I suppose some of you might think this is ludicrous, but I thought it might be for interesting conversation.

With all the buzz about HD-DVD and Blu-ray, I've taken a second look at my buying habits. In the last 4 year, my collection has went from zero to close to over 1200 titles. It kind of makes me sick really.
Anyway, I'm having deja Vu. This year feels just like when I quit buying laserdiscs. Knowing that the next big technology was just around the corner. With the rumors of Blu-ray sales by Christmas of '05 and Paramount promising movies on HD-DVD by 4Q '05, it's becoming more difficult to validate my purchases.
A friend and I have made a New Year's Resolution to not buy any DVDs(standard anyway). We always had a buffer of unwatched anyway. We decided to just catch ourselves up with the unwatched and then perhaps join Netflix or a competitor.
We agreed to wait it out a year and see what happens. If standard DVDs drop drastically in prices, we may re-think our strategy. Truefully, I don't know how long this will last. It feels like a diet.

I was wondering if anyone else thought about this too? Maybe all we needed was a support group? DA(DVDs Anonymous)?

I must say that I though about. I will cut down the my DVD purchases but evaluate each DVD. I can't just stop

I'll be cutting down, but it's impossible for me to stop completely, must feed the addiction. They'll all still work on the HD players, not like we gotta throw them out...

A form of self-flaggelation, if you ask me.

Same here. I have only acquired 5 new DVDs so far in 2005 (if you count a tv show season as one), and I hope to keep my DVD purchases down to less than 4 a month from now on. I vow not to buy a DVD just because it is cheap, or because Hollywood Video is out of a movie I want to rent. I figure if I can average one a week, I will be doing good. If I can get down to one a month, I think my hubby will have a heart attack.

I really think they need a DVD buying addicts support group.

psyhobabble.

I'm not letting the next format put the fear into me....this would take away all the fun and much enjoyment. for me, upgrading certian titles is a long way off. go ahead and kill dvd off as fast as you want.....it's around much longer than you think.

building my library has not slowed down. 6 more titles arriving tomorrow and huge weeks are just around the corner. I'm just as pumped up as I've always been.

Of course the players will be backward compatible and nobody would throw out collections. Just an interesting dicussion. If anything it might inform a few people.
To quit buying standard DVDs all together, is quite extreme though. I have to try though.
I bet we see a more re-releases this year than any other. They will try to squeeze the sponge even tighter. An example I think of, not that it's the best one, is Paramount re-releasing the Star Trek motion pictures to 2-disc sets. By the time they get through to Nemesis and they will start all over releasing to HD-DVD. Then they'll jerk our chain and not include the extras on the HD disc. They'll save that for the re-re-re-re?-release. heh

This will definitely devalue my current collection down the road.

If I do break down, it will be due to TV shows by the season. They are so tempting. The older shows will take a long time to hit high-def anyway.

The importance of owning DVDs has shifted for me is all.

I will watch DVDs at the same frequency. It's just that buying and owning has become less of an achievement. I always knew that DVDs would have a replacement, it's just knowing that it happens this year changes things for me.

To each his own. I'm not trying to say it's unwise to purchase. Just food for thought. I'm just coming to grips with not having to own it to watch it and something like Netflix shared with a roommate will make the average viewing extremely cheap.

good luck to you! for you....you are making the right desicion.

me? just decided that I'm runnin' to Borders to pick up a few mags....and of course....will snag a few dvds I've been wanting.

..and if just one employee there mentions the "next format"....he will be strangled.

right and after HD, the new format will be holograms where we can actually touch and interact with the movies. there's gonna keep being something new, my way of seeing it, is that as long as a format functions to your desires, and works perfect, than why change your habits? i've been using MiniDisc for years, it works perfect, does what i want it to, so why spend $400 on an ipod that i dont need? standard DVD is not going anywhere at least for my collection.

See this is exactly what I find so interesting on this site. I guess I should have known that for some reason people would raise their defenses. haha Maybe I'm the only one, outside a few, that at least has thought about or has changed buying habits. Just because I didn't buy the DVD, doesn't mean I boycotted watching it on DVD. Maybe the better question would be, how many people only watch what they buy?

Of course DVDs will be around for quite awhile and needs will be different for all. Take a person with a 20" TV and composite DVD connection, and another with a 65" and HDMI. The latter will probably be craving HD material, or perhaps at least understand the significance. The point is that this is a little different than just a format change. There is a percentage of people that could utilize high def media today and see the benefit. For example, let's take that holographic disc that they claim can hold like terrabyte. Besides reducing the number if high-def movies per disc, it wouldn't have the same impact because nobody would see the visual gain. That is until UHDTV comes into play.

