Physical Media might not be dead, but Physical Media in Retail Stores are accelerating the death (1 Viewer)

[John Dirk]

It sure does seem that way sometimes, doesn't it?

It's too bad because we are living in an age where there are more choices than ever for film enthusiasts to select whatever best fits their life style/budget.

... And there you have it. Personally, I prefer physical media. Although I admit it is probably heading the way of the dinosaur I'm not happy about it.

On the other hand I understand why others prefer streaming and it doesn't bother me in the least as there are many advantages.

Ultimately the market will decide and that's exactly how it's supposed to be.

 

[TJPC]

I don’t want to jinx myself, but I have thousands and thousands of discs, including about a third I made myself, and none have ever rotted.

 

[John Dirk]

I don’t want to jinx myself, but I have thousands and thousands of discs, including about a third I made myself, and none have ever rotted.

Everything eventually dies but that doesn't subtract in any way from the enjoyment you received during its lifespan.

 

[JQuintana]

I don’t want to jinx myself, but I have thousands and thousands of discs, including about a third I made myself, and none have ever rotted.

All I can say is good luck.

When was the last time you watched/reviewed all of those 1000's of discs to see how many have rotted? How many different ones do you view per month? Per year?

 

[TJPC]

I agree everything dies eventually, but I think rotting is an extremely rare occurrence only heard about on websites like these, along with the idea that burned DVDs are inferior.

 

[JQuintana]

So you feel confident that all of the 1000's of discs on your shelves will all play perfectly once you get around to viewing all 1000's?

As for burned DVD's. I can tell you first hand that they can be the worst offenders. In the old days when I copied discs to blank DVD's just a few short years after I found many failed due to poor quality. Mass manufactured movies, especially from boutique disc makers are going to have a fair level of failures do to rot from temp and or humidity or other environmental factors.

I hope you bought some carbon offsets for down the road.

 

[TJPC]

All my discs have played perfectly. I do not intend to sit in a basement corner moaning and banging my head against the wall about this issue, it is just not that important. I withdraw from the discussion.

 

[JQuintana]

That's a lot of discs to check! Like 10 or more movies to watch per day for 365 days straight?

Glad they all work well and that you are enjoying them all.

 

[Dave Moritz]

The only thing I am using streaming for is back up! I have used it a few times to watch a movie but not since my Ethernet cable was ruined. So basically after I get buy movies or a movie I register the ultraviolet code on Vudu just to have a back up incase something happens to the disc. Even though I have my pc hooked up to my 43" LG 4K display I really do not access the content on Vudu.

 

[BobO'Link]

OK... I have to ask... What does the mini guitar do?

 

[Jeff Flugel]

The endless streaming-versus-physical media debate rages on. I'm of the camp that uses and enjoys both. No reason why they can't coexist. I'm all for people being able to access what they want, when they want, in the best possible quality available.

I happily use Netflix, You Tube, Amazon Prime, etc. for newer shows, things that I enjoy but would never collect on disc. For me, there's no reason to have these newer shows or movies on physical media as a) there's very little chance I'd rewatch them, and b) they are "new" and so readily available from one or more streaming sites all the time and likely to be so for the foreseeable future.

For older TV shows and movies, which are mostly impossible to find on any streaming service (at least in Japan), and often cost the same or less for a whole season DVD set than one month's Netflix subscription - then I buy on disc. Since I've been playing catch-up with so many releases for years, I tend to get these sets for dirt cheap prices compared to their original release.

It's a system that works for me and I for one am happy to have both sources of content. There's no doubt that physical media is fading, but it is a slow and gradual process. There's already been so much stuff released that I could never catch up with everything anyway, financially or time-wise. I try not to sweat about it too much. A lot was released, more still will be, and perhaps one day, there will be more streaming services available worldwide with more to offer fans of older and more obscure TV series and movies.

 

[Wiseguy]

I think you're idea of what streaming music is all about is outdated.

You do know "you're" is a contraction of "you are," right?

 

[Bryan^H]

That's a lot of discs to check! Like 10 or more movies to watch per day for 365 days straight?

Glad they all work well and that you are enjoying them all.

A lot of goading with a bit of snark. What is it with you and physical media?

 

[bmasters9]

A lot of goading with a bit of snark. What is it with you and physical media?

That's right-- if JQ wants digital, he can have digital; I'm not judging him for it. On the other hand, I don't think it's right for JQ to judge us who like discs because we don't see everything in the same digital way he does.

 

[Brent Reid]

A lot of goading with a bit of snark. What is it with you and physical media?

The word you're (note correct usage) looking for is "trolling". Issues, methinks.

 

[Dave Moritz]

OK... I have to ask... What does the mini guitar do?

ROFL does absolutely nothing it is just a mini Kiss guitar my neighbor gave me.

 

[Bryan^H]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/en...ovie-Exchange-survives-streaming-13555407.php

“The digital thing is killing us,” he concedes. “I don’t know how much longer we can survive.”

This kills me. A store like this getting everything right, yet still in trouble.

 

[PMF]

OK... I have to ask... What does the mini guitar do?

ROFL does absolutely nothing it is just a mini Kiss guitar my neighbor gave me.

Or, it could be used on those days when big frets need to be turned into little frets.

 

[JQuintana]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/en...ovie-Exchange-survives-streaming-13555407.php

“The digital thing is killing us,” he concedes. “I don’t know how much longer we can survive.”

This kills me. A store like this getting everything right, yet still in trouble.

It's part of the revolution of media. We all shed a tear when the last record store closed in our towns. Some shed a tear when the used VHS tapes stores folded, Some will do the same for these kind of shops when, like they said in the article, DVD is no longer relevant.

We have a handful of these shops that sprouted up in the 90's with used CD's, then evolved into used games and dvd's. But I feel they won't last much longer here either.

The old soldiers of DVD's youth will still try to grab some bargains, but the young crowds have no real interest in collecting movies like many of use used to do or still do. At some point stores like this will shudder and the era will end like record stores and vhs stores.

“It’s just that this product, except for the collector, has a shorter product life span,” Stewart says. “For one thing, we know these DVDs are going to be totally antiquated very soon. I have several boxes in my garage of VHS tapes that, for some reason, I can’t quite part with, and the DVD will become that very soon.”

 

[Bryan^H]

I still get enjoyment out of BD, I also use streaming an awful lot so I'm part of the problem why Digital is taking over.