glmtblog

Last week, Sony announced they will no longer manufacture 3.5″ floppy disks, signaling the nail in the coffin for this antiquated technology.  You mean they were still making those things?  I don’t even own a computer with an “A drive” anymore.  1.44 MB of space doesn’t get you far these days.  As a matter of fact, at my rummage sale last summer, I couldn’t even sell an 8MB compact flash card.  While I don’t think this news story will ruffle anyone’s feathers, it does give us an opportunity to wander down memory lane and remember life in the “old days”…

FLASHBACK:  Summer 1993:  Our family gets a shiny new Compaq 486 PC (that’s pre-pentium, folks), to replace our well-loved Commodore 64.  Time to install Microsoft Office (some crazy new program that’s supposed to be way better than Word Perfect).  The installation package came with TWENTY-FIVE floppy disks.  Being the youngest of 6 kids, naturally it was my job to baby-sit the computer all day long, feeding it disk after disk in 20 minute intervals.  To make things interesting, the Compaq engineers thought it would be a good idea to place the eject button right next to the power button.  All went smoothly until disc 17, when I absent-mindedly pushed the wrong button.  5 hours wasted.  Thanks floppy disks!

Today, that program would fit 1000 times over on a standard blu-ray disc, and install in about 25 seconds.  Despite this perspective, I’m sure we would still complain that it wasn’t fast enough.

Admittedly I’m trying to stir it up a little.  Our last post was in October so I’m looking for a fight.

5.  The Wii.  Seriously?  The only good game for the Wii is Wii Sports which comes with the system.  All of the other games I have tried to get into require way to much motivation when the only time to be playing vids is during relaxation time.  Admittedly, I’ve heard anectdotal evidence of major weight loss from Wii Fit, but as far as an entertainment system, it is incredibly overhyped.  I prefer my active immersive experiences to be real, like outside on a real bike.

4.  Ipods.  I have yet to hear good quality MP3 or lossless formats that can be put on external speakers and not sound like junk.  I realize that if you have it blaring in your ear via headphones you can’t tell, but I have conducted experiments with the best encoded MP3 quality over speakers at my house, with the most amateur listners.  Better yet, the new iPod Nano I bought takes video…  Sort of.  I finally spent $60 on a cord that can connect it to my tv at the highest quality possible and the people looked alien and blurry.  Ipods serve a purpose but my guess is that American spending has overhyped this product.

3.  LCD-  Seriously?  What is the rub?  What happened to plasma?  The blacks and refresh rate are like 5 times better  with plasma and no one seems to care that plasmas are going by the wayside for inferior, more expensive LCD screens.  I demand answers!

2.  3D-  Dear Cable and Dish Companies…  Are you seriously considering making us wear goggles to watch football?  I can think of a million other things that would make watching sports better… Like higher bit rates, currently over dish you are running 4-5 megabits per second and claiming it is “HD”.  DVD is 8 mbs, Blu-ray is up to 50 mbs.  You haven’t even mastered HD yet, and now your spending all of this money on a technology that will force us to buy a new TV?  You can’t even deliver the goods to my TV now!  C’mon Man!

1.  Streaming Movies via Netflix.  In theory this would be awesome.  I could get Netflix Blu-rays and then while I’m waiting I can download movies in my queue to my PS3.  So I signed up.  Hook, line, and sinker.  Number 1- the “hd” is like YouTube quality on a 58″ TV.  Number 2- I’m pretty sure the only moves they have available for Streaming are available on TNT and AMC- skip it and set your DVRs folks.  Weak selection.  Somehow, I thought that I would have access to the entire Netflix catalog.  Fail. 

Keep in mind, I think some of this stuff has value…   but I believe it is over valued by the consumer.  Stay tuned for the Top 5 Most Underhyped Consumer Tech of Today.

Just when you thought it was safe to buy a new HDTV: Sony and Panasonic have just announced plans to release three-dimensional TV sets in 2010. ESPN is testing 3-D production, promising to “have football players appear to jump out of the screen”. Of course, special glasses would be required when viewing.

The new 3-D sets won’t come cheap, and some critics argue that there is not enough bandwidth available to broadcast 3D programming. No surprise there, considering that there still isn’t enough bandwidth available to broadcast true 1080p HD content.

These new televisions would be able to play shows in 2-D or 3-D, and 3-D video games.

