I agree with Gary that Blu-ray and streaming are solutions to two different issues, one being image and the other being convenience.
For my film studies professors I do buy Blu-ray. We've outfitted our four teacing spaces with Blu-ray decks and HD projectors or TVs, and converted 4 of our 32 viewing stations to Blu-ray. I usually only buy Blu-ray if requested, but when I do I also buy a regular version of the title. My non-film-studies professors are more interested in streaming for its ease of access. Alas, most streaming licenses aren't what we're looking for (in perpetuity for a resonable cost) so we don't have that many. Cheers, Matt ________________________________________ Matt Ball Media and Collections Librarian University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA 22904 mattb...@virginia.edu | 434-924-3812 ________________________________________ From: videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu [videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of ghand...@library.berkeley.edu [ghand...@library.berkeley.edu] Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 2:06 PM To: videolib@lists.berkeley.edu Subject: Re: [Videolib] Blu-Ray in libraries Hi all I gotta say it again: I think the notion of skipping over Blu-Ray in favor of streaming is completely and absolutely faulty thinking on any number of scores. First of all: Blu-ray is a format whose major attraction is a high resolution image and high quality sound. It is almost completely unlikely that streamed video will every offer such (unless there's some major consumer electronics tech breakthroughs). Conversely, the primary advantage of streamed video lies in it's ease of access--it's bypassing of physical media. It's not really an either/or proposition. The thing that keeps me up at night has to do with neither Blu-ray, nor streamed media, per se. It has to do with what is VERY likely to get lost in the shift from one format or delivery mode to another. Gary Handman > Pamela, I'm with you. I am finishing up a laserdisc & CED conversion > project, and am in the middle of a VHS conversion project. I'm hoping to > hold off on blu-ray as long as I can, and am hoping we can skip right over > the format to streaming. > > That said, if there's a film we want, we'll buy it. In whatever format it > comes in. Right now, I'm still buying the occasional VHS tape as needed, > and > I'm sure we have a handful of blu-rays in the collection as well. As far > as > equipment, we bought a few PS3s for our gaming collection and put them in > our media viewing area in case we need to support blu-ray viewing > in-house. > > On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 9:17 AM, Jana Atkins <jatki...@uco.edu> wrote: > >> I’m late to this discussion, of course, but I have not been buying >> Bluray >> discs, nor do I plan to start buying them. I’m also more interested in >> waiting until I can move into the streaming arena. However, my school >> does >> not have a film studies program. The interest in the titles I purchase >> are >> almost solely plot/story-based. Picture and sound quality for DVDs is >> usually good enough. I’d say the only exception I’d make where I’d say >> that >> sound quality is important would be opera and other stage productions. >> But >> my experience there is that picture and sound quality often aren’t much >> of a >> consideration during production, so moving to a better format isn’t >> really >> going to help. Better to provide a more accessible format. >> >> And for the record, I completely agree with Gary’s assessment that >> Blueray >> = Betamax. And also with Dennis’ that DVD = VHS. And I honestly >> believe >> the next step to that argument is streaming = DVD. >> >> >> >> Jana Atkins, B.M., M.L.S. >> >> Performing Arts/Multimedia Librarian >> >> University of Central Oklahoma >> >> Max Chambers Library >> >> 100 N. University >> >> Edmond, OK 73034 >> >> 405-974-2949 >> >> >> >> >> >> *From:* videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu [mailto: >> videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu] *On Behalf Of *Pamela Bristah >> *Sent:* Friday, September 24, 2010 10:19 AM >> >> *To:* videolib@lists.berkeley.edu >> *Subject:* [Videolib] Blu-Ray in libraries >> >> >> >> A perennial question, but a good one to revisit to from time to time: >> >> >> >> Are you purchasing Blu-Ray titles for your library, or are you holding >> off? >> (I'm especially interested in hearing from college and university >> libraries, since we're in the same boat.) >> >> >> >> If you're purchasing, what criteria do you use? Do you re-purchase >> titles >> you have on DVD, or only new titles? >> >> >> >> Having just about completed switching the collection from VHS to DVD, >> the >> thought of moving next to Blu-Ray makes me want to lie down and go to >> sleep, >> for about 45 years. And, the cost would be prohibitive. >> >> >> >> Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if libraries could go straight from DVD >> to >> streaming video, at Blu-Ray image quality? For feature films, not just >> educational and documentary titles? Oh well, a girl can dream. >> >> ______________ >> >> Pamela Bristah, Collections Librarian, Wellesley College, 106 Central >> Street, Wellesley MA 02481 >> >> phone 781-283-2076, fax 781-283-2869, pbris...@wellesley.edu >> >> >> >> ***Bronze+Blue=Green*** The University of Central Oklahoma is Bronze, >> Blue, and Green! Please print this e-mail only if absolutely necessary! >> >> ***CONFIDENTIALITY*** -This e-mail (including any attachments) may >> contain >> confidential, proprietary and privileged information. Any unauthorized >> disclosure or use of this information is prohibited. >> >> VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of >> issues >> relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic >> control, >> preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries >> and >> related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an >> effective >> working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication >> between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and >> distributors. >> >> > > > -- > Rudy Leon > Learning Commons Librarian > Undergraduate Library > University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign > (217) 333-3503 > http://www.deepening.wordpress.com > AIM: rudibrarian > VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of > issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic > control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in > libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve > as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of > communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video > producers and distributors. > Gary Handman Director Media Resources Center Moffitt Library UC Berkeley 510-643-8566 ghand...@library.berkeley.edu http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC "I have always preferred the reflection of life to life itself." --Francois Truffaut VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors. VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
