The next thing to replace it (since it already is getting its foot in the door) is going to be downloads and streaming.
Wouldn't this "wipe out" the industry althogether, since Netflix would be the only entity buying disks?
CD's and cassette tapes are still around, but good luck finding anything on cassette tape. CD's are getting to be harder to find even though they are still around. What I mean is, it is easier to find a title that is downloadable vs on CD.
Sure, DVD's and possibly Blu-Ray's will be around for a long time. But, eventually downloading and streaming will take over to the point where it is easier to find movies that way than on a physical disk. Netflix is moving in the right direction with their ever-growing catalog of streaming TV shows and movies, because eventually I'm betting their catalog of DVD's and Blu-Ray's will be smaller than their streaming library. The interesting question would be, in that case, would their pricing scheme be similar? If they can keep growing their streaming library and not change the price too much then I don't see why anyone would want a cable or satellite service in the near future. The ability to watch what you want, when you want, with no commercials and without the need of a DVR (that many times you need to pay subscriptions for on top of it) is how things should be. We are getting a taste of that right now and this is a good thing about downloading and streaming if it continues in the future.