Blu-ray has also said to be working on a product that would play three-dimensional movies at home.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10285229-58.html

The Digital Entertainment Group has just issued a press release stating that Blu Ray sales are up 91 percent in the first half of 2009.

“Although consumer spending on sellthrough packaged media was down 13.5 percent in the first half of 2009,” the release says, “this was partially offset by the growth of Blu-ray (up 91 percent to $407 million) and digital distribution (up 21 percent to $968 million, which includes $196 million for electronic sellthough).” Additionally, rental spending was up 8.3 percent for the first half of 2009, “boosted by an increase in Blu-ray rental spending, which was up 62 percent.”

Some will go ahead and say “Optical Disc is Dead.” Some will point to the music industry and the shrinking number of brick and mortar music retailers as proof of this doomsday assertion. iTunes has made revolutionary advances in its product offerings as the “AppStore” is celebrating its one year anniversary this July.

Proof in the alternative can easily be found in the video game industry. Here we have the most technically savvy consumer and yet the most effective distribution of content is via optical media. However, a totally optimistic view of optical disc product expansion is likely misguided.

There are certain situations where digital delivery makes perfect sense. Sub-1 gig applications like music, casual games, and ring tones are perfect examples of this. In the consumer market, as we recover from this economic crisis, our insatiable hunger for rich entertainment applications will intensify. Boundaries will be pushed instead of retracted as has happened in the past 5 years. The need for larger tangible storage and delivery solutions will continue to outpace the necessary bandwidth needed for digital delivery of these rich applications.

Corporate promo videos and applications likely aren’t perfect for digital delivery. Email marketing is becoming less and less effective, so how do you steer people to your download space with high rates of success? Packaged media provides savvy marketers two avenues for promotional real estate- the media and the packaging. Proof can be found in the “As Seen on TV” market. How many free DVD offers do you see now?

There will be effective uses for both methods over the next 10 years. Great Lakes Media Technology will be positioning itself to help with both methods. Currently we offer solutions for your developed or undeveloped content to be delivered on disc or web. No matter how you need it done, we’ll help deliver it.

DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Downloading Stop Fighting… Consumer Satisfaction Follows!

Everybody seems to pit optical media formats versus something. DVD vs. Digital Downloading. DVD vs. Blu-ray. Blu-ray vs. YouTube. ENOUGH FIGHTING!!! It is confusing everybody. It looks as though Hollywood is going to mediate a peaceful resolution. The Disney movie Bolt will be released in a package that contains a DVD, a Blu-ray Disc, and a Digital Copy.

When I buy a movie, I want it to work on everything. I want it to work on my phone, my blu-ray player, my DVD player. For once in the last 5 years, I think the industry is doing itself a favor. Plus, disc manufacturers like GLMT should be salivating over the opportunity.

GLMT Featured In One To One Magazine!!!

Please take a look at the article published in One To One magazine featuring Great Lakes Media Technology and its unrivaled blu-ray authoring services.

CNET Posts on why Blu-ray will Succeed:

Summarized:

1. Digital downloads will not eliminate the need for discs anytime soon.
2. Having one clear standard is a big advantage.
3. Blu-ray isn’t going to be replaced by another disc format anytime soon.
4. Prices for large-screen HDTVs will continue to drop.
5. Prices for Blu-ray players will continue to drop.
6. Prices for Blu-ray discs will drop to near DVD price levels.
7. Sony will sell lots of PlayStation 3 game consoles.
8. Sony can’t afford to have Blu-ray fail.
9. Sony and its partners will figure out a way to have Blu-ray resonate with the public.

Read the full article here.

PC World: Blu-ray 4th Quarter shows Blu-ray Success

PC World claims that Blu-ray had a successful 4th quarter of 2008 and is poised for even greater success in 2009. The PC World article states:

“Disc sales have tripled in the past year, according to The Digital Entertainment Group, an organization made up of movie studios and electronics manufacturers who track the industry. Blu-ray sold 28.6 million discs in the fourth quarter of 2008, and there are 10.7 million Blu-ray players currently in the United States.

The biggest seller was The Dark Knight, the number two highest grossing motion picture of all time. The Dark Knight is the first Blu-ray disc to sell over one million copies.”

We will keep you posted on the successes of this format and the attention the media gives it.