11.26.2008 — There's a simple misunderstanding in the battle between Blu-ray and digital downloads that clouds the obvious next step in media.

As much as we all talk about digital downloads (CE Pro included), the fact that the content is downloaded doesn't matter. They key is that the content is digital.

When it comes to what's really important with media, it's not about the distribution method, it's about the control.

On-Demand Content Isn't New; Remember Cable?

When it really comes down to it, digital media services like VUDU, Netflix's Watch Now and iTunes are separated by their distribution method: you can get them on-demand.

At a touch of your finger, you've got access to more movies, TV shows and music than you can possibly imagine. It's great to have a nearly infinite library of content at your disposal, but that's not the point.

We've had access to on-demand content for years now. Cable companies have been charging us way too much for pay-per-view since the idea surfaced.

"It's not the same," you're saying.

Well, yes and no. Sure, all of the newer services (generally) have a much more extensive library and look great -- which cable never did -- but they're still being transmitted from some server 'in the cloud' through the pipes to your house.

The distribution is the same. It doesn't matter that one comes over the cable lines and one comes over the Internet (which is probably also the cable lines).

Why Digital Matters More Than Distribution

If you're anything like me, the first day you found out you could rip your music CDs, you went through your entire disc collection to start a digital library.

With the ability to store music digitally, you had the freedom to control where/when/how you listened to your tunes. That's where DRM reared its ugly head -- the studios wanted to control your listening experience.

Thankfully, we're at a point where enough DRM-free music is available to consumers that they don't need to buy locked-down content. (Not to mention that CDs could always be ripped DRM-free.)

But now, we're coming back to that point with video content. It's nearly all specific to a platform, with the user having little control over it.

It's not like it's impossible -- people have been ripping DVDs, legal or illegal -- for years. The same thing is currently happening with Blu-ray, and manufacturers aren't going against it.

Until the Pipes Expand, Blu-ray Wins on Quality

In our blast to integrators, more said they offer Blu-ray than digital downloads because of the 1080p quality and the backup of a physical disc.

Convenience triumphed in the first digital revolution -- low-res MP3s annoyed audiophiles everywhere -- but we've moved past that. (Forget for the moment that most people can't tell audio quality differences but can see video differences.)

At this moment, the distribution pipes -- be they fiber, Ethernet or standard cable -- can't handle the best quality currently available. You can only get it on disc. And that's why ripping Blu-ray is going to be the next big thing (if it isn't already).

The movie studios aren't dumb. They're now even offering "digital copies" of their films with select DVD and Blu-ray discs. Obviously, the versions are low-res for iPods and portable media players, but that won't suffice for long.

Quality + Control = The Promise of Digital Media

When it comes to watching video, consumers want to have the best quality and the most control.

They can't control if iTunes crashes or loses any record that they purchased the content and denies access. They can't control if Comcast is having an outage in their neighborhood.

Why shouldn't you be able to stream Blu-ray quality movies throughout your house? Why shouldn't you be able to pull up your library of content pre-loaded on a media server?

The point is that it isn't the distribution method that matters. When the pipes have caught up (and the service providers change their mind on bandwidth restrictions), things may change. But we're not there yet. And we may not be.

Even if the download services are flashy and are way more functional than cable on-demand ever will be, you have to ask yourself this: are you really in control of your content?

That's what matters. That's the promise of digital media.