Page 1 of Is the DVD Phenomenon Over ?

What I mean is ...

We`re now at the point where DVD players are at the same price as videos - the new Minato player just got reviewed as Five Stars in What Hifi and Video and it costs 110 pounds (Richer Sounds have one at 99.95). The amount of players and the range of software is getting close to equalling that of video (at least in terms of the amount of shelf space allocated in stores). DVD Fora are getting down more and more to just listing the latest releases.

The only new thing on the horizon is DVD Recorders. As far as software is concerned, once the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films are available, there will be no great back-catalog releases that have such broad spectrum demand remaining to be released. Is that enough to keep the level of interest at current levels? Will we see a drop to the level of Hifi sites - which are now becoming more closely in direct competition (witness the recent transformation of "What HiFi" to "What HiFi and Video")

I think we`re going to see a winnowing process amongst the online DVD reviewing websites (obviously the retailers will continue to do well) as the amount of advertising revenue and general interest starts to drop away. I do regret that this is likely to happen as there are people who have put an enormous amount of effort into these sites and they are to be congratulated for the service they have provided.

Am I the only one who thinks this? What does everyone else think?

Are we already at the point where we`re waiting for The Next Big Thing? If so, what will it be?

no
:-)

I think that you think too much! :o)

Who cares, I always enjoy a good bit of winnowing every now and again.

I can totally sympathise with your `over-saturation` points, but I think that the two posters above me have summed it up - `no`.

The DVD phenomenon will never die out. Out of an office of 25, I`m still the only one who owns a DVD player. People still talk freely of banging down to HMV to buy "three vids for a tenner - bargain !". Someone actually examined my £10 copy of `Platoon` (there are still some left in the Woolies sale, but not in Nottingham :-) ) and coo-ed with disbelief..."ooh, it`s just like a CD, isn`t it ?"

Ignorance on the street is still rife, and until the time that `every home has got one`, there will always be a forum ("fora" - LOL!!!) for fans of DVD.

As for recordable DVD, I`ll say two expressions - "betamax" and "VCR". Personally, I`m gonna give it a couple of years to let the heavyweights fight it out amongst themselves. Then PVR (Tivo) and SkyPlus will have established themselves as the way forward and all the posturing will have been wasted, sadly.

Great point, mate, but I really think DVD is hear to stay. And that`s why it`s important that fora (still giggling) such as this are vital - never forget that it`s the fastest ever growing format as far as hi-fi and home cinema are concerned.

Incidentally (and I don`t like to be pedantic) `What Hi*Fi` is now called `What Hi*Fi Sound and Vision` and a right bloomin` mouthful (oo-er) it is too....

No I dont think it will die off!
WHY?
You say once the back catalog is filled theres nothing to look forward to? Well, what about the films of the coming years we dont even know about? - next year for example - Star Wars 2, Matrix 2, Blade 2, etc... They`ll be great DVD transfers - so as long as theres films, they`ll be DVD for some time.

The main point though, is still a lot of people have videos, only 1 of my mates has got a DVD player (and yeah I have got more than 1 mate!) - here at work I dont know that many people who have one, most think films like Indiana Jones, original Star Wars are released for DVD! - as pointed out just above - theres still a lot of ignorance! My girlfriend told her mate I had a DVD player, she didnt even know what one was!!!!!

I think this is only the beginning!!!

I guess it`s just because I`m working in the hi-tech business, so most of my colleagues here are techies who already have DVD players.

"What Hifi Sound and Vision" is definitely too much of a mouthful Clayts! (I checked on my copy last night - you`re right.)

I still think that DVD is becoming old news. CD is going very strong (SACD and DVD-A won`t really mean much of a change to Joe Bloggs in the street) but how many CD reviewers are there out there? Not many.

In the end, the whole concept of home entertainment is going to (and has already started to) change towards an integrated video, audio and computer system. In ten years time we`ll be buying Home Entertainment Centres with inbuilt DVD, internet, etc.

Well, maybe ....

Cheers,

T-man

It`s only just started for me....

Chris

I still think that there is along way to go on the DVD front. There are so many people out there who have know idea what it is all about.
Once again I am another one who`s mates don`t have DVD and I sell the players and would see them ok.

As for the all in one intergrated super system, god help you when it goes wrong.

All the best,

Andrew.

(lover of seperates)

As to back catalogues. There may be only a few films with mass appeal (star wars etc.) but what about all those millions of old movies, Abbot and Costello, James Stewart, Bogart, Gable, Monroe etc etc.

Some have had a release but there are still many many more that haven`t. They may only have a small target audience, but the studios that own them have already made their money back many times over already, they certainly won`t mind investing a little, putting on some features and recouping millions of pounds/dollars more.