)
my only memories of the vcr -> dvd transition is that i used to easily be able to buy some BASF tapes and record 2-6 hours of whatever i wanted to record to my hearts desire by pushing one button, and that when dvd spread i couldn't record period for a few years and that when i finally got a dvd that could record i had to push 3 or 4 buttons, and finish/finalize the disk for 10 minutes.
inventions don't always signify progress...
the ford model t was designed so that nearly all maintenence could be handled by the owner. nowadays, new hybrid vehicles and that like can't even be repaired by auto mechanics or shops, only the dealers.
-Um - I prefer DVD as the source to get it into a digital form I can load up into my mac and thus my Apple TV, iPods, and iPhone - so for me digital files is all that I use DVDs go into storage shortly after purchase ! :)
Wouldn't this poll be slightly biased, being that this is a technology blog, the average visitor is probably slightly more tech savvy, and more aware of new technologies, meaning most would be interested in upgrading to High def dvds? Just my two cents...
Engadget, you crazy tech blog with your silly polls regarding technology issues, you.
The poll will be 'slightly' biased by the silly joking options and the many (if not all) people clicking random or the funniest or most unlikely option too.
That's still just as scientific as most polls you hear mention on the news though.. sadly.
I need a winner first, but for now, DVD is fine.
Did you just wake from a coma?
The quality of dvd's is dropping dropping dramatically.
After finally getting an HD TV, only now am I seeing true DVD. It'll be awhile before I feel the need to upgrade again.
there should be another vote only for people that have HDTVs.
personally i dont watch anything thats not in HD. Only things i can think of are UFC ppv events that i torrent. all other torrents are HD. Most HD movie torrents are around 4 gigs for 720p; thats half the size of a dvd right there(of course you can compress DVDs to very little without much loss as well. With my HTCP(with a blu-ray/hd-dvd combo drive), netflix, and HD torrents im spoiled with HD
PS3 + Xbox 360 HD DVD player = I win. (although I still am waiting for my 5 free HD DVDs)
I'll agree with you on that but I'm still waiting for Comedy Central and G4 HD.
This poll sucks.
I, for one, am not going to ever fully convert to BD. I'm still buying DVD alongside BD. The PS3 is a great DVD upconverter and, while upconverted DVDs will never match HD, it's a hell of a lot better than SD on an HDTV.
Let's be honest: Some things will never look all that great in HD because the source material just doesn't exist. DVD will be around for a while to come.
So I think DVD will be around for a while, even with those of us who have chosen a side on the format war and are actively buying content on our chosen side. That's not a bad thing.
i only recently switced from aXXo/fxg rips 1/3 dvd res to NewArtRiot rips at full dvd resolution. it will be a while before i need 1080p.
I just switched from VHS to DVD 2 years ago. I think it still has quite a few years of life left.
Nope.
You need to buy new stuff right away.
The difference in clarity between VHS and DVD was more pronounced than the difference between a properly upconverted DVD and a full HD-spec disc like BR or HD-DVD. I'll buy my favorites in hi-def going forward but my DVD collection still looks and sounds good enough that I won't be re-purchasing much. When the eventual move to online delivery occurs I don't expect my hi-def collection to be anywhere near the size of my old DVD library.
I've had my HDTV for a year and a half and dvd is unwatchable for me on my HDTV after watching hd programming and blu ray. When I have to watch a dvd I watch them on the standard def tv in the other room.
Something's wrong with your set up.
I'm fine with my collection of 700MB torrents and Netflix 'watch it now'
Yeah, it doesn't look amazing on the 52" but it fits my price range.
I gotta admit, ever since I saw the demo of BD at the Sonystyle store here in Vegas, I was hooked. That was a good 6 months before the release of BD players. I love my DVD collection, but all I buy now is BD.
Wow. It's almost like, wait let me think, almost like... there's a different demographic between the public in general and Engadget readers.
Amazing.
wow almost 78 percent of people are fine with dvd's.
I grew up on DivX 3.11 and VHS Rips. I have seen bluray at circuit city and it is gorgeous ... on a $10,000 tv.
