Carrier Death
Now there is a rather interesting tendency, in some sense even revolutionary. Factories and factories “manufacturing culture” in its various manifestations gradually disappear throughout the 20th century, closing as unnecessary. Fewer and fewer people buy CDs and DVDs; less and less books, newspapers and photographs are being printed.
What is behind all this? At first glance, it may seem that this has always been the case - that simply new, more advanced carriers of “art and entertainment” are replaced by older ones. However, this trend is only in recent years and it will soon end too.
The CD replaces the audio cassettes, the DVD replaces the VHS - the figure replaced the analogue, but the media itself remained. What will happen next? DVD-A will replace CD, Blu-Ray will replace DVD. What next? One could suggest that some kind of “ABC” replace DVD-A, and “CBA” replace Blu-Ray.
But this will not happen. There will be no more media - only playback devices.
Why will this happen? The fault is the computer. Computer and internet.
How does this come about?
Now I want to consider only the sphere of cinema and music, as the most popular. However, the same trend can be seen in books, newspapers, photographs, and even virtual games.
So, let's start with the music.
Audio tapes have long been gone. They can only be found among motorists who have not bothered to change the radio in their elderly car radio.
Vinyl is not dead just because of the widespread myth that it has the best sound quality. The myth will shatter in the ordinary consciousness of audiophiles - the records will die.
The CD will also die because for an undemanding audience it was replaced by mp3, for a more demanding one - lossless. Only for the most demanding audience are carriers - SASD and DVD-A. That is, here we can already observe the very tendency that I spoke about at the beginning - carriers are dying, everything is distributed via the Internet.
As for the movie, this is a similar situation. VHS or “video tapes” allowed people to watch movies at home, just like vinyl records allowed them to listen to music. But, unlike vinyl, the poor quality of “video tapes” is visible to everyone, therefore it is not surprising that, despite their late appearance, they have already officially died, as well as audio cassettes (they are no longer produced).
The first mass digital format - DVD - is also predicted to soon end, though mainly due to the appearance of Blu-Ray. With great certainty, I can tell you that he will not last long. Moreover - most likely he will be the last carrier of cinema.
DivX, as well as other codecs, as well as mp3 in music, allow people even with a small Internet channel to do without any media. Now, high-speed Internet allows people to watch movies in real time even in Blu-Ray quality, so it is possible that their official sale will soon also go through the Internet. The media simply will not make sense.
Honestly, they already do not make sense, but there is such a thing as a habit. Moreover, people are more likely to get used not just to carriers, but to collecting them. This peculiar “cultural fetish” (in the sequel to the “commodity fetish” about which Marx wrote) gives people pleasure in the feeling of the materiality of their purchase. People like beautiful covers and how discs stand beautifully on a rack. People like to show their collection to friends, be proud of it.
Accordingly, as soon as the mania for collecting and having everything in its material form on its shelf die, all carriers will die. This is also facilitated by the fact that beautiful orderly collections can now be digitally available if you want.
What is behind all this? At first glance, it may seem that this has always been the case - that simply new, more advanced carriers of “art and entertainment” are replaced by older ones. However, this trend is only in recent years and it will soon end too.
The CD replaces the audio cassettes, the DVD replaces the VHS - the figure replaced the analogue, but the media itself remained. What will happen next? DVD-A will replace CD, Blu-Ray will replace DVD. What next? One could suggest that some kind of “ABC” replace DVD-A, and “CBA” replace Blu-Ray.
But this will not happen. There will be no more media - only playback devices.
Why will this happen? The fault is the computer. Computer and internet.
How does this come about?
Now I want to consider only the sphere of cinema and music, as the most popular. However, the same trend can be seen in books, newspapers, photographs, and even virtual games.
So, let's start with the music.
Audio tapes have long been gone. They can only be found among motorists who have not bothered to change the radio in their elderly car radio.
Vinyl is not dead just because of the widespread myth that it has the best sound quality. The myth will shatter in the ordinary consciousness of audiophiles - the records will die.
The CD will also die because for an undemanding audience it was replaced by mp3, for a more demanding one - lossless. Only for the most demanding audience are carriers - SASD and DVD-A. That is, here we can already observe the very tendency that I spoke about at the beginning - carriers are dying, everything is distributed via the Internet.
As for the movie, this is a similar situation. VHS or “video tapes” allowed people to watch movies at home, just like vinyl records allowed them to listen to music. But, unlike vinyl, the poor quality of “video tapes” is visible to everyone, therefore it is not surprising that, despite their late appearance, they have already officially died, as well as audio cassettes (they are no longer produced).
The first mass digital format - DVD - is also predicted to soon end, though mainly due to the appearance of Blu-Ray. With great certainty, I can tell you that he will not last long. Moreover - most likely he will be the last carrier of cinema.
DivX, as well as other codecs, as well as mp3 in music, allow people even with a small Internet channel to do without any media. Now, high-speed Internet allows people to watch movies in real time even in Blu-Ray quality, so it is possible that their official sale will soon also go through the Internet. The media simply will not make sense.
Honestly, they already do not make sense, but there is such a thing as a habit. Moreover, people are more likely to get used not just to carriers, but to collecting them. This peculiar “cultural fetish” (in the sequel to the “commodity fetish” about which Marx wrote) gives people pleasure in the feeling of the materiality of their purchase. People like beautiful covers and how discs stand beautifully on a rack. People like to show their collection to friends, be proud of it.
Accordingly, as soon as the mania for collecting and having everything in its material form on its shelf die, all carriers will die. This is also facilitated by the fact that beautiful orderly collections can now be digitally available if you want.