"STAR TREK Into Darkness" - 2013

[Rico]

Here's a roundup of all the various releases of the movie coming on September 10th.  I'm a little bugged that it seems each retailer is getting different, exclusive extra content.  Really a terrible way to try to get the fans to buy extra copies. 

http://trekmovie.com/2013/08/29/stid-tidbits-alternate-klingon-makeup-ideas-and-more/

[jedijeff]

I agree, I think it is somewhat low to spread the bonus content around depending on the different retailers. So pretty much which ever retail version you get, you will be missing out on something. I guess all I can hope is that there is enough backlash from the consumers, that they rethink this approach in the future. This just sort of leaves me feeling a bit cold on feeling any sort of anticipation of getting this movie on Blu-Ray. I tend not to complain to much, as I just realize that is the way the world works these days, but this just feels like Studio/Retailers wanting to double dip into my wallet and taking advantage because it is Trek.

[Bryancd]

Yeah, we are debating this over at the RPF as well. Personally, I don't place a huge amount of value on the "bonus" content we have come to expect from DVD/physical media releases. I tend to watch it once and then that's it. I also rarely watch a movie with the commentary. This release seems to be biased towards the digital version as having the most bells and whistles while the retail partners with the Blu-Ray and DVD's are given a variety of different options as well as extra's like the phaser or the Vengeance model or the Steelbook case thing. I think we are at the very early stages of seeing studios trying to ween people off the more pricey physical media model and into the digital, streaming model, which is a lower cost, higher margin proposition for them.

[ChrisMC]

And more controllable as well. They want to control their content, and when you buy a blu ray, you can loan it out. Which is just unheard of.

[X]

I went digital last week and I'm enjoying the convenience.

[ChrisMC]

Guess I'm an old school collector. I really like having the physical thing on my shelf. But most blus come with digital copies anyway for my mobile device.

[Bryancd]

I'm sure we will continue to see super duper releases in physical media for a while longer but considering that Blu-Ray adoption rate has been slowing, approximately $360M increase in sales revenue from 2010 to 2011 and approximately $216M increase from 2011 to 2012. Of course discs are also cheaper now but the trend is clear. So DVD and Blu-Ray will likely be the end of the physical media format, it's unlikely a new format will come to replace the disc. But digital is going to explode for media the same way it has for music.

We are currently in the Golden Age of home entertainment systems. Economics have driven down the cost of 52" Plasma TV's to a mere fraction of what they were not more then 5 years ago. This is what's happening in the Western developed nations as well as Japan and Pacific Rim (countries not movie). Now let's look at the BIG PICTURE. Emerging market economies such as India and China, home to almost 1/3 of the world population. People there are becoming upwardly mobile, with mobile being the operative word. Their connection to technology and media content as all via inexpensive devices like tablets and smart phones. That's how they consume the product. They will never even bother with the home theater model of consumerism. So the immediate and near future lies in portable technology. The drawback of that is screen size and storage capacity. So if you are a movie studio selling your content into this global market do you want to focus on high priced Blu-Ray disc releases loaded with extra's or streamlined versions that can be consumed on what are the dominant media players in the world today.

Having said that I still prefer buying the physical copy and there will always be a market for that, no matter how marginalized. Hell, yu can still buy a vinyl record for some releases.

[Rico]

I'm a collector.  I like having stuff in my hands.  That said, it annoys me that they are dividing up this extra content.  Here's a quick breakdown:

Target: "Collector's Set with Special Features Bonus Disc" Exclusively at Target, a collector's set that includes unique package art and a Blu-ray bonus disc with over 70 minutes of special features including 30 minutes of exclusive content.

Best Buy: "30 Minutes of Exclusive Never-Before-Seen Content" A Best Buy Exclusive, delve into the creation of the film's unique alien creatures, get a first-hand look at one of the locations used for the U.S.S. Enterprise's Engine Room and more.

Walmart: "Limited Edition Gift Set with Steelbook & Villain Ship" Only at Walmart, this Limited Edition Gift Set includes the Blu-ray Combo Pack in collectible Steelbook packaging and a replica of the U.S.S. Vengeance.

Amazon: Starfleet Phaser Limited Edition Gift Set An Amazon exclusive, the Starfleet Phaser Gift Set includes a 1:1 scale authentic Starfleet phaser replica, gloss black display stand, brass plaque and the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack.

[Bryancd]

And what about the digital release?

[ChrisMC]

And what about the digital release?

You get an imaginary model of the Enterprise.

[Ktrek]

And what about the digital release?

You get an imaginary model of the Enterprise.

ROTFL!!!

That's actually pretty accurate! LOL

Kevin

[Bryancd]

And what about the digital release?

You get an imaginary model of the Enterprise.
[/quote

And what about the digital release?

You get an imaginary model of the Enterprise.

Don't be silly, it's just cloaked.

[jedijeff]

I understand the Arguments about moving toward Digital releases, and for the most part I am ok with that. I guess when it comes to something like Trek, that I hold close to my heart, having a full Blu-Ray release is important to me. Like Rico says, I am a collector, so I like to have something in my hands.
Maybe I am just being nostalgic, in that I like how they did it in the past with all those special features coming with the movies. I do agree, that I don't watch them often, but for Star Wars and Star Trek, I go back from time to time to watch them. When the Star Wars Blu-Rays were released, one of the big selling points past the films in Hi-Def, was the Bonus features. I liked going through some of the production photos for some of the concepts they had, and other behind the scenes information. Maybe with the way movies are made now, there is not really much to show behind the scenes, since a lot of it would be rendered on a computer. I guess the argument can be made as well, that a lot of that information is hosted on websites and the such, like the Klingon concepts that were released recently, but still miss the experience of having it on the Disc with the Movie.

[Dangelus]

Luckily for me I'm not a collector and I don't buy physical media. I don't need thousands of pounds worth of movies collecting dust on my shelves.

I like the convenience of digital media but I agree it is lacking somewhat. Most of the time the official and legit places don't include a commentary track or other extra features that you would normally get with a physical copy and the price isn't always reflective of the cost saving to the studios.

In another ten or fifteen years when everybody has lightning fast Internet speeds I think we will be at the point where we will be buying something physical at the stores to satisfy collectors but instead of a disc it will be some sort of key giving us on demand access to the content.

[Rico]

This is very well done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtLI-_uVPsQ#ws