Quote Originally Posted by diggity
the only thing that worries me with downloads is the downloads... if that makes sense.
i shall elaborate. this may annoy you all but movies aren't made just for the benefit of americans, but the WHOLE world. for example, here in australia we haven't yet got to the standard of networking you have got there. much of our cabling is copper based and only major cities have optical even then only some suburbs. outback areas are literally just beginning to get off dial up 56k. we have only 5 free to air channels and still running analogue tv stations. we are in our fourth year of digital tv (still only 5 channels) and third year of hd tv channels, which is only 18-25 hours per week in 1080i, lucky to be 3 hours per week in 1080p. this is even before mentioning african and eastern bloc countries.

what i am saying is that for a technology to have any chance of succeeding it has to be accsessible to the majority of the viewing public with a relatively level playing field. something which solid media is and inernet/VOD isn't. go to 98% of houses anywhere in the world and you will see a dvd player, but how many will have top notch broadband for fast downloads of movies, a pc with a decent video card caopable of producing decent pic quality, or even a tv with a pc input? movie studios and manufacturing companies wont start contemplating d/oads VOD mass production until they are sure everyone has an even playing feild, not just usa veiwing public.

cheers: dazza

ps i am not trying to insult anyone who is american in this post. but i am trying to imply that although it may seem easy over there, not every country or person finds it this way. beleive it or not there are seven continents on this planet not just one and entertainment has to be available to all of them. no harm intended
of course not.
Sorry if this disscusion is a bit Amero-centric but we Americans tend to be a bit self centered.
Truth is if I lived in such a beautiful country as Aussieland I probably wouldn't watch as much TV, and I am not kissin your butt, my neice went there on a field trip and loved the place.
But you guys are in even a better place than we yanks probably.
We have a ton of infrastructure that needs replacing, you guys can start from scratch.
AND BEING AS CLOSE as you are to the "future" (asia) its probably going to be cheaper.
and there is a certain charm to being a little "undeveloped".
To live more "real "life than the fantasies spun by a bunch of outoftouchwithreality
Hollywood writers