Technology is fantastic, opening so many new vistas for business and personal use. This is especially true when you look at how we access and enjoy entertainment. But the ever-advancing march of technology can be costly and frustrating.
The latest example is brought to light by a report cited in ADWEEK that shows how DVDs, once the shining new "next best thing" that made VHS tapes obsolete, are being eclipsed by online delivery of movies, TV programming and other video content.
Research shows that the DVD retail market slid by 44 percent in 2010, to $4.5 billion, down from $8 billion the year before. In 2007, the DVD market was worth more than $10 billion. ADWEEK says the number of units shipped in 2010 was 225 million, compared to more than 400 million in 2009 and 517 million in 2007.
What happened?
Technology happened. More of us are downloading films online, whether via Netflix, Hulu or other online delivery systems. Or we DVR TV programs we want to watch at our own convenience, while the old VHS player -- if it's still even hooked up -- sits idle, blinking away at 12:00...12:00...12:00. And as the new generation of internet-ready HD TV sets find its way into our homes, even more of us will get our video directly online -- bypassing those VHS, DVD and even the new BluRay players we so quickly invested in.
As our old technology becomes obsolete, it means a surge in business for the manufacturers and retailers as we stock up on our large-screen HD TVs, surround-sound systems and -- maybe -- 3D TVs. And the old VHS, DVD and BluRay machines end up going to the attic, to gather dust alongside our turntables, tape cassette players and all the other hi-tech gear we so eagerly bought years ago.
I'm glad I am not an "early adopter." They're the people who have to have the latest gadget as soon as it comes onto the market, paying top dollar so they can be first on the block to own one. And now the HD TV they paid $2,500 for can now be bought for a fraction of that amount.
I'm perfectly content to wait on the sidelines. Let others pay the crazy prices for stuff that still needs to get the bugs worked out.
At least I can be pretty certain that by waiting I won't get stuck with something that becomes a laughingstock -- like the 8-track tape players of the 1970s. Thankfully, I never bought one. I also never bought a Nehru jacket or a leisure suit.
My family has moved on from DVD's for a very simple and very irritating reason. They decline, start skipping and lose their quality fast, even original ones like my kid's Disney films. Online it is for us!
Posted by: ayasofa | January 24, 2012 at 07:10 AM