Physical Media!

Posted by: renov8r

Physical Media! - 12/15/16 04:38 PM

The relative data density of UHD Blu-ray still offers the highest quality options for video and audio. It is good to know that both Oppo and Panasonic recognize this fact and have appropriate players --

https://www.engadget.com/2016/12/13/oppos-first-ultra-hd-blu-ray-player-is-a-tribute-to-physical-me/

http://www.whathifi.com/panasonic/dmp-ub900/review
Posted by: Owl's_Warder

Re: Physical Media! - 12/16/16 03:05 PM

I have a really hard time letting go of physical media. For one thing, when you want to watch "something" but don't have a specific thing in mind, it's a lot more interactive and enjoyable to me to walk along the collection and scan the shelves. Browsing physical media is just a different experience compared to staring at a screen and clicking next. Also, that whole thing of owning it and being able to watch it whenever I want is a large plus in my book. What happens if the internet is down or if I'm at someone's place that doesn't have access? What if I travel or move to a place more remote without a high speed connection? What happens if the service that has my digital media decides that they just don't want to store that title any more or they go under or any number of other things that can happen. Maybe I'm just old fashioned but I like when I buy a thing to actually have physical possession of said thing.

It's nice to see that there are still manufacturers producing quality players that recognize the market for people like me.
Posted by: XenonMan

Re: Physical Media! - 12/16/16 05:00 PM

I agree absolutely with retaining discs of your favorite movies. I live in an area where streaming is just not feasible due to the large amount of data needed. That situation is going to get worse as the UHD streams will suck up a lot more data per hour if you want the full visual and audio experience that a disc has. The other media available with a disc setup is generally not going to be streamed by anyone. At this point I don't have a need for the new OPPO player because I am sticking with 1080P and won't adopt Atmos. At this point and at my viewing distance UHD doesn't make sense. The combination of limited source material and increased enjoyment just doesn't work for me.