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Comment by aditya | Hacker News Reader

Between iTunes and Netflix, why are people still using physical media?

* Cost? (Not all of Netflix is streaming and non-streaming iTunes content is between $0.99 and $4.99 on an AppleTV that's $99)

* Convenience? (I can't imagine anything being more convenient than the AppleTV setup, especially now that 1mil+ devices have been sold)

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No one can stream with Blu-Ray quality yet. Consider most blu-ray encoding bitrates are at between 25-45Mbps. Netflix's best HD Streams I think are about 3Mbps, maybe slightly higher. Even if you're streaming at 1080p (which Roku now supports) that stream is going to be smashed to bits to get that resolution out of it.

Also no one is streaming 5.1 surround sound yet either. You'd chew up your whole bandwidth allotment on audio.

Blu-Ray is still a considerably better format for video then streaming.

> Also no one is streaming 5.1 surround sound yet either.

While NF streaming is great, this is one thing that it's really missing.

It's the best picture and with Netflix it's also really cheap. I'd only have to watch 2 movies a month on Apple or Amazon to hit my Netflix subscription price, and I'd be watching overly compressed 720p instead of 40Mbps 1080p.

Plus, I've yet to have a single issue with using my PS3 as a Blu-Ray player. Maybe the rest suck, but for me, it's just like watching a DVD.

Not all of Netflix is streaming is quite an understatement. Trying to find something worth watching that they stream is a task which conjures up memories of trips to the video store of yore.

(Although Amelie was very good.)

1080p for BR, and the ability to rip DVDs and access them anywhere?

Netflix doesn't have "extras" like: multiple audio tracks or subtitle tracks (for commentary or foreign languages etc.), alternate endings, or behind-the-scenes footage.

Hardly anyone here in Australia is on a connection that could stream a full quality blu-ray, not that there are any services that I know of that provide it.

When we get to the point that you can stream first time and keep for a decent price compared to physical media, the connection is fast enough not to be any issue at all and probably even slight bigger hard drives become the norm I think the physical media will be done away with.

Right now that it's far easier for me to pickup blu ray disks that which can be around $10-$15 in sales here for anything not overly new.

Insufficient bandwidth at home for great quality, plus better selection at the video store. Also, it's kind of fun to stop at the video store with a friend and browse the shelves.

$4.99 is too much for a movie that you can't keep.

Considering the price of movie tickets, does that mean you also don't go to movies at theaters?

Part of the promise of a theater is a movie before it's on DVD or streaming, and for most people the picture and sound is perceived to be better than what's in their home.

I think the assumption is that movies on iTunes are not available on day 1 of theatrical release and that you don't have a 70-foot TV. Standard movie ticket prices would indeed be too high to bear if the movies were all long gone in other theaters and you watched on a 32-inch screen.

I agree, I think it's a waste of money. My brother however collects DVDs and Blu-rays. He's got a huge library of movies that can be watched any time (and probably cost a fortune). I think it's on the decline but I also think we'll be paying more for bandwidth due to excessive streaming.

It's a lot easier to give my parents a disc as a present.

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