I hate when my Netflix DVD rentals have to be returned right away because of scratches that render them unplayable. Technology has come along way from the fragile floppy or bulky VHS tapes to flat media capable of measuring millimeters in thickness, unfortunately some are conformist and believe that high density media comes in only one form factor CD > DVD > Blue ray. No, I wont argue against the storage capacity and cost of mass producing this type of storage media and the important delivery method it represents. Despite it’s greatness and all it remains vulnerable to scratches which are bound to happened in removable media and leave some of the data inaccessible. By now the industry should have released a new form factor smaller and more durable. In reality Blue Ray is the same pancake media but with bigger storage capacity is making headlines as the replacement for the DVD. I am an opponent of HDDVD and Blue ray because they represent a step back when it comes to removable media . The way I see the future is one where disks rule the world but remain impractical to be carried around in my pocket, perhaps the pancake will be rebranded. The only serious treat to physical media comes from digital transfers which have no need for physical media for example an iPod synchronizing with iTunes. But the challenge of a getting a computer and broadband connection makes it far from plausible for some people. Yeah, no real options!.
— Jul 4, 2008