While the "HD streaming rulez!one11!1!" bandwagon was quickly filling up after Netflix announced that it would be bringing such a service to the Xbox 360, the numbers just don't substantiate the claims that physical discs are doomed anytime soon. Sure, for the budding technophile, streaming is just the next great thing, but for the average joe / jane, the tried and true disc still holds a great deal of importance. A recent study by market research firm SmithGeiger found that out of over 2,000 surveyed, "HDTV owners familiar with Blu-ray favor the format over downloading and streaming by a margin of nearly 10-to-1, with about 70% of respondents citing the fact that there's a physical disc to keep as a key factor in their decision to buy Blu-ray." It also found that 96% of BD users were "familiar with downloading and streaming services, but that two-thirds believe watching a movie on Blu-ray is a better overall entertainment experience." Sure, BD has its flaws, but not having to re-rent an HD film after a remarkably short 24-hour window sure is nice, huh?

[Image courtesy of TechFresh]

On the heels of our own roundtable discussion, ABI Research has a survey that ties video consumption methods to age. No big surprises -- the younger crowd leads the way on gaming consoles, VOD, internet downloads and cell phone video -- but still, some interesting trends emerged. DVRs look to have achieved uniform adoption across all age groups, whereas the older VOD technology is still largely used by young adults. To VOD's credit, up to half of those who try it get hooked, regardless of age, so carriers just need to get people started (we're thinking free trials are in order). Internet downloads are really only on the radar of the under-30 crowd, chalked up to "inconsistencies in the process," which might explain why some people's eyes glaze over when we try to explain how to get content via the internet. On the other end of the age spectrum, videogame console use more than doubled in the 65+ year-old group; but we figure a lot of those units are Wiis that won't be used for watching content (officially or otherwise). Hit the link for more details and chime in with your take.

With all the excitement around the latest news in the world of digital downloads, we though we'd take a cue from our good friends at gdgt.com and hold a roundtable on the subject. Rather than choose other professionals on the subject for the panel, we reached out to fans of digital downloads to get real world impressions of what is actually out there. We get deep into the why people want downloads, why the market has yet to reach the masses, and finally, we all make our predictions of when we think Blu-ray Discs will be like VHS is today. So if you have strong feelings about the future of discs, you're going to really love this.


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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Guests:
Eddie Valenzuela of Apple TV Junkie
Jon Ogden, a Vudu evangelist
Tyler Pruitt of Format War Central

Producer: Trent Wolbe

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It's no secret that Comcast has already put a stop to the most extravagant of download parties (all while charging more for its TV services), but for those still wondering what was to come of all the data tampering going on earlier this year, here's the final spill. According to an e-mail just sent out to customers, Comcast will be "switching to a new network congestion management technique by the end of the year." The new approach will focus on "managing network congestion only when and where it may occur," and obviously it completely replaces the current technique. As predicted, Comcast asserts that only the heaviest of users will even notice that it's watching their pipeline like a hawk, but it remains to be seen what kind of backlash the new throttling methods will / won't have. Hop on past the break for the memo in its entirety.

[Thanks, M.N.]

Forget about needing WMV and DivX compatibility, CinemaNow just announced plans to distribute movies using DivX technology - no surprise considering the slew of hardware on shelves and coming soon that includes support for the format. Good news for Expect to catch flicks on the PC, cellphone, gaming system and disc players, and even though they didn't mention which content providers would be first on the block, we've got to figure Sony Pictures is ready to go. Sounds like perfect timing, what with a totally unbiased survey finding in-store renting is soon to join Cross Colours, British Knights and SUVs as bygone fads.

With Roku's Netflix Player all out in the open and an LG box just around the bend, Chuck's question is particularly timely. There are already quite a few choices out there for folks looking to snag a dedicated movie set-top-box, but has the best one even arrived?

"I pretty much stick with OTA reception when I watch TV, and while Netflix / Blockbuster is fine, I've recently been considering a standalone movie set-top-box for instant gratification purposes. With the Apple TV, VUDU and Roku Netflix Player already out, which one would be best to pick up? I realize more units are expected, but I'm particularly fond of models that support HD films. Really, I'm just looking for user opinions on each, especially if they already own one or have used one."

We'd also like to point out that Netflix's "Watch Now" feature can be piped to your TV fairly easily if you have a nearby HTPC or Xbox 360, but alas, you won't be seeing any material in high-def from there. Here's your shot at defending (or lambasting) your own movie STB -- and... go!

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Who doesn't dream of the ability to watch whatever we want, whenever we want, in the highest quality we can get? We realize we have to wait for this home media utopia, but we would like to know, how long the wait is? A few of people in this world that have the ability to delay our dreams (Hollywood studio execs) were on a panel last week at the Content Delivery and Storage Assn. conference, and one of the few things all four panelist agreed on was that downloads and streaming was a long way off from supplanting DVDs. The panelist went on to explain that the reason was limited bandwidth available to most, but we'd beg to differ. Not that we expect them to admit the real reason, which is probably because they haven't figure out how to replace DVD revenues. The problem for Hollywood is that if you had the ability to watch any movie you wanted, whenever you wanted, for $3 or $4, then why would you ever buy another DVD for $20? So in other words, one of the main reasons why downloads and streaming hasn't been more successful is because of 30 day release windows and 24 hour viewing limits. This is where the business world and consumers don't see eye to eye, while we are looking for the next great thing in home media, they are looking for a way to increase profits -- not that we have a problem with that, just saying.

We'll be the first to say we truly hope that HD downloads -- be it on one's computer or main HDTV -- take off, but we're not so certain the technology is poised to overtake either Blu-ray or HD DVD anytime soon. A opinionated piece over at Economist takes a look at the current state of the format war, and interestingly enough, even goes so far as to call both HD discs "interim solutions, if even that." Apparently, it expects both formats to soon be "eclipsed" by some alternative, most likely the instantly gratifying downloadable movie offered up by various carriers in the form of HD VOD. Of course, we also expect this outlet to gain traction once broadband speeds ratchet up across the nation, but our main beef with the article comes with the proclamation that "[HD DVD and Blu-ray] are marginally better than upscaled DVDs." We've expressed our true feelings about upconverting DVD players before, and quite frankly, unless one hooks up their high-definition movie player with composite cables, we simply can't see anyone not being able to tell the difference.

[Image courtesy of GenerationMP3, thanks Paul F. and Daniel D.]

It's a notion that may surprise some folks at first listen, but truthfully, it tends to make sense. Download-to-own video didn't see stellar growth in 2007, and according to a number of industry execs on a panel at CES, content guardians distributors could be opting for ad-supported streaming to pull in revenue. According to Fox's Dan Fawcett, he thinks that "people like to watch on an impulse," and furthermore, he stated that these same folks "want to watch for free because they can get content for free via piracy." Granted, we'd say that's a fairly bold assertion to make, but it's not really that hard to understand why unattractive DRM-laced programming -- you know, the kind that can only be played back on certain players and whatnot -- isn't being accepted with open arms.

Granted, there are some out there who've been dodging the whole "limitation" aspect of Netflix's Watch Instantly feature for a good while, but for the honest, upstanding citizens abiding by the rules, things are (seemingly) about to change for the better. According to a recent report from the AP, Netflix is gearing up to banish the time limits for online streaming on all but its el cheapo $4.99 plan, meaning that subscribers to every other plan will be able to watch online content as much as they'd like. In case you haven't connected the dots quite yet, it's being suggested that the move will be made to fend off the looming competition from Cupertino, and while this would undoubtedly increase costs, it doesn't seem as if the firm plans on hiking rates (at least initially) to compensate. Now that's a change we can live with.