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[Dr.Morris79]

even more so when convenience is brought into the equation.

Well, no. There is zero convenience when no streaming service offers the actual thing you want to watch.

Time and time again I find myself personally not being able to watch the things I want to watch via any digital service.

This is before you start getting to the shenanigans corporations are starting to implement on what we can and can't watch. Removing episodes, removing content if it doesn't align with certain demographics, etc etc

I'd keep an open mind on physical.

And movies bought on disc are not only for people who want a nicer version. It also is a point of having an actual copy of something that can't be changed for some of the points stated above.

 

[kyussman]

I find this "Physical copy" supremacy thing laughable. Soon the disks will contain minimal content and require the rest to be downloaded anyway / require online.

Yea,absolutely.Gaming is very different to movies.Picking up a physical movie means having a version that can never be fucked with.....having a game on disc means very little these days.

 

[jufonuk]

When your internet is down what you gonna do ?

 

[ManaByte]

I find this "Physical copy" supremacy thing laughable. Soon the disks will contain minimal content and require the rest to be downloaded anyway / require online.

Isn't that how it is now? For most games the disc is nothing more than a authorization code for download.

 

[RoboFu]

When your internet is down what you gonna do ?

Wait for an hour for it to come back on?

What are you going to do when your blu ray player dies? When your disk scratches? When blue-ray players are no longer made?

The thing with movies is that the majority or people just watch a movie once. That’s why movie rental stores were so popular back in the day.

Streaming movies is the norm to stay and physical is just a novelty.

 

[kruis]

The LP record sales hit their highest since the 1960 in the UK last year. They need to capture that energy for Blu-ray somehow, nicer frameable artwork and physical extras or something.

1960ies? That's impossible, because vinyl was the ONLY way to buy music in the 1960ies and vinyl is still a niche market despite its unexpected resurgence. Current vinyl sales in the UK are higher than they were in 1990, but also remember that CDs had overtaken LPs in 1988.

People bought more records in 2021 than any year since the 1990s

.

thevinylfactory.com

How the compact disc lost its shine

It’s 30 years since Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms began the CD boom. How did the revolution in music formats come about and what killed it?

www.theguardian.com

Taylor Swift and Rolling Stones drive Christmas surge in UK vinyl sales

More than 250,000 vinyl records were sold last week, the most since the turn of the century

www.theguardian.com

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Isn't that how it is now? For most games the disc is nothing more than a authorization code for download.

LMAO no? When's the last time you put a physical game in your console and played it?

DoesItPlay? - Home

Working to ensure games remain accessible now and always!

www.doesitplay.org

90% of physical games today still play simply by putting it in the console.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Well, no. There is zero convenience when no streaming service offers the actual thing you want to watch.

Time and time again I find myself personally not being able to watch the things I want to watch via any digital service.

This is before you start getting to the shenanigans corporations are starting to implement on what we can and can't watch. Removing episodes, removing content if it doesn't align with certain demographics, etc etc

I'd keep an open mind on physical.

And movies bought on disc are not only for people who want a nicer version. It also is a point of having an actual copy of something that can't be changed for some of the points stated above.

Out of interest, which films and shows can't you find, and which have been removed?

 

[jufonuk]

Wait for an hour for it to come back on?

What are you going to do when your blu ray player dies? When your disk scratches? When blue-ray players are no longer made?

The thing with movies is that the majority or people just watch a movie once. That’s why movie rental stores were so popular back in the day.

Streaming movies is the norm to stay and physical is just a novelty.

Not if you have a library of physical media that you make sure tou keep clean etc

I think it will have a resurgence like vinyl did.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

The only BluRay disc I've bought in the past 10 years was the Mario Bros movie, and I didn't think it looked that much better than a 4k stream. Streaming is just too convenient.

The quality argument is real but it can be harder to distinguish. And for smaller 4K sets depending how far away you’re sitting, your eyes might not even notice the difference.

The stronger case for preserving physical media is the eventual loss of content that can’t be found anywhere once it is taken down. That is unacceptable. And it already happens alllll the time.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Out of interest, which films and shows can't you find, and which have been removed?

It happens allll the time. Off the top of my head, I can think of 10 movies/ TV shows that literally disappeared off streaming *anywhere* and were long out of print in physical form.

Eventually some of them come back on a different service but the issue is you could go 1-2 years with zero options other than piracy. And that is just unacceptable.

