'Selling' USB delivery to clients

[D.R. Gates]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

;1928636 I would rather just supply DVD if it was worthwhile and had the same quality as HD USB delivery

They have that already. It's called the Blu-Ray.

[Roger Gunkel]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

I"m using tmpgenc authoringworks to create my blu-ray's, not sure how to change that as according to the preferences the streamformat is mpeg4-avc which then seem to result in those m2ts files. The other option I can choose from is mpeg2 video.
Mediainfo says the files are a BDAV AVC format.

I believe I am correct in saying that m2ts files are packaged MP4 files. My old TVs that I replaced last week wouldn't play m2ts files, so I tried changing the file suffix to MP4 which resulted in the TVs playing the files with no problem, so might be worth a try.

Roger

[Roger Gunkel]

Originally Posted by D.R. Gates

They have that already. It's called the Blu-Ray.

Things are obviously different across the pond, because if you look at my post you'll see that I find even less BluRay players than DVDs. I'd estimate as low as 10% of DVDs and some of those are only 720p.

My clients don't need to buy a Bluray player just to watch their wedding video when they can get HD from the USB. They can also play it on their laptop, netbook, smartphone, PlayStation, Xbox, or even through the USB slot on the rare chance that they have a Bluray player. As I also film the weddings in 4K, it's an easy matter to supply them with 4K on USB if their 4K TV will handle it, not something that is presently possible with Bluray, a format that has never approached DVD popularity in the UK and never will now that streaming is sweeping all before it. I certainly wouldn't encourage my clients to buy a Bluray player as it will likely soon become another obsolete format.

Roger

[D.R. Gates]

There are about 50 million homes that have Blu-ray in the States. So it's not going anywhere soon. But yes, preferences are changing, which is why I'm giving out a USB thumb drive. But they also get the Blu-Ray's and the DVD for that granny that couldn't make the wedding.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Roger

Even if you supply a BD player to the couple it then becomes too much hassle to set everything up ..yes here BluRay players are rare as hen's teeth and a dying format.

Nowdays I guess you need to cater from Grandparents right up to teens who do everything on their phone..It's getting too complicated !! I simply ask the bride what she wants ..end of story!

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

I believe I am correct in saying that m2ts files are packaged MP4 files. My old TVs that I replaced last week wouldn't play m2ts files, so I tried changing the file suffix to MP4 which resulted in the TVs playing the files with no problem, so might be worth a try.

Roger

My tv plays the m2ts files but it doesn't play the audio because the audio codec is not supported, but it doesn't matter much anyway, these blu-ray files are like a last resort if they would loose their digital files, that's better then having nothing at all and it's easy to just convert them to a playable format.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by D.R. Gates

There are about 50 million homes that have Blu-ray in the States. So it's not going anywhere soon. But yes, preferences are changing, which is why I'm giving out a USB thumb drive. But they also get the Blu-Ray's and the DVD for that granny that couldn't make the wedding.

I think there is a difference between countries what delivery preferences are, since I started to deliver Blu-ray and HD files on usb stick only last year I only had one request for the optional dvd's which I charge extra for. I did have one wedding 2 weeks ago for a client that lives and works in New York but who have family in Belgium and they requested 6 extra dvd's.

I will continue to offer dvd as a paid option because like you said, there always will be family members with dvd players only and we should at least give them a choice. If they want to pay extra for it then why not.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

My clients don't need to buy a Bluray player just to watch their wedding video when they can get HD from the USB. They can also play it on their laptop, netbook, smartphone, PlayStation, Xbox, or even through the USB slot on the rare chance that they have a Bluray player.

The PS3, PS4 & Xbox One all include a Blu-ray drive so there are many more Blu-ray players about than you might think.

[Roger Gunkel]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

The PS3, PS4 & Xbox One all include a Blu-ray drive so there are many more Blu-ray players about than you might think.

Still a very limited market though Nigel and not one I need to enter as USB is more flexible and more versatile. I can't see Gran and Grandad having an Xbox either.

Roger

[Taky Cheung]

DVD might be dying, but DVD is not dead. We don't have the power to lead the trend what consumers want. Hollywood studios do! Not us. As long as hollywood movies still release on DVD, they are not dead. DVD player is so common in household item. That is the easiest way to watch a wedding film on TV.

USB is a great option for us because of less work. No authoring, no design menu, cover insert, label, no burning, no printing. But it also does not have the hollywood movie experience. We tried so hard to get rid of the image of "boring VHS wedding" to "cinematic wedding" to make it movie like. But none of the hollywood movies ever released on USB drive.

With USB, there is no presentation of our work. User experience is plug to computer, open up Finder / File Explorer. Locate the drive, doubleclick a .mp4. No menu, no chapter selection.

The biggest problem is, you can't expect video playback on TV's USB port. Many people think they have a SmartTV. But they only have a TV with a USB port. Many TVs (even new ones) don't play video from the USB port. Only play JPEG as slideshow and MP3. There is no standard.

