On Sep 26, 2010, at 1:23 AM, Tina K. wrote: > I would tend to agree with that statement but Steve Jobs thinks that it will > be online sales and rentals that will become the new standard. > > Tina
That really annoys me, since I don't consider digital files to be actual things, just imaginary concepts. Sure I can listen to them, but in reality they are just magnetic states on a disc which, when read by a computer, give instructions on how to synthesize the music in question. I buy most of my music on vinyl, where I get a disc with an actual sound wave encoded on it, or reel to reel tape, where I get a magnetic wave that is an electronic implementation of the original sound wave (I don't even use digital cameras because there is no master negative, just a digital copy). Even on Compact Disc you get a much denser and more accurate synthesis on a physical medium. But I put up with digital music because it is so convenient. I can't go around with a record player, and even when the new Crosley Revolution comes out I won't be able to use it everywhere I can use an iPod, so I do have a large iTunes library, but when I get home I always listen to records and tapes. Movies are a different story entirely. All I need to do to listen to an MP3 anywhere is put on headphones. Sure, some may complain that you can't play MP3s on a home stereo, but quite frankly I don't want to play MP3s on my hi-fi because then I could hear how bad they really are. With digital movies, on the other hand, the only way I can watch them on anything other than my computer is to use my video goggles (MyVu), and since I wear glasses I don't like to use those anywhere except planes and a few other situations where I wouldn't want to hold up an iPod for a long time. There is no way to watch them on a TV short of pulling it out from the wall and plugging cables in, and even to watch them on another computer you need to somehow transfer the file first. And even if you do have a fully wired house with a high speed home network and an TV, there is the problem of quality. Just like with MP3, there is a reason that an HD movie on iTunes is about 1-2gb while a Blu-Ray can be up to 50gb. While most people never notice the low quality of MP3 because of the cheap iPod headphones or constant background noise when listening to music, video compression is much more apparent, especially with fast moving action scenes. Add to this outrageous prices comparable to infinitely superior physical copies, and it is easy to see that Steve Jobs' dream of killing physical media with low quality downloads is certainly not going to happen any time soon. The key to success on the iTunes store was low price point; while complete albums don't cost much less than actual CDs, most people only buy the CD for one or two hit songs, and in that case 99¢ is a much better price than $15. Now when you can pay $10 for a standard definition video or $15 for a DVD (complete with special features and a digital copy) that you can own, play on any TV or computer, and even sell later, it is not nearly as enticing to buy online. And considering that Blu-Ray hasn't really managed to make a dent outside of home theaters, in which case the people watching demand the highest quality possible and don't even consider downloads to be a real option, Apple really doesn't have any reason to believe that they will be able to singlehandedly kill the optical disc. And Apple's current stance would be yet another reason to get an external BD-ROM drive, since even the high end computer two years down the line might not have a Blu-Ray drive. I can understand, however, how some people will want instant gratification and won't care about quality or convenience. This is all coming from someone who insist on LaserDisc for standard definition (same resolution as DVD, but with uncompressed analog video), and 16mm for high definition (much higher "resolution" for good prints, no possibility of compression, and pure unmatched color in the case of Kodachrome and Technicolor, although I do have to put up with low fidelity monophonic sound) even though they are much harder to find and in the case of 16mm several times more expensive than even Blu-Ray (which is why the only feature I have on 16mm is a silent print of Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times"), so I'm certainly not the average person when it comes to video preferences. From what I have seen and heard, though, most people at least seem to agree with me on digital downloads being inferior and much less convenient. Wow, that sure turned into a rant. By the way, sorry about that blank message I sent to the list. I accidentally hit send before I wrote anything. Steven -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To leave this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
