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iTunes vs Blu Ray
- Thread starter jasphair
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Blu-Ray for me. Better image quality and is often a lot cheaper if it is not a new release. Plus they increasingly come with digital copies, so you get both for one price. And I am more likely to take a risk on a film I don't know, because I can often sell it for a good price if I don't like it.
I'd be on the iTunes bandwagon if the prices were slight cheaper. I mean $5.99 to RENT a movie? I can purchase it second hand on Blu Ray w/ a digital copy for a couple dollars more.
I think renting a movie should be $1-1.50 similar with Redbox. I would definitely take advantage of that.
I go with iTunes. I have around 350 movies and growing. I buy a movie or two every week and would not have the room to store physical versions or the desire to go out to the store to pick em up. I have BluRay for my favorites, but that is it. I have the Alien Collection with the Egg and some others, but iTunes for me.
It is so satisfying scrolling through the hundreds of available movies on my Apple TV and just hitting play. Apple has even gotten good enough to allow playback of movies yanked from sale on iTunes. The Terminal being an example of that.
iOS 7 will bring streaming to iPads and iPhones - will make iTunes even more compelling.
It is so satisfying scrolling through the hundreds of available movies on my Apple TV and just hitting play. Apple has even gotten good enough to allow playback of movies yanked from sale on iTunes. The Terminal being an example of that.
iOS 7 will bring streaming to iPads and iPhones - will make iTunes even more compelling.
I vote for iTunes as well. Though I have never owned a Bluray player, I can't tel l you how convenient buying movies and TV shows in iTunes is and the quality on HD versions is good.
I do tend to buy movies when they go on sale for $10 and have never bought a movie at it's regular price and I have over 200 now.
I do tend to buy movies when they go on sale for $10 and have never bought a movie at it's regular price and I have over 200 now.
A few thoughts
Some thoughts on the subject. I do not represent them as wholly original:
1. Physical media is dying. I can't imagine the movie studios/production companies are shedding any tears. I rarely buy movies, but I'm in the process of obtaining the Kubrick collection on Blu Ray as I'm concerned it will be removed from ownership at some point.
2. Support your local record store. They often sell used media (including Blu Rays) for pennies on the dollar. These guys are being squeezed out of the market, and deserve all the support you can offer.
3. iTunes. I need to reread the Service Agreement. I'm not sure whether you buy the movie or buy a licence. Also, can the licence expire?
4. I think we're in the halcyon days of paid streaming. I think it's just a matter of time until Production companies work out a way to charge you for media by view. I know the current Time Warner versus CBS/Showtime hullabaloo demonstrates how companies are fighting harder and harder for ways to increase revenue. I cannot predict how it will work out beyond me having to pay more.
Some thoughts on the subject. I do not represent them as wholly original:
1. Physical media is dying. I can't imagine the movie studios/production companies are shedding any tears. I rarely buy movies, but I'm in the process of obtaining the Kubrick collection on Blu Ray as I'm concerned it will be removed from ownership at some point.
2. Support your local record store. They often sell used media (including Blu Rays) for pennies on the dollar. These guys are being squeezed out of the market, and deserve all the support you can offer.
3. iTunes. I need to reread the Service Agreement. I'm not sure whether you buy the movie or buy a licence. Also, can the licence expire?
4. I think we're in the halcyon days of paid streaming. I think it's just a matter of time until Production companies work out a way to charge you for media by view. I know the current Time Warner versus CBS/Showtime hullabaloo demonstrates how companies are fighting harder and harder for ways to increase revenue. I cannot predict how it will work out beyond me having to pay more.
I use both and
blu-ray, iTunes and I was buying standard dvds too since many of the films I enjoy are not available digitally. Now that I've ripped the majority of my collection, I comparison shop between blu-ray and iTunes.
I can see purchasing a couple of digital versions of movies which did not rip as well, but on iTunes I wait for sales or rent.
blu-ray, iTunes and I was buying standard dvds too since many of the films I enjoy are not available digitally. Now that I've ripped the majority of my collection, I comparison shop between blu-ray and iTunes.
I can see purchasing a couple of digital versions of movies which did not rip as well, but on iTunes I wait for sales or rent.
My life was changed forever just over one year ago. I bought a HU for my car with two USB ports, and video screen. My entire CD collection fit onto a Micro SD card, and I could also watch video with a card. Fast foward to 6 months ago, and my first Apple device, and I've been digital 100%. Streaming through Apple TV, and using a thumb drive and iPod in my car has made me think of DVD's and CD's as so 20th Century. 
Sorry, just stubled upon this, but i can't beleive you think itunes compares to Blu-Ray. Itunes isn't close to 1080p. On average Blu-Ray has 5X more data per second than iTunes "HD" versions. A slightly more efficient codec cannot make up for this.
Are you watching on a 720 monitor or TV?
You hit the nail on the head with #3, and that's exactly my only caveat with digital downloads/streaming. It is way more convenient, and the quality is good enough for 95% of people, but, and here comes the but, you don't own anything, and the studios can withdraw content at any time, and for any reason and so far at least, without any compensation to those who paid for that content.
Your #4 should be the most worrisome scenario, where we are actually going to pay a small additional fee for subsequent views. Never say never; if the studios can find a way to justify this and 'sell' us on it sometime in the future, this could materialize.
The reason the studios will get away with this, and we will pony up is that many people have gotten averse to owning, storing and maintaining a large library of physical media, without even mentioning the ever present risks of fire or theft.
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1. Blu ray IS digital, just like DVD.