With all that said, I shifted my offering 2 years ago now default online and USB delivery as standard. But i still create DVD-style like menu for both. And I spent effort in the packaging too. If customer wants DVD or BluRay, i charge $300 authoring fee and each DVD is $10, BluRay is $20. I am very good at Encore so it doesn't bother me.

Just recently, I finished a young couple. They order 10 DVD and 8 Blurays as add-on. And I have an old couple 60th anniversary. The wife told me among the 3 vendors they called, I'm the only one who offers DVDs. So i was hired.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

Still a very limited market though Nigel and not one I need to enter as USB is more flexible and more versatile. I can't see Gran and Grandad having an Xbox either.

Roger

Very limited? You obviously don't appreciate the enormous size of the games console market. Estimated sales in the UK of the PS4 last year were 5.4 million units with Xbox One selling up to 2.4 million units. When I was still doing weddings I used to ask the groom if he had a PS3 & if not tell him that now he would have an excuse to buy one to play their Blu-ray wedding video.

[Chris Harding]

I think that Taky's point here needs a lot more consideration. The bride is expecting a value for money package after her wedding and a bunch of printed DVD cases do exactly that ...You spend 12 hours shooting a wedding, many more hours editing it so would it kill you to throw in a couple of extra disks and cases. It makes the overall package appear impressive. (Just look at Taky's image above and ask yourself "Would a bride like a delivery like this or rather have a ting USB in her hand") Seriously brides pay a lot of money for their wedding so why not toss in 3 x DVD's, 3 x BD's and a couple of USB's?

As a photographer in the old days we took pride in our presentation and the bride was always presented with a big white wedding album in a custom box and wrapped in tissue paper and, yes, it blew her socks off because it looked good and represented a decent return of her investment. Nowdays we drop a tiny USB in the mail and still expect the bride to be over the moon??

[Roger Gunkel]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

I think that Taky's point here needs a lot more consideration. The bride is expecting a value for money package after her wedding and a bunch of printed DVD cases do exactly that ...You spend 12 hours shooting a wedding, many more hours editing it so would it kill you to throw in a couple of extra disks and cases. It makes the overall package appear impressive. (Just look at Taky's image above and ask yourself "Would a bride like a delivery like this or rather have a ting USB in her hand") Seriously brides pay a lot of money for their wedding so why not toss in 3 x DVD's, 3 x BD's and a couple of USB's?

As a photographer in the old days we took pride in our presentation and the bride was always presented with a big white wedding album in a custom box and wrapped in tissue paper and, yes, it blew her socks off because it looked good and represented a decent return of her investment. Nowdays we drop a tiny USB in the mail and still expect the bride to be over the moon??

Agreed Chris, which is why we supply a package that includes 2 DVDs in photographic cases like Taky's and a DVD in a nice presentation box. It gives something feely touchy and attractive in return for their money.

Roger

[Arthur Gannis]

Yet that engagement ring with that glittering diamond perched on top is a magical object of eternal gratification
held in great regard and admiration. It is only a shiny rock. A small shiny rock, far smaller than a USB.
Perhaps if one can come up with a shoe box size gold gilded and adorned with pearls and shiny stones, a velvet lined encasement to house the lowly USB stick. Would that change her feelings towards it ?

[Taky Cheung]

Many times in other wedding videographers forum, I heard wedding videographers complained our work is being undervalued. Video requires a lot more gears and post editing work. But brides in general consider video as "nice to have". Photo is a must have. Yeah it is very true. But can we blame them?

Photographers spent effort in presentation. When the couple hold a leather bound piano finished high gloss cover magainze albume with their own glamous wedding pic at front, it screams "THAT'S MY WEDDING ALBUM". Customers create an emotional tie to the product they held in their hand.

What about us? a USB flash drive with your own studio logos on it. Yeah you are so stoke about it and brag about it on facebook. It's because that's your studio logo. But when a bride received that in their hands, it has no emotional tie to them.

As I said in the above post, we tried so hard to lose the boring "VHS wedding" image. We tried so hard making it film like, calling it cinematic wedding films. We want to make it a hollywood like production. Yeah the video has that quality, but the product has no presentation. That's why I just use standard DVD and BluRay case. Try to mimic like a hollywood blockbaster. Once I was late to deliver. So i made a in person delivery to the couple. Bride wasn't so please as I was late. But once she held the DVD case in her hand, she starting to have tears. There is no equipvalent when deliver by an email with a link. Or a USB drive with your studio logo on it.

I heard even a videographer deliver mp4 files using a portable HDD the couple provided. He said, that lower his cost, thus packge price. That also avoid warranty problem is the HDD went bad, it's their drive.

Now with my USB flash drive deliver, I created this flash drive box that takes standard 4x6 photos as front insert. With the similar DVD cover insert design, as least it is not a wood box with a studio logo engraved on it.