How do you explain your love of physical media in an era of streaming? (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

My home theater (when not flood disabled) beats every shoe box theater by a mile.

For me, the experience of seeing a movie with a crowd can never be replicated at home. I don't care if I hit the lottery and put an IMAX projector in my house, it can never be the same as seeing a movie with a crowd in a theater.

 

[kalm_traveler]

For me, the experience of seeing a movie with a crowd can never be replicated at home. I don't care if I hit the lottery and put an IMAX projector in my house, it can never be the same as seeing a movie with a crowd in a theater.

That's fair, and pretty common from other posts in this thread.

In my case, I like watching a movie with friends or family but being in a theater with a bunch of strangers doesn't really enhance the experience for me at all - and usually detracts from it (people talking during dialogue, kids screaming or crying, the gassy person next to you especially if they giggle after releasing their deadly fumes, people cheering/clapping mid-movie).

To be clear though I would never want to dissuade someone from sticking with theaters if those things are enjoyable to them - just not my cup o' tea as a longtime introvert and guy in early middle-age on his way to being that crusty old 'get off my lawn!' man in the neighborhood.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I love the theatrical experience when it’s a well maintained facility with a respectful crowd. I’m less enamored of experiences that lack one or both of those conditions, and sadly, I’ve found that to be the case more often than not when I’ve went over the last five years. I know that can vary wildly from showtime to showtime and that our own personal tolerances for those things vary (and sometimes my own do too).

But I feel like that’s almost beside the point. Movies have a short lifespan in theaters - a week or two for a lot of things, maybe a month or two for others. And then for the most part they then are available at home forever. In other words, whether I saw every new movie in a theater wouldn’t change that in the end, I’ll see the ones I like more times at home than in the theater.

There’s room in my little heart for all of it

 

[Worth]

...Movies have a short lifespan in theaters - a week or two for a lot of things, maybe a month or two for others. And then for the most part they then are available at home forever. In other words, whether I saw every new movie in a theater wouldn’t change that in the end, I’ll see the ones I like more times at home than in the theater...

There are a handful of movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark - which I have owned on pretty much every format in existence, from VHS, laserdisc, DVD, blu-ray and 4K - that I have never actually watched at home. I've scanned through the discs and sampled a scene or two, but never watched from start to finish. It always shows up at a cinema screening at least once a year, and I always go to that.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

That’s how I am with “2001” and “Dr. Strangelove” - I have watched all my different versions but I will almost always hold out for a theatrical screening, whereas other movies that don’t show up in theaters nearly as often will get watched more at home.

 

[TravisR]

But I feel like that’s almost beside the point. Movies have a short lifespan in theaters - a week or two for a lot of things, maybe a month or two for others. And then for the most part they then are available at home forever. In other words, whether I saw every new movie in a theater wouldn’t change that in the end, I’ll see the ones I like more times at home than in the theater.

That the opportunity to experience a movie in a theater is fleeting is all the more reason that I cherish it and want to get to have that experience.

There are a handful of movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark - which I have owned on pretty much every format in existence, from VHS, laserdisc, DVD, blu-ray and 4K - that I have never actually watched at home. I've scanned through the discs and sampled a scene or two, but never watched from start to finish. It always shows up at a cinema screening at least once a year, and I always go to that.

I saw Once Upon A Time In Hollywood a million times in the theater and I've watched the UHD once at home. One, it wasn't the same as seeing it in the theater but two, I was admittedly a little burned out on it too.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

That the opportunity to experience a movie in a theater is fleeting is all the more reason that I cherish it and want to get to have that experience.

I mean, I just sat in rush hour traffic for two hours each way to see Dune in IMAX, so yeah, I’m on that train too.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

In the era of COVID I've not stepped foot inside a movie theater since Bad Boys for Life. I kinda miss it but I am also very comfortable with my home theater and the safety and convenience that gives me.

My son is 9, isn't yet vaccinated, and is very high risk (he has Down syndrome), so we've be extra super-duper, with cheese on top careful, but if we can get him vaccinated before Christmas, I want to take him to see the Sing sequel in theaters and it will be his first ever trip to a movie theater. He loved the first movie and the sequel has Bono (of U2) voicing a major character, so there's something in it for all of us

As for the topic, I don't care if you think my massive wall of physical media is weird, and I don't care if you think I am selling out by having a massive digital library of movies and TV shows, or that I stream from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple, BritBox and a smattering of others.

I'll do me, and you do you, is my philosophy . Be happy doing whatever it is that works for you and that will me me happy, too.

 

[Robert Crawford]

A subject matter worth discussing, but perhaps not in this thread as we already have the "disc versus streaming" debate going on here.

So much for me trying to keep this discussion on topic. Anyhow, I'm out, as I don't care how people watch and/or collect their movies. Streaming, discs, or going to the movies are all fine with me.