On a few occasions I’ve even looked for certain movies to buy on digital storefronts like Vudu, Apple or Xbox, understanding there were zero streaming options, like they literallly didn’t even pull up in a search, let alone could it be purchased. Awful.

Content switches to different streaming services all the time due to licensing and financial agreements, but the issue is when something is removed from the only service it’s on, but doesn’t get added anywhere else. And also can’t be found in physical form.

That is a future I don’t want to live in. But it’s already been happening for years.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

It happens allll the time. Off the top of my head, I can think of 10 movies/ TV shows that literally disappeared off streaming *anywhere* and were long out of print in physical form.

Eventually some of them come back on a different service but the issue is you could go 1-2 years with zero options other than piracy. And that is just unacceptable.

On a few occasions I’ve even looked for certain movies to buy on digital storefronts like Vudu, Apple or Xbox, understanding there were zero streaming options, like they literallly didn’t even pull up in a search, let alone could it be purchased. Awful.

Content switches to different streaming services all the time due to licensing and financial agreements, but the issue is when something is removed from the only service it’s on, but doesn’t get added anywhere else. And also can’t be found in physical form.

That is a future I don’t want to live in. But it’s already been happening for years.

Yeah, I can see that. I think we were slightly talking about different things, obviously you've got a good point where it comes to things that have been around for a while, but in terms of new releases, I think for most people the convenience factor does play a big part - because given multiple options to view including disc and streaming, streaming doesn't require delivery or for people to get off the sofa, but I'm not sure how many people are looking for something to rent for one view vs those who want to keep forever.

I wonder if any of the studios would ever consider doing hyper limited prints of their films, I went to a concert years ago where you could request a recording of the specific show you attended, if that was viable for them, I wonder if the studios would do the same with a print of the film, I can't imagine that grading a film for an additional format would be of any significant cost.

 

[Garibaldi]

I buy all my shows and films on disc (4K or if unavailable, standard 1080p). The quality is far far superior. Games? Couldn't give a toss. Digital is fine for them imo

 

[Valedix]

I find this "Physical copy" supremacy thing laughable. Soon the disks will contain minimal content and require the rest to be downloaded anyway / require online.

Depends on the publisher, Microsoft, Activision, Warner Bros, EA & Ubisoft have all started going this route. SONY and Nintendo still have a good track record it just depends on the developer themself, like for example Gran Tursimo Sport being online only for single player content (hence the user review meta bombing).

 

[K2D]

I wanted to buy my nephew games for the holidays, but he's only got a digital only ps5, and I'm worried he'd spend any psn card on vbucks or a fifa equivalent..

 

[Mobilemofo]

Yes, for that time in 10 years when I want to re-watch that one movie out of 500 I bought. Peak hoarding + consumerism combo.

Or for that time in your digital only library when licences have expired and you no longer have half of your collection. Ahhh..good times. I'll stick with physical media.

 

[Naked Lunch]

For games I disagree completely - most games get a million patches - your disc is usually worthless the second you open it.
Ive converted to digital years ago - and my Steam games I bought in 2003 are still there.

But movies - yes. You see it already.
Movies move from sub service to service. Often disappearing from the one you have. So then you have to jump thru hoops just to watch the movie you want again.
People who sold off their DVD/BR movie collection years ago are probably regretting it now.

 

[Rawbutt Jellybean]

For games I disagree completely - most games get a million patches - your disc is usually worthless the second you open it.
Ive converted to digital years ago - and my Steam games I bought in 2003 are still there.

But movies - yes. You see it already.
Movies move from sub service to service. Often disappearing from the one you have. So then you have to jump thru hoops just to watch the movie you want again.
People who sold off their DVD/BR movie collection years ago are probably regretting it now.

Discs can at least be lent or resold. Digital games are actually worthless since you're stuck with them forever and can even lose access if something happens to your account.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Piracy. Because pirates are the only people who give a fuck- aside from historians.

Keep Circulating the Tapes - TV Tropes

There once was a show. You know, that show. It was a really good show. Or maybe it was something else. Still, you'd love to relive the memories, and share it with your friends. There's just one problem: It's impossible. Watch and record reruns?

tvtropes.org

Also ironic coming from the BBC who has lost TV shows.

 

[Naked Lunch]

Discs can at least be lent or resold. Digital games are actually worthless since you're stuck with them forever and can even lose access if something happens to your account.

Very true. Wrong choice of words on my part. Worthless to me personally, from the perspective of someone who doesnt resell things.
Im looking at it more - trying to replay it 20 years from now. With all the day one massive patch DLing and such.

