Johnson Module 5 Blog

When you decided to obtain a DVD for your science fiction assignment in Module 4, where did you go to find a movie based on a Philip K. Dick book? Did you rent or purchase a DVD, or did you view it digitally on your computer using Netflix or a similar vendor of video-on-demand?

When I considered movies to watch based on Philip K. Dick books, I first considered renting a DVD; however, the Blockbuster where I used to rent DVDs has gone out of business.  Before they went out of business, I hadn’t rented a DVD for several years anyway.  My second thought was to order the movie from my cable provider and watch it on my television.  However, that is a costly process and I would probably not find any of the movies I wanted to watch because they were old releases.  My third option was to use the Netflix subscription we have.  Netflix charges a monthly fee, and we can watch any movie, series, or TV show they have available (and they have thousands) on our TV, desktop computers or mobile devices.  Netflix had one of the movies on the list, so I watched that one on my desktop PC where I could pause, rewind, and watch it at my convenience.

Is the current competition between DVDs and video-on-demand an example of increasing returns or Red Queens? Justify your response with sound reasoning and specific examples.

Thornburg describes the theory of increasing returns as two technologies entering the market at the same time.  One technology gets “locked in” and makes the other technology obsolete even if the other technology is the superior technology (Laureate Education, 2010a).  His example of Beta versus VHS formatted tapes and Panasonic versus Sony as examples.  Because ultimately VHS-formatted tapes were more easily available to consumers, ultimately the Beta technology was rendered obsolete when VHS was “locked in.”

The situation between DVDs and video-on-demand is more of a red queen situation rather than of increasing returns.  DVDs and VODs did not emerge on the market simultaneously.  Renting and purchasing DVDs from chains such as Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, and from general merchandise and mass merchandise stores, online, and so forth, was an established market for quite some time.  The need for even better, or “new and improved” technology resulted in the emergence of videos on demand through cable providers and eventually subscription services like Netflix.  The Blockbuster and Hollywood Video near me eventually were put out of business by the burgeoning business of VOD services. 

Where do you think DVDs and video-on-demand are on the four criteria of McLuhan’s tetrad?

On McLuhan’s tetrad, DVDs are becoming obsolete as they are replaced by VODs that are enhancing technology to make the way consumers retrieve (access and view) movies and television shows more efficient (Laureate Education, 2010b). 

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). McLuhan’s tetrad. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Red queens. Baltimore, MD: Author.