5 ms·

Do they just watch on DVD resolution to select special effect winner? 1080p resolution and Blu ray has been with us for 15 years and they are still on DVD?

dylan604 5y ago
> they are still on DVD? The SD resolution of the DVD screener is part of the security. It's not dissimilar to changing the port of SSH. It's just one more thing to make the time less desirable to copy. After all, who wants to pirate/share/download/watch a crappy SD video?
deergomoo 5y ago
I find it insane that DVDs are still so widely produced. Who cares enough about movies that they want a physical copy, but not enough that watching standard def video blown up to 1080 or 4K is fine? That Venn diagram must overlap far more than I think it does.
- maxerickson 5y ago
  It can be the other way around, where people using DVDs don't have fast Internet or don't realize how convenient video on demand has become.
  - dylan604 5y ago
    There's also a lot more content released and available on DVD than is available on streaming platforms. To expand, there is also tons more content only available on VHS than other formats. Straight-to-video was all the rage in the 80s/90s. Mind, that it's not necessarily good content.
- classichasclass 5y ago
  I'll throw in a data point here: I dislike streaming services on general principles (I have HBO Max, but it came with my AT&T plan) and I'll pick DVD if there's a substantial cost difference on a movie I'm not sure about. Likewise, I'll gravitate to BD/DVD combo packs for movies I do want to see because pretty much anything plays DVDs nowadays and I might want to watch it on the road. Also, upscalers matter. To my nearly half-century eyes Sony upscalers aren't too bad. No one is claiming they're in any respect hi-def, but they're also hardly a miserable experience. Craptastic upscalers, on the other hand, are craptastic, sometimes from major brands who cheaped out.
  - Aaargh20318 5y ago
    > pretty much anything plays DVDs nowadays Like what ? I don’t think I own a single device capable of playing back plastic discs in any format. This was maybe true 15 years ago, but not today.
    - classichasclass 5y ago
      Then you obviously aren't the market that buys any physical disc. But if you have an optical drive bought anytime in the last 15 years, to use your number, odds are just about certain you can play a DVD in it.
      - Aaargh20318 5y ago
        The point is that practically nothing comes with optical drives anymore. I think game consoles are the last holdout, and even there we’re finally seeing versions free from this antiquated technology.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - LeoPanthera 5y ago
      You know they still make DVD players, right? Sony will sell you one for a whole 40 bucks: https://www.amazon.com/Sony-DVPSR510H-Player-HDMI-Upscaling/dp/B007F9XHAY/ https://www.amazon.com/Sony-DVPSR510H-Player-HDMI-Upscaling/... And blu-ray players are under $100 now. Physical media still has a lot going for it. High bitrate video which cannot be taken away from you, and doesn't require you to be online.
      - Aaargh20318 5y ago
        > Sony will sell you one for a whole 40 bucks So we went from "anything will play DVD" to "you have to buy a specific piece of outdated technology"
blamazon 5y ago
Seems like it yep. At least every competitor is on the same playing ground video quality wise? Also, OP article pointed out how most people screening these things "haven't touched their AV setups since 1999." Blu-Ray might be a nonstarter if you want to win the popularity contest. Lowest common denominator and all that.

dylan604 5y ago

> they are still on DVD? The SD resolution of the DVD screener is part of the security. It's not dissimilar to changing the port of SSH. It's just one more thing to make the time less desirable to copy. After all, who wants to pirate/share/download/watch a crappy SD video?

deergomoo 5y ago

I find it insane that DVDs are still so widely produced. Who cares enough about movies that they want a physical copy, but not enough that watching standard def video blown up to 1080 or 4K is fine? That Venn diagram must overlap far more than I think it does.

maxerickson 5y ago
It can be the other way around, where people using DVDs don't have fast Internet or don't realize how convenient video on demand has become.
- dylan604 5y ago
  There's also a lot more content released and available on DVD than is available on streaming platforms. To expand, there is also tons more content only available on VHS than other formats. Straight-to-video was all the rage in the 80s/90s. Mind, that it's not necessarily good content.
classichasclass 5y ago
I'll throw in a data point here: I dislike streaming services on general principles (I have HBO Max, but it came with my AT&T plan) and I'll pick DVD if there's a substantial cost difference on a movie I'm not sure about. Likewise, I'll gravitate to BD/DVD combo packs for movies I do want to see because pretty much anything plays DVDs nowadays and I might want to watch it on the road. Also, upscalers matter. To my nearly half-century eyes Sony upscalers aren't too bad. No one is claiming they're in any respect hi-def, but they're also hardly a miserable experience. Craptastic upscalers, on the other hand, are craptastic, sometimes from major brands who cheaped out.
- Aaargh20318 5y ago
  > pretty much anything plays DVDs nowadays Like what ? I don’t think I own a single device capable of playing back plastic discs in any format. This was maybe true 15 years ago, but not today.
  - classichasclass 5y ago
    Then you obviously aren't the market that buys any physical disc. But if you have an optical drive bought anytime in the last 15 years, to use your number, odds are just about certain you can play a DVD in it.
    - Aaargh20318 5y ago
      The point is that practically nothing comes with optical drives anymore. I think game consoles are the last holdout, and even there we’re finally seeing versions free from this antiquated technology.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - LeoPanthera 5y ago
    You know they still make DVD players, right? Sony will sell you one for a whole 40 bucks: https://www.amazon.com/Sony-DVPSR510H-Player-HDMI-Upscaling/dp/B007F9XHAY/ https://www.amazon.com/Sony-DVPSR510H-Player-HDMI-Upscaling/... And blu-ray players are under $100 now. Physical media still has a lot going for it. High bitrate video which cannot be taken away from you, and doesn't require you to be online.
    - Aaargh20318 5y ago
      > Sony will sell you one for a whole 40 bucks So we went from "anything will play DVD" to "you have to buy a specific piece of outdated technology"

blamazon 5y ago

Seems like it yep. At least every competitor is on the same playing ground video quality wise? Also, OP article pointed out how most people screening these things "haven't touched their AV setups since 1999." Blu-Ray might be a nonstarter if you want to win the popularity contest. Lowest common denominator and all that.