Im also someone who has a massive library of retro games from Intellivision to 360 - but even ive switched over to digital in the new gens. Once the online patches showed up to console gaming that was it for my physical collection.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Out of interest, which films and shows can't you find, and which have been removed?

Lots over the years.

obviously you've got a good point where it comes to things that have been around for a while

As you now seem to agree on

Funny that.

 

[Bond007]

Been preaching this from day one to anyone that will listen.
Physical all day everyday.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Lots over the years.


As you now seem to agree on

Funny that.

Yeah, I was talking about new releases in my original post, I wasn't thinking about older things because I assumed that buying a Bluray of a delisted show is likely as impossible as it is to find something on a streaming service, likely owing to the same licensing/content problems. Essentially, the answer to not being able to find something on a streaming service is probably go back in time and buy the disc when it was available or wait for one to come up on ebay. I still think that everything else I said is completely valid. I think it's extremely unlikely that Blurays will ever have a resurgence of a similar scale that Vinyl has seen in recent years, and Blurays are still presented as a way to achieve the best picture quality whenever I've seen them discussed.

I wasn't looking to score points, but you can have them if you like? Well done!

 

[Topher]

For games I disagree completely - most games get a million patches - your disc is usually worthless the second you open it.

How is it worthless when you can resell it?

 

[SportsFan581]

Best Buy to End DVD, Blu-ray Disc Sales

Best Buy plans to phase out sales of DVDs and Blu-ray discs both in-store and online by early 2024, the company said.

variety.com

Amid the ascent of streaming video, sales of DVDs and Blu-Ray discs have been shrinking for years. U.S. physical media revenue in the first half of 2023 dropped 28%, to $754 million, compared with $1.05 billion in the year-earlier period, according to data from trade association DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group.

I have doubts about a widespread resurgence. Especially with a lot of retailers reducing or eliminating the products from their catalogs.

Everything needs perspective as well, vinyl records have also surged a bit by percentage in recent years but the final results are still nothing in comparison to previous highs.

 

[NeonDelta]

I have a mix of physical and digital copies these days. I’m an advocate of both but physical wins hands down.

the downside of physical is resale value plummets when new technology comes out. Unless you have a film that’s in distribution hell and out of print or they’ve changed something in the film. I had 700 dvds at one point which ended up being worthless, especially after getting rid of the boxes. Then I had 300 blu rays, most of which became worthless, I think cex give you 1p per disc unless it’s a box set when you get 10p.

when moving into a smaller room I decided I’d slimline my physical collection And made a list of about 40 films which I love and have slowly upgraded them to 4k disc. It’s likely 4k will be the last physical media for films, can’t see there being 8k disc Format.

Any blurays i had which I would watch again but werent on my list i put in a cd wallet (about 70). Rest went to charity shop. DVDs (other than those not available digital or on bluray)went to recycling. Anything new im not sure about I wait for it to be £3.99 on Apple TV and buy it digitally and treat it like a rental. anything on my favourites list not on 4k I own on standard Blu-ray

4k Blu-ray films that are fully 4k with Dolby vision etc are so much better than the 4k digital copies. Especially with a decent player (I have a Panasonic 450) and an OLED tv. some standard blurays upscaled look much better than some of the 4k digital transfers. The bit rate on digital is nowhere near good enough.

I want to watch my favourite films in the best quality possible and without anyone taking out scenes or messing with them In other ways. and if digital ecosystem goes down the pan I can still watch what I love.

 

[Putonahappyface]

I really like the series Pistol by Danny Boyle and I've watched it twice already on Disney+. Guess what? It has now been removed so I can no longer watch it. I'll never part with physical media never!

Fuck you Micky Mouse.

 

[Putonahappyface]

We bought 6-7 4K movies over Christmas. Really hope they stick around. Seeing as we only have like 1 shop where we live that still sells a fairly large selection.. its not looking good.

Ready player one
The Patriot
Fury
Dune
Topgun 1,2
JohnWick4

For those curious.

Good man. I stick to one simple rule, only buy content that I'll watch over and over again.

 

[Rocco Schiavone]

For games I disagree completely - most games get a million patches - your disc is usually worthless the second you open it.

This bullshit was already debunked by me thousand times in the physical games thread.

When will you digital only fanboys stop spreading this bullshit??





On PS5 70% of the games are complete fine and on Switch 80%+.

