With the announcement that Microsoft is reopening the Video Marketplace with streaming 1080i content, is this the final death knell for Blu-ray? Video content has been moving increasingly towards the cloud and this is the next logical step. Assuming one has the bandwidth necessary, this will add immense convenience to the consumer who will experience little to no delay between choosing a movie and viewing it and eliminates the need to leave the comfort of the living room to actually purchase the movie.
I find this to be a loss however. Blu-ray, DVD, and packages in general usually offer far more than simply the movie. For those who want a look into the labor and thought that went into the movie, commentary is invaluable. This provides a more personal understanding of the movie and is an invaluable asset for any movie buff. However if you are simply streaming a movie, all of these extras evaporate. There is no need for content providers to add value to a streaming movie, and viewing the extra features also becomes cumbersome. In a sense, this will destroy a view into the culture that created the movie you just viewed.
On the other hand, the lack of physical media makes DRM easier for developers once again. Physical media is static and can eventually be cracked. Digitally distributed content, however, can easily use new encoding schemes. All it takes to change is a quick firmware update and hackers are forced to start over from square one. From this perspective it makes sense for developers and publishers to move towards digital distribution.
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