Physical or Digital which is better

[Atlantis]

Alright, see to me physical items are always good it adds value whether it be a vinyl or a CD or DVD or say something like a book it feels more tangible for me not to mention when it comes to physical cds/vinyl they sound so much better than your mp3 version which they are directly written from the studio.

I am not saying digital copies are bad they are very convenient sometimes like with ebooks they are awesome to read on your ipod or ipad player. When it comes to certain digital copies of music these days I don't like how they charge for mp3 like for instance here in Australia I bought a CD retailed for $14.95 USD which is similar to the AUD price now if I purchase the same album digitally I actually pay more because through itunes because they charge an extra $0.69 cents tax on top of that after they've charged for some god awful reason even though its not a physical item they charge an overseas tax rate depending on the cost of the digital album. So in turn I am actually paying nearly $17 AUD in total.

What do you guys think? Do yo think this is unfair?

 

[Illiterati]

I think it depends on the quality of the digital file, actually. I can't make any black/white decisions on it.

Or, if we want to be politically correct green/red decisions on it.

Oops, there are green and red Martians...

Hmmm...

How about ochre/puce?

 

[Stonelesscutter]

I'll take an actual product over a digital copy any day. I like the fact that I can hold them in my hand and put them on shelves and look at them. Also, mp3s are inherently worse quality than cds. Why anyone would pay the same amount for them or even more than for a cd is beyond my comprehension. I can always make mp3s from my cd or whatever fileformat I want, like flac.

Another aspect of the digital copy "revolution" is that the second-hand market will effectively be killed off. You can't offer that digital copy you once purchased up for sale to anyone. Or can you?

What if you bought a digital copy and it turned out your storage medium frakked up? Can you get a new copy without paying? What if I want multiple copies of the thing? If I have rights to download the material because I purchased it, can I go on my friend's computer and download it again?

 

[Bluce Ree]

I'll take an actual product over a digital copy any day. I like the fact that I can hold them in my hand and put them on shelves and look at them. Also, mp3s are inherently worse quality than cds. Why anyone would pay the same amount for them or even more than for a cd is beyond my comprehension. I can always make mp3s from my cd or whatever fileformat I want, like flac.

Another aspect of the digital copy "revolution" is that the second-hand market will effectively be killed off. You can't offer that digital copy you once purchased up for sale to anyone. Or can you?

What if you bought a digital copy and it turned out your storage medium frakked up? Can you get a new copy without paying? What if I want multiple copies of the thing? If I have rights to download the material because I purchased it, can I go on my friend's computer and download it again?

Does that include movies? I shudder at the thought of the mess created in your livingroom every time you'd decide to rewatch a movie like "Pearl Harbor".

 

[shavedape]

Paying more for digital simply doesn't make sense. The physical production costs associated with making discs has been nullified in this situation. No way would I pay more for a digital download than I would for a physical disc because it simply defies logic (for me, as a consumer).

 

[Stonelesscutter]

Does that include movies? I shudder at the thought of the mess created in your livingroom every time you'd decide to rewatch a movie like "Pearl Harbor".

I don't get it.

 

[Bluce Ree]

I don't get it.

Digital copy - watching it on your tv, pc, laptop, etc.

Real thing - having the entire movie play out in real life in your livingroom complete with actors, effects, explosions, etc

You know, when you have to explain it, it loses all the humor.

 

[Stonelesscutter]

Digital copy - watching it on your tv, pc, laptop, etc.

Real thing - having the entire movie play out in real life in your livingroom complete with actors, effects, explosions, etc

You know, when you have to explain it, it loses all the humor.

Lol. I know what you mean. I've solved this problem by generally never cleaning up.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Unsuprisingly, I prefer a real physical copy of stuff like movies, music, BOOKS (remember them thingies )

IIRC when you buy a IP style product, you buy the *rights* to have it for your own enjoyment, no matter the format it is in. Have these rules changed or am I "feeling a bit foggy"?
For example, If I buy "X" album, I now own the rights to have it for my own usage (assuming I break no copyright laws with "X"). That gives me the ability to ask for another copy as my payment represents the *licence to use*, not the physical media. IF "X" gets upgraded however (say from DVD to BR), my licence does not extend to this "new format" so I must buy a new licence for this format.

 

[Backstep]

I sill prefer the physical media over digital.

With ebooks and music (ipads) can your ebooks disappear from your reader if the publisher of the book and the reader host disagree on a new price to host the book? Like what happened with Netflix, Sony pulled it's movies. Can that happen with ebooks and music?