Table of Contents
‘A restrained necessity for space reasons‘
At home, whenever we come across a show or movie (a talent in itself!) that we know we’ll want to watch again, we’ve gotten into the habit of ordering a cheap DVD copy.
When we moved to a new apartment in another part of Seattle in late 2020, I threw away garbage bags full of VHS tapes. Although this was a reluctant necessity for space reasons, I strongly suspected we would regret it. As it turns out, even we didn’t expect how quick and powerful the move would be for TV channels to start charging for the kind of old content (from Jaws to Airplane!) almost literally overnight after that binning date. to vintage dramas) to watch! MountainAspect
‘Ultimately ending up as a future landfill‘
I really like the idea of having a DVD collection whose shelves I can browse like a rental store.
However, I can’t shake the idea that most of the valuable things we acquire in life will eventually end up as a future dumping ground for the next generation to deal with. I am also very aware that one day I will take on the burden of divesting or reallocating my various interests, or leave that process to my surviving relatives, whoever they may be. The idea of owning even a small DVD collection big enough to cover all the bases fills me with dread in that regard. I think of my grandparents and their collected belongings from their lives that ended up in boxes destined for the landfill, the attic of my parents’ house or charity shops. Type O negative
‘The difference in quality… is significant‘
Maybe I’m a Luddite, but I haven’t really noticed this streaming thing yet.
I watched movies on Disney+. The picture in new movies is often too dark (a complaint that a few people I know have complained about). Older films are often shown in the wrong proportions or the soundtrack is poor. I just subscribed to Prime Video for TV shows for my son to watch, and haven’t tried searching for movies yet. Somehow I doubt the movies I want to see will be available.
I’m lucky enough to still have a local HMV store. There’s nothing like walking in there, hanging out for an hour and picking out a Blu-ray. The difference in quality between streaming and watching a movie on physical media is significant. After Hours, Eraserhead, Boogie Nights, Naked, The Conversation, The Passenger… The more casual film fan can enjoy Netflix and chill, but the more serious film fan prefers to have their shelves full of physical media. The Man Without Fear
‘This current phase sucks‘
Rental properties will rise again, it may take a while but it will happen, nostalgia for some and also the new experience of it for others. As the article says about the revival of vinyl, which has taken off again. The more original fans and younger generations realize they can’t see the real thing, the market will adapt. But yeah, this current phase sucks, especially (with) streaming pulling titles left and right. Mr.Username2014
‘The hype is real‘
I recently canceled my streaming subscriptions and started a burgeoning collection of 4K Blu-rays in the “final format”.
The hype is real: the quality is exceptional, without the micro dips in visual and audio quality that you get with streaming. Some discs are particularly well optimized for the format – Oppenheimer is a good example of this (viewing a 4K disc with good quality headphones is three hours very well spent). Villeneuve’s Arrival looks great too.
As for a player, it gives my PS5 something to do as I rarely have time to play 20+ hour games these days. bluejay2011
‘Household budgets are under pressure‘
I can only speak for myself, but I think the streaming industry will ultimately regret its attempts to lock in their customers. Unfortunately, household budgets are too big and paying for a streaming service costs money. And there isn’t just one. There are many competing with each other, where do you stop?
At least if the movie or whatever is on DVD or Blu-ray, the customer is only committing to a one-time purchase. These companies and the film industry in general could therefore lose out on a lot of downstream revenue. While they are under a lot of pressure to ensure they continue to entertain customers. And on this topic, many of us still enjoy being able to buy movies on disc. Buzz2023
‘I switched back‘
To be honest, I switched to streaming platforms for a while, both with movies and music, but have found myself switching back. Not only because the platforms would remove what I wanted (movies and shows), but (at least in terms of music) a platform change literally meant that I would ‘buy’ the music, but not actually buy it, and therefore, since she decided to the way they did things – I lost my money and no longer owned the music because I never bought it in the first place. My wallet disagreed. That was enough to make me sour on the whole thing. Plus, DVDs end up being so much cheaper and you actually own them. Beacon of Hope Wari
‘So much mess‘
So much mess. I keep CDs, but they are in disk folders. The suitcases go into the trash. Heresy for some, but a compromise I’m comfortable with. SevenHigher
‘I’m not a size fetishist‘
Owning movies in digital form is just too easy for me to go back to physical. I keep buying DVDs and Blu-rays of movies that are of course not available digitally, but there aren’t that many of them, and it feels like an attempt to take the DVD out of the case, go to a DVD reader, starting etc… While in digital I can start the movie in seconds wherever I am. I’m not a fetishist of the format or the support, I just want to be able to watch a movie I love, whenever I want, wherever I am, and only digital can deliver that. bf_zilverstad
‘I never got into it until DVDs came out‘
Owning movies has never been as popular as owning books or music (CDs, records, cassettes). I never got into it until DVDs came out.
What I miss about the rise of physical media is going to someone’s house and looking at their book/record/DVD collection and getting a sense of their interests. And then you have something to talk about. Yjfbjj
‘The biggest loss of films since the old studio vault burned down‘
We are experiencing the greatest loss of films since the old studio vault burned down. And I know people will say, oh, this or that unavailable movie still exists somewhere. But if no one can ever see it, then what?
And what’s more, digital formats change regularly. One day, every digital copy of a movie will be outdated. Will Disney or anyone else go to the trouble and expense of porting all their popular movies to new formats? Naturally.
Will Disney, or anyone else, go to the trouble and expense of transferring thousands of movies that have been out of print for years, probably forgotten, and included in a database that hasn’t been accessed for a long time? ? Very unlikely. SonOfTheDesert
‘I no longer live like a crazy hoarder‘
Two years ago I gave thousands of DVDs and Blu-rays to charity shops. I no longer live like a crazy hoarder and have much more peace of mind. There are so many old and new works to look at that I have never looked at the discs I bought in decades; I’ve even given away hundreds still in shrink wrap. I could have paid off my mortgage if streaming had been available 30 years ago. RGouveia
‘A filmmaking course‘
One of the reasons I’ve bought so many DVDs over the years and continue to do so is because of the bonus content, such as director commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and interviews with cast and crew. David Fincher’s Seven may exist on any streaming service, but the DVD commentary tracks alone are akin to a filmmaking course. Sagarmatha 1953
‘DVDs are fragile and do not last forever‘
I still have all my DVDs and I’m buying new ones too. I keep them because many movies are not always or never available on streaming services. The only problem is that DVDs are fragile and don’t last forever. The same goes for DVD players. I had recently thought about buying a new DVD player as a backup. I also use streaming services, but they are very limiting and I can’t always find what I’m looking for, especially when it comes to “older” films, for example from the twenties, thirties and seventies. I recently rewatched the original Ladykillers 🙂 The recent remake is a no go. about
‘It’s not one or the other‘
For me it’s not one or the other. Streaming (via the usual platforms) has its place. This allows you to watch movies that you may not want to watch, or try something different etc. And with physical media you can have your own collection, movies that are not available for streaming, or movies that you want to own as you watch them and again . IronMorg007
‘A badge of honor for the rich’
Physical media has become a badge of honor for the wealthy with a house big enough and enough space to store it. Vinyl records are mainly a mid-range boom for ‘man caves’ rather than a superior choice. I have sold all my CDs, DVDs, vinyl, etc. because I simply don’t have the space. Those with the space like to fill it with a physical media library. tjhvaliants