Re: future DVD? Naaa

Randy Pitman (vidlib@videolibrarian.com)
Mon, 9 Oct 2000 14:18:02 -0700 (PDT)

I'm also a little less than wowed by digital delivery--for the immediate
future. The problems are more myriad than simply bandwidth and access
issues. Competing formats (.asf, .rm, .mpg, .avi, .whateverthehellelse)
combined with computer and internet technology that has been less than
stellar (take the Bill Gates example of Windows freezing up at a big demo
and multiply that by thousands of teachers on a schedule) lead me to believe
that we're still quite a ways off. I'm not from Missouri, but I would much
rather have a videotape or DVD in my hand today than rely on any of the
fabulously sputtering dot.coms for the assured delivery of a program that I
need to show my students at a particular time. And, yes, these bugs will no
doubt eventually be worked out--but like early releases of
not-quite-ready-for-primetime software, a whole lot of educators will be
burned and alienated first...and only later become reluctant adopters. At
least, that's what my bird entrails tell me :)

Randy Pitman
Publisher/Editor
Video Librarian
8705 Honeycomb Ct. NW
Seabeck, WA 98380
Tel: (800) 692-2270
vidlib@videolibrarian.com

----- Original Message -----
From: Kristine R. Brancolini <brancoli@indiana.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <videolib@library.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2000 1:31 PM
Subject: Re: future DVD? Naaa

> OK, let's be more specific. Educational video includes home video,
> including feature films. How to do you negotiate with these rights
> holders? The system Mark describes leaves teachers with a *very* limited
> number of choices. This might work for K-12, but colleges and
> universities need access to a broader range of content than Mark's system
> would provide.
>
> Regarding educational titles on DVD: They are beginning to be released.
> I agree that VHS is not disappearing any time soon. And as much as
> librarians dislike the idea, we are all likely to be supporting DVD and
> VHS simultaneously. I still have 3/4" U-matic in my collection. That
> brings our video formats to four: 3/4", VHS, laserdisc, and DVD. That's
> a fact of life for a college or university library. I imagine that public
> libraries will be supporting VHS and DVD for many year to come as well.
>
> Instead of "future DVD? Naaa," I say "digital distribution? Naaa." For
> lots of reasons, not just intellectual property. -- Kris
>
> On Mon, 9 Oct 2000, Rick Faaberg wrote:
>
> > On 10/9/2000 12:33 PM, Jessica at jesskino@redconnect.net may have
written:
> >
> > > Doesn't this leave you with a fairly small amount of mostly
educational
> > > films.
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > (Just had to respond, Mark!)
> >
> > In K-12 regional media libraries, ALL of our videos are educational.
That's
> > our mission!
> >
> > 8^)
> >
> > Rick
> > Northwest Regional ESD
> > Oregon, USA
> >
> >
>
> Kristine R. Brancolini, Director, Digital Library Program
> Main Library E170, 1320 E. Tenth Street
> Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405
> Phone: 812.855.3710 | Fax: 812.856.2062 | Web: www.dlib.indiana.edu