 

[ShakenG]

Good man. I stick to one simple rule, only buy content that I'll watch over and over again.

Thats pretty much it.. just films i rewatch.
Which is a lot like your collection.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Been preaching this from day one to anyone that will listen.
Physical all day everyday.

Physical is not the solution because shit goes out of print all the time.

 

[mckmas8808]

we saw it in the leak. Most sales of Sony titles are physical. 60-70% in fact.
Of course majority prefers to have their big games on shelf, cheaper, own them and some gadgets that usually come with it like a steelbook. And Sony leak proves my theory

100% correct. Glad more people caught that in the leak.

 

[Bond007]

Physical is not the solution because shit goes out of print all the time.

But you still have it when its gone right....after you bought it and have it in hand.
Or maybe you want to buy it second hand? There are options here.

 

[Naked Lunch]

How is it worthless when you can resell it?

I answered that in my post right above yours - my bad - wrong choice of words for sure.

 

[Topher]

I answered that in my post right above yours - my bad - wrong choice of words for sure.

Ah.....I didn't see it. No worries.

 

[Fake]

Physical and nothing will change my mind.

 

[j0hnnix]

I understand the argument for digital games , and will be continuing to download my games but movies no way! Outside piracy and the insanely expensive kaleidescape that allow supreme quality due to allowing you to download the full disc I will buy my movies. Streaming in my eyes will be mediocre for now.

 

[Demigod Mac]

Every physical media collector has had this moment:

Movie description: "Leaving Netflix on January 31st"

*looks at same title sitting on the shelf nearby*

"Not for me."

 

[March Climber]

Where are the digital content where you could buy the BD-quality? Nowhere to be found.

Vudu - Watch Movies

www.vudu.com

Ultraviolet Cinema

Shop and compare pricing on thousands of Ultraviolet, iTunes and Disney movie codes from dozens of trusted stores.

ultravioletcinema.com

Home | Movies Anywhere

Watch movies online with Movies Anywhere. Stream movies from Disney, Fox, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros. Connect your digital accounts and import your movies from Apple iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Xfinity, Google Play/YouTube, Microsoft Movies & TV, Verizon Fios TV, and DIRECTV...

moviesanywhere.com

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Well, why not? It's not about the physical disc, but instead they give us streaming with inferior quality! Where are the digital content where you could buy the BD-quality? Nowhere to be found. Streaming movies sucks!

Apple TV is the only streaming service that delivers 80 mbps 4K streams, nobody else are close to that bitrate. Apple's 4K streams look very good, though 4K UHD BD is still slightly better with up to 144 mbps theoretical bitrate. Also 4K UHD BD offers lossless audio, something no streaming service does. That said, if I was going to pick a streaming service that can at least deliver better than 1080p BD quality, Apple TV is the one.

Apple still hands out free trials of Apple TV+ like candy too, unlike all the other streaming services. Apple is already profitable unlike everyone besides Netflix and they seem intent on driving viewer volume by any means necessary, even if 75%+ of their viewers are watching for free and without ads even.

 

[Buggy Loop]

I've got half a dozen box of DVDs + Blurays in the basement

A shitload

When do you think is the last time I opened the box to go play a movie? Not since they were put in a box...

I don't understand clutching at physical.

MUH streaming buy can maybe be removed... Yeah so? What's the value of most of my DVDs now that, Blueray 1080p outclassed it and then 4k ULTRA HD outclassed it... and ... ? I basically lost the fucking thing right. No value. No value. I haven't even factored in disc rot into this, I'm not even sure my collection is in good condition, its been years the boxes are in the basement and even kept in pristine conditions, shit happens.

In the meantime, movies I bought on apple Itunes years ago in HD, they were upgraded to 4K HDR and look fantastic.

I understand that for console games, physical is better because of resale and value. Nintendo games come to mind. But this is only true because the digital stores have not been consumer friendly on consoles at all. Most games don't' transfer outside of maybe this gen. Nintendo sure doesn't. It's a shitshow. Meanwhile I've been digital only on PC since the dawn of Steam.

I ain't going back to shelves of shit plastic boxes, taking precious space and that depreciate rapidly. Not for major FUD about library disappearing, which is how much % ? You remove something I bought legit anyway and it's the high seas mate.

 

[Arsic]

I don’t give a shit. If I get hit by a train tomorrow I’m not gonna care that I didn’t have a physical blue ray of some obscure shit C tier film.

People consumerism is nauseating.

