Do you still buy physical media?

[throAU]

Depends what it is.

Most of my nintendo switch library is physical media. Why? Because it will work without internet, and i can re-sell for almost as much as i paid for it when i get bored with the game, if i want. I can loan it to friends, etc.
[automerge]1578546845[/automerge]

Media as a Service and Software as a Service is cancer and I will not indulge in it when it comes to buying movies, music, and so on. I mean, heck, I actually just bought a very cool cassette tape of a local band's latest EP, so that's where I'm at right now.

I wouldn't go that far, but i sure as hell won't pay the same amount for digital media as i will for physical (which is what some/most media companies are trying to do).

Digital can be convenient, easily searched, etc. and I do like it for that. But if it is something i want to keep long term, i'll aim for physical media.

Movies, for me do not fit that criteria. I don't even bother to buy a lot, i just rent and stream these days when appropriate.

I'm happy with the appleTV/AppleMusic, etc. subscription model where i get full access to the library for $x/month. I think that is very much NOT cancer. However owning stuff i can't at least download and store offline is unattractive.

 

[YaBe]

If you don't use a methodology that eliminates placebo effects and level differences, you don't know if there is a real "night and day" difference or if your mind is playing tricks on you. From my experience most people who proclaim to hear huge differences don't really know what compression artifacts sound like.

What music did you use on your blind test (genre and quality) what hardware did you use in your blind test, how many people participated in the blind test?

All this factor in, also just because someone can hear the difference does not make them better or people who don't worse, it's just that some can hear the difference in quality.

So I do not really understand people who do not hear the difference get so defensive and pretend others cannot either.

Listen to what you enjoy, and if for you it's not hearable, don't stress about it.

Personally, I hear the difference and quite a lot, in some recording and kind of music better than in others, in other recordings the difference is not noticeable and for that reason, I use the high-quality dap when needed, when I am hearing the latest pop song in today's chart, the phone + Bluetooth is more than enough!

I know what I hear, there's no "mind trick" with the right equipment/music.

There's a difference in hearing the music and listening to music, and it is more than equipment, it is also your attitude towards music, and how you are gonna enjoy it, as said before background noise, the time you dedicate to it and so forth so on.

 

[maxjohnson2]

For movies, I only buy DVDs. For music its a mix of MP3 and CDs, the mp3 has to be drm free. For games I have no choice but to buy digital, but most of them are from GOG which are drm free.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

I find it comical that people worry about it being against the law to rip a disc. For God sake people, when you see the damage that the Governments are doing to the environment, the world, climate change and destroying each other like at present, ripping a disc for ones enjoyment seems rather mind. Do you all agree on this?

That's the thing about governments. They DON'T CARE if "they" broke the law or the "state" or "government" broke the law. That won't stop them from screwing YOU over. Unfortunately, not all countries have reliable police either, let alone reliable or fair laws. My point is you take your chances. I'm not passing judgment on whether it's "morally right or wrong" here. The FBI warnings seem like dull threats, yes, but I believe if they were after you for some other reason, they'd sure as hell get you one whatever they could get you on. Look at Al Capone. They couldn't prove the real crimes he committed so they got him on tax evasion! Prison is prison. Do you feel better there because you're there for "another reason"? Shower time still probably won't be much fun....well maybe.

My advice... be confident and listen to yourself - do what makes you happy - there'll always be people that try to prevent you from doing things but that's because they usually have sad and very dull lives!

Be confident in breaking the law!

Your comments a really only valid for a few die hard AV enthusiasts. Very few people own 150" screens.

Well, I own a 92" screen and sit 9 feet away. I don't find iTunes objectionable, but I won't pretend it's the equivalent of a 4K UHD disc. And I've seen far too many programs/web sites/whatever disappear to think, "Hey, Apple will be here forever and never get rid of my iTunes movies" (or Vudu or whatever one might use). Ultraviolet was supported by major studios. It's GONE. They could have not transferred certain studio movies and you'd lose them. Tough.

Please remember that the Movies Anywhere is for the USA only. The USA is a country in 1 of 200 - that's 0.5% of the world!

If you love your old discs great. Buy what makes you happy. I personally detest discs (having had to use them for two evenings when I was without my Mac & Apple TV) and never want to go back to such an old fashioned product that deserves to remain in the 20th century.

My god.... It's not about "old fashioned" for goodness sake. It's about HARD COPY! I don't watch my movies off disc hardly ever! I rip them myself and stick 'em on giant server hard drives to stream around the house. It uses no Internet data (local network). The government can't spy on what I'm doing that way (certainly Apple knows your viewing habits, if no one else) and for the whopping 20 seconds it takes for me to stick a disc in the drive and hit rip (I don't have to sit there while it rips!), I get the best of both worlds with or without a "digital copy!"