My New Year's resolution is true, but more of an attention getter. I was just curious if others have thought about it. I'm sure I'm not the only one with a high -def TV. Just looking for fellow DVDers that can't wait to fully use their TV's capability

I stopped buying lots of dvds over a year ago. I posted under forum name, Darthmaul420 then. Anyway, I am setting up a theater dedicated room now and plan on having the entire thing done this summer before the HD formats are out. I figure that will help pass the time until the HD titles I have been waiting for are finally available, regardless of either format, BR or HD-dvd.

no...it's just been covered before in other threads and to me, has already been beaten to death.

I've definitely cut back, I have a huge stack of unwatched DVDs. I've also been utilizing the trade forum quite a bit. I probably never would have bought shows like Sledge Hammer and Home Movies, but I'm quite happy that I traded for them.

I haven't cut back at all unfortunately. Well ok, I held off on buying the Village cuz I said that I would wait to pick it up used, but that's about it

I'm getting the same feeling (like the late days of LD). But that certainly doesn't make me want to stop purchasing.

In the twilight days of laserdisc, I got *amazing* deals and built up a fantastic collection. When a DVD came out that surpased my LD, I was almost always (90% of the time) able to sell the LD for not only more than the DVD price, but to also for more than I paid for the LD itself.

That is, when I 'upgraded' my LD titles to a better DVD, I made a profit almost every single time. And I had the benefit of enjoying the LD before the DVD came out... and (many, many years into the DVD era) I still have many of these LDs that have not shown up yet on DVD. That's a win-win for a movie buff. I have no regrets.

[This doesn't even count the obvious fact that there are a crapload more DVD households out there than LD, and that this transition is clearly going to be different/slower.]

I for one am pissed off that after only a few years (three-four) of DVDs really coming full surface and all, we're already gonna have two (or one if u take sides) new formats to purchase for. Seriously, its become like game consoles. However, with game consoles its expected because of all the new games coming out with better graphics + such, but with DVD to HD-DVD and Blu Ray? The quality can't get much better than most new DVD releases, and for most of the films already released in awesome Special Editions on DVD, whats the point of rebuying them on either format? They should have waited till DVD died a bit, like VHS

I probably won't cut back and I'm hoping the new HD players will be backwards compatible. Oh well at least CD is still around.

1. Have you seen HD? All existing film-sourced material (new movies, old movies, TV shows, whatever) can -- and likely will -- look much better on the new format. Except for something that was shot on video at 480i, there's room for improvement.

2. The new machines are going to be backward compatible. You can buy one and still play your old DVDs. Or you can not buy one and still play your old DVDs. Why exactly should they wait years and years to improve the format?

3. VHS didn't 'die a bit' -- DVD killed it. If DVD hadn't come out, millions of people would still be gleefully buying Lord of the Rings on VHS at Wal-mart. VHS sales started to flatline a bit, sure. FYI, DVD sales have begun to plateau too... HD-DVD won't start to ramp up as a realistic consumer product until closer to the end of the decade (10 years after DVD's launch). That sounds fine to me.

4. The sky isn't falling. Your existing collection won't melt or explode. You can continue to enjoy your DVDs for as long as you wish. Or upgrade, if that is your choice. I'm confused as to why you are 'pissed off'.

amen gut!!

I've cut back, but that's only because Christmas whooped my ass and there hasn't been a REALLY great release week in a while. It also doesn't hurt that I've made it my personal goal to wipe out my backlog once and for all (I've gone from around 75 unwatched titles after Christmas to 30 at the moment). I'm not too worried about the new format, although the fact that there's a new thread about basically the same thing every week is getting me a little more paranoid, but I'm looking at the big picture.

Most of my collection consists of drama and comedy. These are two genres that will benefit in some ways from HD, but in the long haul, most won't be worth the upgrade. Now, if I had a collection that was bulging with sci-fi movies, action flicks and CGI-laced films, I'd probably have a different mindset.

For me, there are just so many titles in my collection that I can't imagine looking that much better or so much better that I'd actually want to make an upgrade. DVD has been around for nearly a decade and look at how many titles are still unreleased. You think it won't be like this for the new format?

I may only be a college kid, but even I don't know if I can afford to hold off on watching shows and films that I love just because of a new format that may take another six or seven years to take full effect. Gotta live each day like it was your last and while it may sound corny, I think this applies to things like technology. Sure, there's going to be something better out eventually, but that's life.

If you're going to hold out on things because you know there's going to be a better one out down the road, then you're going to be waiting around twiddling your thumbs until the day you die. Technology is everlasting, unlike us. Enjoy what we've got now and don't be so paranoid about what the longterm future holds for you when it comes to enjoying your personal faves. Just my two cents.

"I still believe that this entire subject is years away and these threads are nothing more than rampant speculation and rumor-mongering.