2. Blu ray gives you better quality, and you actually own it.
3. Buy movies with the digital download copy (e.g. Vudu) and you get the best of both worlds
4. You can control the quality of your rips, and iTunes quality just doesn't match blu ray
Huh? iTunes HD movies are 1080p.
Personally, I've found many iTunes HD movies to be great quality, certainly good enough for my eyes. Some have been quite iffy, but that's likely down to the studio's encoding.
I expect that there will be fun and games in a few years when new encoding standards emerge that lead to better data compression. One hopes that anything like that will be completely transparent to iTunes end users.
- You don't really own the file in iTunes. Sometimes iTunes download can be spotty.
- Even worse, Apple could just pull some movies off the store due to copyright or other reasons. It happened and usually no refund is available. In that case. Boom.
- Not all places have a speedy internet to accommodate movie download, let alone streaming. You need at least 5 Mbps or more to conveniently stream HD movies. You might travel to places with 512Kbps connection and you woul barely be able to do anything.
- iTunes movies are expensive considering you need to download it by yourself. Most blurays get you a superior quality + digital copy for same dollars, or even less.
Titles most often disappear from the iTunes Store because of changes in licensing from the studios. However, in the very great majority of cases you still have access to the title that you purchased, even though it's not available for purchase to new users. I have at least one purchased title that is not currently on the iTunes Store, but I can stream or download it any time I like. Since Apple's announcement that you can download your purchased movies anytime you like, there have been very few cases of movies going Boom. You always have the option of copying your movie file to a hard drive just in case.
I am unsure why people are so gung ho on iTunes other than ease of acquiring a file to own or rent.
Blu Ray is simply superior on image and more often with respect to sound.
There are people who are perfectly happy with the output of iTunes and if it meets their needs then it is a good fit. Some people prefer the best quality they can get (whether rented or owned) when it comes to movies and that is why they seek out blu ray discs.
Perhaps a good analogy is is a moderately compressed music file vs CD or better level. Some wont notice a difference in playback and some will absolutely hear a difference.
Last -- if someone spends a fair sum of money for the home theater experience with a good 1080p TV, AVR and speakers...they would be wasting their investment playing iTunes heavily compressed movies as opposed to blu ray level with HD audio.
iTune fans keep using iTunes and enjoy.
For the rest of us, we'll enjoy blu ray level movies.
Nice that we have choice.
Blu Ray is simply superior on image and more often with respect to sound.
There are people who are perfectly happy with the output of iTunes and if it meets their needs then it is a good fit. Some people prefer the best quality they can get (whether rented or owned) when it comes to movies and that is why they seek out blu ray discs.
Perhaps a good analogy is is a moderately compressed music file vs CD or better level. Some wont notice a difference in playback and some will absolutely hear a difference.
Last -- if someone spends a fair sum of money for the home theater experience with a good 1080p TV, AVR and speakers...they would be wasting their investment playing iTunes heavily compressed movies as opposed to blu ray level with HD audio.
iTune fans keep using iTunes and enjoy.
For the rest of us, we'll enjoy blu ray level movies.
Nice that we have choice.
blu ray for me
Still buy physical discs and many movies I enjoy are not on iTunes. If they're not blu ray, I rip them to my iMac and put them on my iDevices.
If I watch a movie at home, I still prefer the blu-ray/dvd player.
iTunes is good for tv shows and the occasional sale/digital copy, but for movies, I'm still a physical media fan.
Still buy physical discs and many movies I enjoy are not on iTunes. If they're not blu ray, I rip them to my iMac and put them on my iDevices.
If I watch a movie at home, I still prefer the blu-ray/dvd player.
iTunes is good for tv shows and the occasional sale/digital copy, but for movies, I'm still a physical media fan.
5 steps:
1)Netflix Bluray Subscription
2)Free public library (subjective to your area)
3)Storage is very cheap for, say, a 3TB external HDD.
4)Bluray drives can be had for as little as $45 on sites like Amazon.com.
5)MakeMKV is free while in beta.
Make whatever inferences into this as you want, but my movie library is very large, and very high quality.
1)Netflix Bluray Subscription
2)Free public library (subjective to your area)
3)Storage is very cheap for, say, a 3TB external HDD.
4)Bluray drives can be had for as little as $45 on sites like Amazon.com.
5)MakeMKV is free while in beta.
Make whatever inferences into this as you want, but my movie library is very large, and very high quality.
I agree with you there! I was spoiled by HD DVD, which booted up and played significantly faster than Blu-ray. I was shocked when I got my first Blu-ray and got a screen saying that it could take 2-3 minutes to start up!
I thought that was just me. I played my Blu-ray for the 1st time in 2 years and I couldn't believe how slow it was!!
Yes, Blu-Ray has a better picture and sound, but I'll get my movies from iTunes. I don't have to worry about storage, damage disks, and other issues.
Apple Kool-Aid
Redbox is so much better.
iTunes sucks compared to blu-ray. I buy some itunes movies for $2-$3 off people who do not keep the digital copies when they buy combo packs.
Here is the big problem with iTunes, I have a sweet sound system set up and the sound is nowhere near as good as blu ray. Also, if my internet goes down, my Apple TV is useless.
iTunes is 1080p. What you're saying is similar to saying a 1.2L engine can never outperform a 1.6L engine, add superchargers and turbos and they do with the added benefit of increased fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Same with when people said AMD CPU's were slow simply because their clock rate was not over 3GHz like the Intel Pentium 4 at the time. People should grow out of "bigger is better", otherwise you'll just be a sucker to marketing.
Consider how long blu-ray has been around now and that even new movies have to maintain compatibility with really old players with limited AVC decoders in them.