I can also do things you cannot do with streaming copies. I can take an Atmos soundtrack off a 2K or 4K disc and remux it onto the 3D version that only has 5.1 sound and play that off a hard drive as well! My 3D copy now has Atmos sound! I can take a 4K only DTS:X track and make it work with the 2K video and have DTS:X without needing a 4K projector. You can't even get DTS:X right now with streaming and most DTS:X movies are NOT in Atmos on iTunes as they have a deal with DTS for exclusive release for now! I even have 3D movies where I can pick from Atmos or Auro-3D on the same FILE due to remuxing. You can't even store a 4K copy off iTunes! If they remove it, you have NOTHING.

 

[pjarvi]

1,049 Blu-rays and counting. Just starting to get into buying UHD with 42 so far. When I transitioned to Blu-ray I whittled my DVD collection down to 145. I even have a handful of VHS movies still, due to them not having DVD/Blu-ray releases. I forget how large my iTunes movie collection was before going back to physical, it was over 300 IIRC. With free digital copies being included with most physical releases I've had no reason to buy digital anymore. I do appreciate having the digital copies though, over Christmas I traveled on Amtrak to visit my folks (3 days on the California Zephyr) and it was incredibly convenient being able to open the Amazon Video app on a cheap Fire tablet to download movies with 2 quick taps of the finger. To play physical backups on-the-go with that tablet I've got to use Handbrake to compress them and transfer them to a memory card before leaving, not nearly as convenient. That's something I should look into to see if Plex or Infuse have added the ability to download for offline viewing, I've got Plex Server running at home, so I'm already set on that end.

 

[DrBubba]

Not all movies etc are available online so buy those, rip and add to iTunes.
Currently ripping some classic film noir movies that not seen on iTunes, Netflix etc.

Yep, that’s me as well. Lots of old film noir, action, comedies, etc. aren’t available to stream (e.g. The More The Merrier, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, The Best Years of Our Lives, Detour, Out of the Past, et. al.), so I’ve purchased these and others as physical discs and ripped ‘em to my NAS running Plex. For more “contemporary” fare I purchase discount codes for iTunes or Movies Anywhere and download ‘em to iTunes. Over the years I’ve accumulated around 1000 movies and TV shows in this manner, and it’s great to be able to watch what I want, when I want, on whatever device I want.

 

[jblagden]

That's the thing about governments. They DON'T CARE if "they" broke the law or the "state" or "government" broke the law. That won't stop them from screwing YOU over. Unfortunately, not all countries have reliable police either, let alone reliable or fair laws. My point is you take your chances. I'm not passing judgment on whether it's "morally right or wrong" here. The FBI warnings seem like dull threats, yes, but I believe if they were after you for some other reason, they'd sure as hell get you one whatever they could get you on. Look at Al Capone. They couldn't prove the real crimes he committed so they got him on tax evasion! Prison is prison. Do you feel better there because you're there for "another reason"? Shower time still probably won't be much fun....well maybe.



Be confident in breaking the law!



Well, I own a 92" screen and sit 9 feet away. I don't find iTunes objectionable, but I won't pretend it's the equivalent of a 4K UHD disc. And I've seen far too many programs/web sites/whatever disappear to think, "Hey, Apple will be here forever and never get rid of my iTunes movies" (or Vudu or whatever one might use). Ultraviolet was supported by major studios. It's GONE. They could have not transferred certain studio movies and you'd lose them. Tough.



My god.... It's not about "old fashioned" for goodness sake. It's about HARD COPY! I don't watch my movies off disc hardly ever! I rip them myself and stick 'em on giant server hard drives to stream around the house. It uses no Internet data (local network). The government can't spy on what I'm doing that way (certainly Apple knows your viewing habits, if no one else) and for the whopping 20 seconds it takes for me to stick a disc in the drive and hit rip (I don't have to sit there while it rips!), I get the best of both worlds with or without a "digital copy!"

I can also do things you cannot do with streaming copies. I can take an Atmos soundtrack off a 2K or 4K disc and remux it onto the 3D version that only has 5.1 sound and play that off a hard drive as well! My 3D copy now has Atmos sound! I can take a 4K only DTS:X track and make it work with the 2K video and have DTS:X without needing a 4K projector. You can't even get DTS:X right now with streaming and most DTS:X movies are NOT in Atmos on iTunes as they have a deal with DTS for exclusive release for now! I even have 3D movies where I can pick from Atmos or Auro-3D on the same FILE due to remuxing. You can't even store a 4K copy off iTunes! If they remove it, you have NOTHING.