 

[John Dirk]

Since we're veering in this direction I'll chime in. I visit commercial theaters a couple of times per year solely because it serves to preserve my marriage. I regret the experience practically every time and regard it as time served. I suppose it also helps me to appreciate and be thankful for my setup at home.

 

[Walter Kittel]

For me, the experience of seeing a movie with a crowd can never be replicated at home. I don't care if I hit the lottery and put an IMAX projector in my house, it can never be the same as seeing a movie with a crowd in a theater.

Sure - crying babies, kids running up and down the aisles, elderly folks who need every line of dialog repeated to them by a family member, the distractions of cell phone conversations, my vision being completely wiped out by a myriad of cell phone screens in a darkened theater. Never the same as home theater viewing.

Okay, I'm having a little bit of fun here. I do agree that a quality theatrical experience is the sine qua non of film viewing. But, like most everyone here I have had some pretty bad theatrical experiences which tends to balance the scales between theatrical and home viewing. Add in COVID-19 and home viewing looks pretty good to me.

Having said all that, I do think that folks should indulge their film viewing experiences in whatever manner they choose. For me, I still prefer physical media for the 'keeper' titles and tend to stream lesser known films; which sometimes I will turn around and purchase on disc.

- Walter.

 

[John Dirk]

Okay, I'm having a little bit of fun here. I do agree that a quality theatrical experience is the sine qua non of film viewing.

Folks, we have a linguist among us. This sent me straight to Google.

Having said all that, I do think that folks should indulge their film viewing experiences in whatever manner they choose. For me, I still prefer physical media for the 'keeper' titles and tend to stream lesser known films; which sometimes I will turn around and purchase on disc.

I agree. Even though I feel the way I do about the commercial theater experience I am still cautiously happy to see them returning to service.

 

[Wayne Klein]

On the other hand, older movies (and I mean really old movies) aren’t as likely to be on streaming platforms. Even though there is a limited audience for these, physical media does allow the discover for some of these titles that might not otherwise appear.

 

[OliverK]

There are a handful of movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark - which I have owned on pretty much every format in existence, from VHS, laserdisc, DVD, blu-ray and 4K - that I have never actually watched at home. I've scanned through the discs and sampled a scene or two, but never watched from start to finish. It always shows up at a cinema screening at least once a year, and I always go to that.

I like to go to 70mm festivals which means I have not watched many of these movies at home for about 15 years. So for me I have not watched my 4k versions of Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus and West Side Story nor the previous Blu-ray versions. There are others but these three I have watched 4, 5 or 6 times in 70mm which is just fantastic in a proper movie theater.

 

[DaveF]

Personally, I don't think anyone who has a "love" for physical media needs to explain anything. A lot of people like to feel like they have control over their movie choices and that is what physical media delivers for them. I haven't been buying much in the way of discs lately; however, if someone else enjoys the hobby via movies on disc then it is their money and no explanation is needed.

No, you do need to explain your love of physical media….

 

[DaveF]

I buy AAA titles on disk. B movies I buy digitally. Everything else is a mix.

I buy random older movies on disc that aren’t obviously on streaming. For example, I bought “Love Actually” to add to my Christmas collection. It didn’t come with a streaming code, isn’t available on a streaming platform, and was cheaper on disc than to buy digitally.

I also buy random movies that catch my eye, like Tenet and First Blood, that come with a digital movie code and are similar / cheaper to buy on disc. That way I can do my HTPC hobby. But when that dies, they’re also part of my online movie library for future proofing.

I no longer buy any Disney / Pixar movies since they’re all on D+ and I’m already paying for that.

I’ve also come to recognize and be ok with my movie buying being stochastic. Everything new and worthwhile is more easily available online, so that’s become my default. I buy random things on disc that strike my fancy. That’s increasingly older movies as I’m slowly doing an ad hoc re/watch of classics that I missed as a kid (e.g. First Blood) or want to rewatch for nostalgia (e.g. Lost Boys).

 

[bmasters9]

kids running up and down the aisles

Or worse, kids (and teens) in R-rated movie showings (especially babies, the parents of which are too lazy to make the money to hire babysitters).

 

[Walter Kittel]

Or worse, kids (and teens) in R-rated movie showings (especially babies, the parents of which are too lazy to make the money to hire babysitters).

I am not a big fan of that either. I remember walking out of a theatrical showing of Fight Club and seeing a guy walking out of another exit with a boy who could not have been more than five or six years old. Had to shake my head at that display of parenting.

- Walter.

 

[bmasters9]

I am not a big fan of that either. I remember walking out of a theatrical showing of Fight Club and seeing a guy walking out of another exit with a boy who could not have been more than five or six years old. Had to shake my head at that display of parenting.

- Walter.

That subject matter would be too intense for that little boy (don't know why his father [apparently his father] didn't think of such things).

 

[Keith Cobby]

The novelty of taking a disc out of a box will never wear off for me.