DVD will be just fine for the foreseeable future.
i hate how they lock in commercials and stuff, you used to be able to skip right to the menu, if im renting a movie; fine. but when i spend $25 on a dvd and have to wait 5 minutes to watch it... HULK MAD!! other then that, HD is still just a big hype word, give me a non HDCP HD format, and il look at upgrading.
Engadget, you missed one option: Gaming.
I don't see movies, I don't like the style of the modern movies (if they would just remake Back to the Future in HD and with bleeding-edge FX), and there's nothing really good to see on TV
I just got HDTV (or should I say "HD display"), and it's just for HD GAMING. No movies or TV here.
Yes I know, brain fart, sorry.... had to interrupt the process of viewing the thread to take a piss and missed the point of the poll when back at the computer :-P
I think I'm of the "I only use my TV for watching the daily show" kind of people
i won't buy another dvd but i'm happy with dvd-rips
Let's see - my current TV is about 10 years old, has one speaker, and is a CRT. It works just fine for everything it does. I don't really care about having a great home theater as most of what Hollywood produces is stuff that I wouldn't watch once if paid, let alone multiple times. That being said, why do I want to pay still more for some HD format for which there's no clear winner and when the content just won't look good on my screen?
Perhaps if I win the lottery and can justify buying a big screen HDTV and some HD player, I'll care a little more. Even better if this current format war is done by then.
Honestly, I'd rather have the HD format decided so I can burn data discs than watch movies at this point. If they start letting me put multiple DVD resolution discs on one movie, I'd consider it as well. Be great to load up a bunch of movies I want to watch onto one disc for portability. Even better if it were a road trip.
I exclusively buy my movies on Blu-ray or HD DVD. That isn't to say that DVD is bad, though; I think the "next-gen" formats could have waited a few years before being released and been fine. The jump to DVD from VHS was a no-brainer because everybody could see how much more superior the quality on the DVD was. However, the jump from DVD to HD is nowhere near as big, IMHO.
you're a fan of overated movies then .
After I buy a house, I'll probably get an HDTV and a HD-DVD or BD player(which ever wins). I've been holding off on buying any new movies until there is a clear winner. Whichever format does wins out, I may actually get a player before I get an HDTV; I'm not interested in buying a movie twice. I don't know how much of my collection I'll be repurchasing; perhaps only my big favorites and if there's a noticeable jump in quality over my original DVD copy. If BD is the clear winner, I hope there's an easy and consistent method to get rid of the encryption for archiving purposes. I'm not interested in sharing with the planet; just be able to keep the originals in a safe place and stream the copies on demand for my personal use. The DMCA can kiss my ass.
I think it's clear that Blu-Ray already won the format war. The choice that should have been in the poll is "DVD is fine until Blu-Ray gets a whole lot cheaper."
Since you didn't bother putting in a simple "Yes" option, I can't answer the poll. None of your options apply.
I'm still waiting for a format that CAN'T GET SCRATCHED?!@#
Seriously though.. it's 2008.. why are we still watching video on easily scratched plastic discs?
bleh.
How many people actually buy physical CDs or DVDs nowadays? I download 100% of my music via iTunes and this will soon be the case for video content as well.
The future is downloadable content. The Bluray vs. HD DVD battle is ultimately going to be an irrelevant one.
I buy all my music on CD, and the occasional DVD if I really love the film. I hate the idea of paying for something and getting nothing physical. I hate the idea that my purchase resides on a fragile magnetic spinning drive unless I go to the trouble of burning it to a disc. I've never purchased downloadable content. Also, I would wager that HDDVD/BluRay/DVD/etc and their successors will be around for a very long time to come. And I would win.
LONG LIVE DVD. Seriously... it's robust... the standards between + and - DVD formats were met with DVD +- players. Everyone has at least 1 burner in their house and at least 1 player... Everyone has a TV and 1 computer that plays DVD. All of the computers in the stores come with a DVD burner (unless you are the asus eee pc or the mac book air). Why upgrade?
Anything with interlacing is annoying