Is Physical Media Better Than Streaming?
By Movieguide® Contributor
In a world full of instant and on-the-go, streaming seemed like a no-brainer.
At the beginning of the streaming boom, subscribers could access almost any show or movie they wanted on a single streamer. But now, popular content is spread across several different platforms, making watching TV expensive and causing some to reconsider the value of physical media like DVDs.
Does purchasing physical media have any benefits over subscribing to a streaming service?
According to Make Use Of, there are seven key reasons why physical media is better:
- You don’t need an internet connection.
- Streaming means you don’t own anything.
- Content on streaming services can be changed.
- Not all streamers support high-quality visuals and sound.
- Physical media comes with bonus material.
- You can easily borrow and share physical media.
- Searching through streaming platforms is a chore.
Because of those things, physical media purchases are on the rise.
Phil Halliday, a managing director of a hit UK entertainment franchise called HMV, told The Mirror, “It’s been really positive to see the physical products in visual back in growth 4K and Blu-Ray have been doing particularly well. It’s a bit like people buying music physically, in that we are getting a lot of people wanting to collect certain titles.”
“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,” he said.
“People are willing to pay for a physical copy of shows or films they know they will rewatch,” he explained, adding that it’s been a “step up for the business.”
While it seems like everything is available to stream, actor Timothy Simons pointed out earlier this year that “it kind of isn’t. And the thing that is available on streaming could just not be tomorrow, if two companies you don’t care about get in a fight about licensing.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
Availability, however, is not the only concern fueling movie lovers’ return to the physical medium. Another factor comes from the finality in the physical medium as opposed to the alterations that can be imparted on digital copies. Recently, some companies have chosen to go back and censor certain parts of movies and TV shows they deem inappropriate, causing viewers to watch movies that are not everything they remember them to be. Other times, music changes are made due to licensing issues, again leaving viewers with an experience that is not fully authentic.
Another component in the return of Blu-ray mirrors that of vinyl records, where consumers are realizing that physical mediums often hold higher quality than their streaming counterparts. While many streaming services offer 4K streaming, this high quality can only be accessed under perfect conditions. Meanwhile, 4K Blu-ray requires slightly specialized equipment but can deliver on the quality at any time.
While streaming is only going to continue to grow, it appears that it will never fully kill off DVD and Blu-ray. While the sales of physical movies and TV shows will never return to its heights, it remains a billion-dollar business.
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