Sure... some people don't care about video quality. But I'm speaking from my point of view.
I can watch 1080p on my phone... most cable TV is at least 720p... and I can't even remember the last time I saw a 480p video on Youtube.
So there's no way I'd spend real money on a 480p DVD to watch on a giant TV... even if it was in the $5 bin at the store. 🙂
I'm not too keen on buying movies anyway. I'm more of a rental guy. Rarely is there a movie I want to watch again and again and again.
I'd rather rent a movie from iTunes in HD for $6 and watch it once than buy the movie on DVD for $5 and own it forever. DVDs (to me) are a poor investment.
I have a friend who buys a few DVDs every month. This is in addition to about 500 DVDs she already owns. I want to tell her:
1. You haven't even watched 1/10 of the movies you already have... so why keep buying more?
2. You're buying terrible video quality... 480p on your 65" LCD TV.
But yeah... it keeps happening. People keep buying DVDs.
Not me! Though if I was to buy plastic discs... it would definitely be Blu-Ray! 😛
Understand your point and well taken.
It really depends I guess on preference and how large your TV or Movie screen is as well. I think the average consumer does not yet have a monstrous large screen, though probably many on this forum may have. I do, but DVD and Blu-ray still looks fine...
Basic business is that if it does not sell, then you don't make it or sell it. Well...DVD and Bl-rays are still selling, so that means that people are still buying.
They keep making DVD and Blu-rays, even after Apple "tells" everyone it is a waste. Why? Because people still want them.
If you plan on watching a movie just once, then paying $6 for a rental may works since there are no rental stores really anymore in the U.S. Netflix and other services take up that option now. If you plan on watching a movie more than once, then sometimes owning it is more cost efficient then having to rely on subscription and streaming. Space to store is not that bad with disks, depending on how you do it.
Outside the U.S., DVD and Blu-ray technology are still popular. I was surprise to walk into a Tower Records in Japan and I had a flashback to the 1990's in the U.S. Looked "just" like the stores that I use to go to back in 1990's. Some place prefer paper books and physical DVD and Blu-rays still over digital cloud and subscription stuff, especially outside the U.S. Apple and others are trying to break into these markets...but the consumer has different preferences and likes and they really
don't want subscription or digital stuff like that.
I know it is hard to believe, (apple)
but some places in the world have different tastes and likes than the U.S.
I am a big techie and use everything...but going back to DVD and Blu-rays (because I work in other countries now) made me remember how "easy" it is to use and less of a hassle than the current options. I can go to a DVD & Blu-ray store (again outside of the U.S.) rent a DVD for $1 or $2.50 or $3.00 for Blu-ray depending on how recent. Keep it a week or so to watch. I forgot How I use to like going to the store and looking around physically and find something to watch...or physically read if desired.
Again, maybe preference of course...but I have done both sides of the coin and find DVD and Blu-rays easier overall to just pop-in and hit "play" instead of the all of the costs for cloud, subscription, iTV, iTunes "bla bla" or trying to find a digital movie on external drive. I can just go to my shelf, grab a physical disk that does not take up much space, pop it in..and quality (especially Blu-ray) is good.
I work in the corporate video industry and I find myself pulling out my old MacBook Pro 2010 more so lately that has a DVD player, make a DVD quickly to view and see the results before making digital or other media formats for my clients. Reliable and faster...cost is cheap now to do. I even have again started to use the MacBook Pro 2010 to watch movies. I was amazed at myself. It was "just easier".