 

[Tarin02543]

We need a service that lets you download a 100 gb encrypted file

 

[EDMIX]

Yeah it’s seen such a resurgence that Best Buy started removing all their blu rays and DVDs yesterday

Best Buy Will Soon Stop Selling Blu-rays And DVDs

It’s the end of an era as the retail chain begins removing physical media from stores across the country

kotaku.com

yea I know right, that must be why they are doing this /s

Best Buy Stock Falls After Retailer Cuts Sales Outlook

Best Buy shares fell after the retailer cut its full-year sales outlook, saying consumers are hunting for deals and demand has been hard to predict. Chief Executive Corie Barry cited sales trends in the third quarter and so far in November, including the leadup to Black Friday. Heading into the hol

www.wsj.com

Best Buy sales fall 8% as electronics demand stumbles

The retailer lowered its guidance as a result of consumer uncertainty, but CEO Corie Barry said the sector should stabilize next year.

www.retaildive.com

^ Calling it now, the next Circuit City and HHGreg =)


Know why bud? The last time a major brand like this did a loyalty program after stocks dropped, they went out of business...

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/11/best-buy-doubles-down-on-membership-program-as-sales-cool.html

^ lol fucking sus

aka Blockbuster loyalty program lol

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Wait for an hour for it to come back on?

What are you going to do when your blu ray player dies? When your disk scratches? When blue-ray players are no longer made?

The thing with movies is that the majority or people just watch a movie once. That’s why movie rental stores were so popular back in the day.

Streaming movies is the norm to stay and physical is just a novelty.

Buy another blu ray player.
Fix or buy new discs.
Physical media destroys streaming in PQ and sound.
It's not a novelty more like the enthusiasts choice.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

But you still have it when its gone right....after you bought it and have it in hand.
Or maybe you want to buy it second hand? There are options here.

Seriously? Buying second hand from collector douche bags? They don't deserve a single cent. Not a good option.

If somebody wants to find out what Xenosaga was all about downloading it from where CDs like to find Romance is the best solution.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Sorry, but convenience trumps all for the majority of us.

The current - and probably irreversible, save for a complete collapse of our society and infrastructures - situation with physical media is a consequence of many factors.
The ephemeralness of audio and (especially) video media that existed until the VHS era brought people to desire they could rewatch the stuff they wanted, when they wanted. Before home video, if you’d missed something, it was gone.
Then home video hit and it was a success, but it came in an age of restless technological development. Format wars ensued. Physical media evolved. We had VHS, then we had to rebuy the same stuff on DVD, then Blu-Ray, then 4K Blu-Ray. Physical media revealed itself to be not so durable after all, needing to be improved and rebought periodically.

Meanwhile, media production didn’t just boom in the last three decades - it positively exploded. Globalization meant that movie and music industries that were very much their own regional thing, suddenly got attention from the west. More stuff gets produced every year. Now imagine wanting to keep your favorite media collection up to date with the latest video tech, while tons of new interesting stuff are getting released daily. More and more physical stuff, while housing gets more expensive. Also, there’s so many things to consume, and so little time. The physical stuff people thought they’d rewatch endlessly a couple decades ago, started piling up dust on shelves, then getting boxed up and stored away in basements and storage houses, never to get used again.

For gaming it’s the same, except games are even more ephemeral. More people are willing to rewatch an old movie than replay an old game.

Last, physical media has a high cost. A single 4K BR movie costs as much as 2 or 3 months of any subscription service. How many people will tell you it’s worth it?

Too much stuff getting produced + finite storage space + so much to consume + so little time + shorter fads and shortening attention spans + high cost of physical media = can you really blame people for caving in to the convenience of not owning media?

 

[poppabk]

I find this "Physical copy" supremacy thing laughable. Soon the disks will contain minimal content and require the rest to be downloaded anyway / require online.

I haven't been keeping up, but they used to be updating blu-ray disks copy protection meaning you needed to update your blu-ray player firmware to be able to play newer disks. So even if you own the disk doesn't mean you can play it.

 

[violence]

I’m surprised Best Buy sells vinyl but is dropping 4K Blu-ray.

 

[Alan Wake]

Nolan's stance on this topic reminded me of what I needed to do: start buying Blu-ray movies again. I never stopped but I have to admit that Netflix etc have made my purchases rarer than before. Now I'm buying 4K UHD's almost like a statement. They're not cheap but I'm fine with that. At least I can watch them whenever I want.