Netflix Killing DVDs Like Apple Killed Floppies? 345
cheezitmike writes "While there has been lots of outcry about Netflix separating their DVD service from their streaming service, media expert Eric Garland says they're just doing to the DVD what Apple did to the floppy disk. 'I was reminded of so many precedents: Facebook revamping its user interface, the introduction of the first Blueberry iMac, the one with the conspicuously missing 3.5-inch floppy drive on the front. All of these were moments when there was a paradigm shift that led to an immediate public outcry. People made a lot of noise and had a lot of complaints. People were very upset about these shifts...until they weren't. In the news cycle, the outcry is significant and it is problematic, but it's also important to note how quickly these things are forgotten.'"
No. (Score:5, Interesting)
No, it's nothing like that. CD-ROMs were already well adopted by the time floppies came along, and there was no licensing issue going from floppy to optical media the way there is when going from optical to streaming.
So no, the comparison isn't meaningful.
Re:No. (Score:2, Interesting)
You're missing the point -- it's got nothing to do with one medium being "better" than another. People aren't clamoring to convert to BD-R disks even though they hold 10x what you can cram onto a DVD-R.
The problem is and always has been that a new storage medium has to become cheap enough at the right time to solve a real problem, and it has to work well enough to convince people to spend time and money switching.
By the time floppies "died," they were well-past their sell-by date, and CD-R drives were not new.
Re:No (Score:2, Interesting)
Never underestimate the bandwidth of a shopping bag loaded with DVDs.
Well, okay, the bandwidth isn't that great, perhaps, but I'm pretty sure you'd hit your ISP's 'unlimited' (FUCK YOU ISPS) cap well before you'd hit the bag's maximum capacity. :p
Re:No. (Score:3, Interesting)
Floppy disks were around long before the CD was invented, much less the CD-ROM.
Re:Apple (Score:4, Interesting)
I don't get it...I'm surprised I see as many people as I do opting for streaming over the disks from Netflix with this price rise. Is this mainly people that do not have a nice HD tv to watch on.....?
I mean, I've been with netflix since 2000. I've always been on the 3 out at a time...and upgraded to bluray.
The streaming, was a nice add on...for free.
However, I pretty much only used streaming (when I could find something good in the very limited selection) for older shows or movies that weren't very high quality source material.
But for newer movies or shows...I'm always opting for bluray rental. I mean, I didn't shell out over $2K for a 59" plasma HD tv (and I have a sound system to back up the great image) to just watch substandard source material on. I mean, streaming can't match the quality video/audio that I get on a bluray disk.
*sigh*....are there really that few people today that care about quality audio and video? I guess. Then again, I"m one of those that has refused to buy music online until it comes in a lossless format with no DRM. I buy CD's....and rip them myself to lossy formats for portable players in lesser listening environments (gym, car)...but I'd rather have the best source I can get for my living room where I have spent years since my childhood building a quality audio/video system. I'm not talking about the crazy audiophile stuff you hear about (frozen cables for $1K/ft, etc)...but solid equipment.
Ok...enough said...I ramble...but if you do ignore the audio aspect of it...most of the good HD tv's coming out today DO present an awesome picture, so, just wondering...why so many people settle for streaming when they spent so much $$ on a quality HDTV?
Re:Apple (Score:4, Interesting)
I didn't shell out over $2K for a 59" plasma HD tv (and I have a sound system to back up the great image) to just watch substandard source material on.
Well there you go. I -didn't' shell out $2K for a 59" plasma HD tv. My TV is 32" LCD, only 780p. No sound system, just the TV speakers.
The big win for streaming for me and my kids is that I get to decide what I want to watch -right now-, not two days from now when I can get turnaround of my latest DVD from Netflix. Yes, it's mostly back catalog, but so what: it's not like I've already seen every movie ever made. There are dozens of flicks from the past 5 years I still haven't seen. And my daughter is gobbling up the tween-age series available like she's never had TV before.
I'll be dropping the DVD subscription when the price goes up. For the occasional desire to see a recent release, I'll go Redbox.