But DVDs do have less functionality. I could fast forward past the FBI warning on a VHS tape. I could skip any previews as well. When I saw my first DVD and realized I had to put up with the FBI warning every time I watched it, I assumed the format was doomed. But apparently the American public are willing to put up with such shenanigans because the latest Blu-Rays are even worse. The studios control what you watch and for how long. On some disks it can take ten minutes to get to the actual content (because of previews). We need a revolt (i.e. boycott) to return control to the consumer, but it looks unlikely.

Simply, Blu-ray and Digital sales are not taking up the slack quick enough.

Digital may work as and when TV’s become more and more connected, but its more a slow burner than a bright new thing that the studios are pinning their hopes on.

3D will be hyped as the next big thing and a lot of investment has been ploughed into it. But it remains to be seen whether consumers will want to sit in front of TV with a heavy set of 3D glasses on.

When they showed this version to Hollywood, one studio executive told the inventors he would never support a technology like this – one where they could not control how many people were watching the movie at a given time!

I agree – there’s a correlation between functionality and revenue. Same story in digital music. Unfortunately, Hollywood is still operating under the illusion they have everything locked down; and that keeping it locked down is the right thing to do.

See also: Hulu losing Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.