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Streaming isn’t as great as many claim. Yes, streaming services seemed to be the future, but physical media is having a resurgence.
We still love films and TV shows on actual discs. However, physical media is unlikely to completely replace streaming, which is a shame because it has a huge number of benefits that mean DVDs and Blu-rays aren’t going anywhere.
1You Don’t Need an Internet Connection
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been watching something on Disney+, and it’s pixelated. It drives me crazy. I’d much rather play a reliable Blu-ray version of anything I watch.
Streaming services all need a reliable internet connection, and that’s not always possible. Lagging results in visual artifacts messing up the image quality as the Wi-Fi can’t keep up with the show or movie. In effect, then, it looks bad.
Netflix, for instance, allows you to download limited content for offline viewing. That does, however, also rely on a stable connection.
Some places can’t get a better internet connection. For others, it’ll cost more. And for others still, internet providers say they’re getting top speeds, but they’re simply not.Streaming platforms like Disney+ can easily glitch; with physical media, that’s a rarity.
2Streaming Means You Don’t Own Anything
When you put faith in online services, you don’t actually own any of that content. That might not bother you right now, but it should. A2023 Australian studyfound that ownership reinforced individuality, “a threshold requirement for human happiness.” We feel a sense of joy from looking at the books, cars, furniture, stationery, and, yes, Blu-rays that we own.
Beyond a sense of identity, owning physical copies of things we like also means they can’t be altered or deleted by someone else.
How would you feel if Netflix suddenly removed your favorite film? Without supporting physical media, that industry will die, so you wouldn’t even be able to find a physical copy of it to watch. Rights issues and contract expirations happen all the time, so content you don’t own can disappear without a trace.
Because a corporation owns anything on its streaming services, not you. You own nothing.
3Content on Streaming Services Can Be Changed
Nothing on streaming platforms is fixed forever. Even when a company owns a specific production, it can still vanish from its digital library.
Take Runaways, for example. This Marvel TV show was available on Disney+. Disney owns Marvel, so you’d think Runaways would be available forever. However, according toDisney CFO Christine McCarthy, due to “strategic changes,” Runaways was scrubbed from the service in 2023.
The truth is that streaming services can delete or edit anything they want, and you have no say in it. Changes can happen by mistake (such was the case when an edited TV version of Back to the Future Part II was added to Netflix), to censor, like when a casting couch gag was taken out of Toy Story II, or fix CGI that’s attracted negativity, as per Thor: Love and Thunder.
Actually, they can edit content for any reason they like!
4Not All Streamers Support High-Quality Visuals and Sound
We expect to see films and shows in the best quality we can. If something was filmed in 4K, why shouldn’t we view it in 4K? However, not all streaming services offer full, high-quality content; some don’t have HDR support, and audio is often compressed.
And some of the ones that do offer good visuals and sound charge extra for them.
On the other hand, physical media offers the best resolution and audio possible. However,4K streaming is of worse quality than 4Kon Blu-ray.
5Physical Media Comes With Bonus Material
Streaming services have effectively killed Value-Added Material (VAM). Nonetheless, DVDs and Blu-rays still warrant attention by packing in bonus material.
This could include deleted scenes, bloopers, commentaries, documentaries, PDFs, and other behind-the-scenes content. These give you added depth and appreciation of what you’re watching and justify the extra cost of paying for physical media.
In addition to this, you can get limited-edition releases, like steel books and art cards.
Some streaming services have limited VAM. Disney+ is the best for this: not only do many TV shows and movies have extra tabs featuring this content, but there are also special documentaries like Marvel’s Assembled: The Making Of series. Still, these pale in comparison to what Blu-rays can give fans.
6You Can Easily Borrow and Share Physical Media
DVDs and Blu-rays cost money per release while streaming services typically require a monthly payment to access whatever you want from their libraries. Nonetheless, physical media doesn’t always have to cost the earth. It can also be shared, which is possible with streamers but is either illegal or frowned upon.
You can find physical media at your local library. Just like books, these are meant to be shared with a community.
This levels the playing field. Children, the elderly, the unemployed, the wealthy: everyone can go to their library and enjoy physical media, no matter their financial and social situations. If we leave the DVD and Blu-ray industry to die, this cuts off a much-needed well of information and entertainment.
What’s more, you can share these with family members and friends—not something that’s possible with streamers.
7Searching Through Streaming Platforms Is a Chore
How often do you look for something to watch, only to spend an hour or so searching through content libraries instead of actually enjoying what’s on offer?
There are too many streaming services, and flicking through them all just to find something decent to watch has become a frustrating chore. Netflix, Paramount+, and Prime Video have their positives, but they hungrily gobble up our time.
It seems the general public agrees. Phil Halliday, the managing director of the UK entertainment store chain, HMV, toldThe Mirrorthat physical media sales are on the rise.
It’s a bit like people buying music physically, in that we are getting a lot of people wanting to collect certain titles,” he explained. “When streaming first came out, I think a lot of people saw it as cheap and with huge breadth of choice, but I’m not sure people see it like that now. People are willing to pay for a physical copy of shows or films they know they will rewatch.
This is the key: streaming is impermanent. With DVDs and Blu-rays, you can create a collection of your favorites. So, aren’t we all over the streaming phase?
