http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/ Engadget Comments for Libraries aren't ready to invest into Blu-ray or HD DVD http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/Aug 29th 2007 11:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/Aug 29th 2007 1:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/Aug 29th 2007 2:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/
One interesting tidbit--a friend of mine who works in the circulation department at a local library remarks that DVDs actually average fewer circs before retirement than VHS tapes did. This seems odd given that playing tapes involves stress on the tape itself; no physical contact is involved in playing DVDs.

The problem is the DVD case. If a disc becomes "unsnapped", if you will, it jostles all around on the inside, getting scratched up and eventually becoming unreadable. If studios redesigned the case to conform more to the disc's actual dimensions (think CDs), perhaps it would be cheaper for libraries and rental corps to stock their movies? The reason DVD cases are the size they are is so they line up nice with VHS tapes; why perpetuate a wasteful form factor any further?
]]>Aug 29th 2007 2:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/
Stocking HD-DVDs/Blu-rays would not be a huge waste of taxpayers money. Many times the libraries are buying new printed matter that has circulation next to zero and is checked out maybe once a year. Libraries investing in new High-Def formats would be a great source for new circulation. Currently many libraries in the US give the least amount of funding to A/V Materials and yet that is their current source of the highest circulation numbers. Circulation is the metric that judges wheather or not a library stays open, gets funding, etc. If libraries have become reliant on this system of media circulation, why not embrace new formats? It will sure as heck bring in more use than that nature book that has been sitting on the shelf for 8 years without anyone checking it out.]]>Aug 29th 2007 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/libraries-arent-ready-to-invest-into-blu-ray-or-hd-dvd/
Classic movies wouldn't be a bad idea either. ]]>Aug 29th 2007 6:06PM