This article in the Telegraph reminds us of n ungoing series of rants we had three years ago on whether it was even wise to bother about developing the Bluray and HD DVD formats. Back in 2005 we were wondering whether people really needed physical discs anymore when they would somehow just download their content from the web in the sky. In May 05 we said:
As Toshiba and Sony duke it out, PSFK thinks the real debate lies in whether a disc, regardless of its format, can compete with digital downloads in the medium to long term. No doubt that the two giants will make superior products, but haven’t consumers already moved away from the physical?
Together with Netflix who has a new download to the box system, Apple with their AppleTV system has realized this vision - and you don’t even need to have a personal computer. Sure, right now you get instant access to content using discs - but streaming via the web can only increase in speed. The Telegraph comments:
Jobs also promised to bring the service straight to the television sets of people who don’t want to use an Apple computer, and found time to launch the MacBook Air, the world’s thinnest laptop. Apple has already sold more than 125 million television shows worldwide through the iTunes store, not to mention seven million films and more than four billion songs - 20 million of which were bought on Christmas Day alone.
The market dominance enjoyed by its iTunes store cannot be overstated, and it can only increase now that Apple has signed deals with all the major Hollywood studios to make their latest films and back catalogues available for rental.