To each his own! I intend to enjoy the current format for years to come. When there is actually hardware and software and forum to discuss it in, then I will pay attention.

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/38881.html

If you want to extend this debate you might as well get rid of your HDTV's too. They are being replaced:

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/5941.cfm

Doesn't that plainly sum up this website? DVDs done to death? That's why I'm here. Actually, I really haven't seen this really talked about directly. It's mainly been, "What format will YOU buy?" Stuff like that. I did see the other resolution thread after I made mine, but anyone that mentioned not buying anymore was immediately stomped out with "I'm going to buy and buy and buy". Of course the debate over high-def movies and which format have been talked about. I was just looking for people that are planning for the switch.
I just noticed over the course of reading some of these threads that some people don't get it. They seem to think that only the new movies shot in HD will be able to take advantage of a high-def format. I think some believe that film is inferior and isn't the equivalent of HD.

HDTV will not be a niche. I already get more off air stations digital than what's available in analog. More and more people are getting that HD-ready or HD integrated TV. The year 2006 will transform more rapidly than most think. It's true that HD media will release slowly, but friends talk. People will tell others that their new TV will handle the upcoming HD-DVDs. I've already been telling my friends to stop and think a little bit when they purchase those DVDs.

I didn't want this to be a debate about whether I'm right or wrong.

From this little thread I have learned how addicted some people really are though. Gut, I did see your New Year's resolution. Trying to get to 2400 DVDs by the end of the year, is interesting. As much as I would love to have a collection that large, at half that size, I'm already concerned about what I will do with my standard Top Gun when they finally release it in HD. Titles will vary of course, and titles will release slowly. I just don't want to be left holding the bag in the end. I was very happy that I missed the VHS boat. I only bought two. I was up to about 400 laserdisc when I started selling them in late '95. I was glad I did. Look at it today. Although laserdiscs still look nice, it's the support that I worry about about. You can really only buy used laserdisc players, and I know people that have a hard time getting LD fans to buy them for $3 each.

I do have to say another time. You don't have to buy a DVD to see it. I would never compromise my viewing just because I am holding out for HD. For the most part I was a purchase, view, and then sell or keep guy. What finally made me post the thread is DVD is becoming so mainstream that everyone has the movie. Therefore, the used market DVDs are progressively becoming cheaper and cheaper and the market is saturated.
This has made rentals like Netflix attractive for the basic movies. A way to get by for the year. If something cool came along like the LOTR:EEs that's different. But your basic, everyday releases don't have to be owned to be enjoyed.
This is also not about paranoia. Just thinking ahead. The digital age is actually changing the market. It is becoming less and less necessary to have a big collection to see a movie on demand. UWB internet would mean that in about an hour you could download a HD movie to watch. If anything services will make for a lot of change. This is all talk. I'm not here to argue about what's right or not. I just like a good discussion. I was just hoping for some plain talk and ideas.
Bottom line HDTVs are out now. HD players were presented at CES. Parmount has promised HD-DVD by 4Q and Blu-ray is rumoured by Christmas. By this fall I hope to be able to play high def. and then you better believe I will be searching out high def format to replace my regular DVDs. The difference will be noticed big time. Jumping the res from 500+ to 1080 is huge. I'm not worried about the next tech. The next tech is here and I want my high-def!!! In the meantime, I will watch the unwatched and rent the new releases.
P.S. I have heard of UHDTV, which is why I referenced it in post 11. Done heard all that. But we don't own UHDTVs now do we? I'm just anxious for HD media to catch up to the TV. That's all.

It's not a bad approach to take. Personally, I'm not worrying about the format change, as I don't think we'll see any effects for some years yet, and in the meantime I just plan on getting and enjoying whatever I feel like, on DVD. More to the point, I think, is the issue of having a DVD backlog. If you have a massive backlog of DVDs, then you're buying faster than you're watching them... so it just makes sense to cut back to get things in balance again. What's the point of buying stuff you won't watch for who-knows-how-long?

I've cut way back on my personal DVD buying, simply because I always have so much to watch for reviewing, and my personal collection backlog gets cleared very slowly. I find that when I have a relatively small backlog, I'm more excited about the DVDs that I'm waiting to watch, and have an enjoyable sense of anticipation for watching them. Too many in the backlog, and it's just kind of overwhelming.

Nice post. I agree with you 100%. My friend and I quit buying for two main reasons. HD and backlog.
Backlog is a not commonly thought about. If you always have a backlog, their really isn't a benefit to having a huge library of DVDs, other than wow factor. Of course, everyone wants the staples of movie watching. Ownership is a pride thing too. At the rate I watch movies, I rarely get the time to watch a movie over again unless I want an update for sequels. Working full-time and doing the whole family thing, doesn't leave much time for repeat viewings. Years ago, living off my parents, was nice to re-watch old films all day long.