Chewer Tech: How Do You View?

Physical media is never truly going to die out, as long as there are collectors in the world. Hell you can still buy vinyl records in a ton of record store round my way.

My first chud blog was on a similar subject (http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2441/) I'm firmly in the same camp as James Cameron, some films need to be seen on the big screen, besides the experience of seeing a movie in the cinema does (and always should) play a big part in enjoyment of film
.

I'll openly admit, I hate going to the theater. I don't like the experience at all. I like being in my bubble free of candy wrappers crinkling, babies crying, asthmatics breathing, specials rocking in a squeaky chair, cell phone lights, dipshits asking me to slide over from the chair I got there 30 minutes early to secure because they got there late and want me to make room... I just loathe it. Anything that keeps me home is a good thing.

I'm a Blu-Ray guy. I'm not going crazy collecting. I'll buy one if it's $9.99 or a true favorite but Netflix generally does me right. Blu-Ray has given me a good excuse to revisit a lot of old favorites. It can be an eye opener seeing certain films on Blu-Ray for the first time. Cool Hand Luke is a great example.

Streaming has been great for watching stuff I'm curious about but not necessarily that interested in. Very convenient but certainly not the pinnacle of movie watching by any stretch. I'll actually be checking out Wall-E via this method in a few.

I can't watch anything on a little device. I'd rather listen to a podcast then watch something on a tiny screen. I tried watching Countdown on my ipod last time I flew and switched to an audio book 10 minutes into it. I find watching video on a device like that less than relaxing.

I've only JUST gotten an HDTV so i'm starting up with blurays. We don't have a Netflix service around here and our internet connections can't support instant view so far. So it would be years till i can take advantage of that. I also watch on my smartphone some small shows, like Daily Show, South Park and stuff like that, that you don't lose much by reducing the screen.

I'm fine with Blu Ray. It's the best possible presentation of films I love, and that's really all that's ever mattered to me.

Netflix instant view is the next step down, but the amount of content that service has available is staggering, and being able to sit down and have films I've wanted to see for years seconds away is the stuff of dreams. Fact is, though, if I end up loving it, more than likely, I'll buy it on Blu Ray down the road. It's also the reason physical media will survive. Until they figure out how to make digital rentals cost effective, and not take DAYS to download, this is still pissing in the wind.

YouTube and streaming sites is great for things where presentatiion doesn't matter, and I just want the show. Unless it's a rarity, wouldn't bother with it for movies.

While it's nice having a version of a movie on my IPod, I stand firmly with Cameron and David Lynch on that subject. It's a format of desperation rather than preference. For those who travel constantly, more power to you. If I'm less than 50 miles from my house, I can fucking wait.

I get 720p downloads of movies from iTunes on my AppleTV ready to watch in about 2-3 minutes, usually. They cost $5. I can't imagine arguing that's not time or cost effective, and that's why it's my preferred method of watching movies now.