I'm no kind of Luddite. If anything, I tend to consider myself an "early adopter" but when it comes to Blu-ray, I'm sitting tight.
I don't have anything against the Blu-ray technology. I'm not licking my woulds after an errant HD DVD purchase or hoping against all odds that VHS will make a triumphant return. Instead, I'm putting my money on streaming media.
Since the earliest days of satellite and cable television (anyone remember ON TV?), there's been a notion of calling up any movie or TV show your heart desired with the push of a button. That day has yet to dawn but we're closer than ever these days and getting closer all the time.
Video on demand services are plentiful. Meanwhile, Netflix has forged a strategic partnership with Roku, a nifty little gadget that connects your television set to your LAN via WIFI (or ethernet cable) and allows a user access to Netflix's Instant Watch service (included with all Netflix plans). The selection leaves a little to be desired at time (full list here) but it's increasing all the time. Plus, Roku is branching out to include Amazon Video On Demand in the near future.
Roku may not end climb to the top of the heap but it's getting us all closer to the Promised Land. Other devices such as the XBox 360, TiVo HD, etc, can do the same. Eventually, other services like Hulu may be absorbed in this same operation or they may land under another umbrella (such as PS3). Regardless, making the move to yet another format like Blu-ray feels like an unnecessary interim step along the path to a service-oriented future.
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