Regarding the legality of ripping physical media, I think it comes down the spirit/intent of the law rather than the letter of the law. As far as I know, section 1201 of the DMCA as regards physcial media is supposed to cover mass distribution. You know, like bootlegging. Plus, look at iTunes - it's legal and if you're totally ensconced in the Apple ecosystem, you can watch your iTunes content on all of your devices. So why should physical media be different as long as you're not giving copies to everyone you know or letting others torrent your digital copies?

 

[jtrenthacker]

UHD Blu-Ray. As others have mentioned, audio/video can't be beat yet. I also rip a 1080p copy to stream through my Apple TVs through the house for casual viewing.

 

[jz0309]

There is 1 movie that I cannot find anywhere online to download/stream other than Start: Young Frankenstein. It is still available as DVD and I might buy it, rip it even though I do not have a DVD player anymore ... and no, not going to subscribe to Start to watch it, I want it in my library with is s mix of ripped and iTunes.

 

[JagdTiger]

While physical media is the ideal solution to keeping recordings what is the point when you eventually leave this earth and can't take it with you?, All that is really happening is making others richer by purchasing their records so they can enjoy the fine things on this planet while getting nothing for it, doesn't make any sense.

 

[Boyd01]

I stopped using DVD's nearly ten years ago, gave up on CD's several years earlier. When I moved to my rural location in 2006, there was no cable TV so I accumulated a large DVD library. Ripped them all into iTunes over a period of a couple years (about 600 movies and 600 TV shows), they are now on a Mini that I use as media server with two AppleTV's, a couple Macs and iOS devices.

My daughter sent me some DVD's of a concert from the 1970's for my birthday. Ripped them to my library and enjoyed.

 

[Grade]

Sony’s PlayStation Store Pulling Access to Purchased Studiocanal Movies Next Month​

Sony’s PlayStation Store, as of next month, will remove access to hundreds of movie titles from Studiocanal that customers in Germany and Austria previously purchased.

The move comes a year after Sony’s PlayStation group stopped offering movie and TV show purchases and rentals, as of Aug. 31, 2021, citing the rise of streaming-video services. At the time, Sony assured customers that they “can still access movie and TV content they have purchased through PlayStation Store for on-demand playback on their PS4, PS5 and mobile devices.” But clearly, that didn’t mean forever.

PlayStation posted notices about the impending removal of the Studiocanal content for German and Austrian customers on its website.

“As of August 31, 2022, due to our evolving licensing agreements with content providers, you will no longer be able to view your previously purchased Studio Canal content and it will be removed from your video library,” the notices read. “We greatly appreciate your continued support.” The PlayStation Store’s removal of the films was previously reported by German website 4KFilme.

It’s unclear whether PlayStation Store will refund customers for their purchases of movies that will no longer be available; a Sony rep declined to provide any details about that. Studiocanal reps for the Germany-Austria region had not responded to a request for comment.

The list of Studiocanal-distributed titles that will be removed include 314 in Germany and 137 in Austria.

Those include Studiocanal-financed films like “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” the two “Paddington” movies, “Non Stop” and “Shaun the Sheep Movie.” In addition, the titles that will no longer be available to PlayStation Store customers in Germany and Austria include multiple Lionsgate movies, including the “Hunger Games” series, “John Wick” starring Keanu Reeves and the “Saw” series.

https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/playstation-store-pulling-access-to-purchased-studiocanal-movies-next-month-1235310863/

This is the main reason, I still don't fully trust digital format.

 

[ian87w]

As much as I used to love physical media, the downsides are turning me away.
- they take up space, and it is a torture when you want to move/find stuff. Most of my physical media are in storage, and it will be a challenge trying to find a movie or two.
- they rot. My country is very hot and humid. I've seen CDs and DVDs rotting.
- the players are getting harder to find. Right now, it's actually difficult to find a CD/DVD player. Most computers don't even have them anymore. I use my old PS3 as a DVD player.
- oh and don't forget the highly annoying unskippable studio ads

With streaming, I don't even have to go through my collection to find a movie that I want to watch. Just search, press play, and enjoy. No stupid unskippable ads/trailers. On series, I can go to the next episode with a click of a button, and skipping all the intros. Convenience wins out.

 

[ftaok]

I was a hard-core buyer of physical media. I would buy around 6 to 10 Blu-Ray movies a year and a few box sets too. But all that changed when they stopped selling 3D blurays in the US. Sony held out for a bit, but then they stopped too. I had to import them from the UK in order to get 3D blurays, but then I'd lose the digital copy code.

Alas, the 3D releases in the UK got sporadic and I was tired of waiting an extra month or two for the big movies to release in the UK. Also, Disney+ made it kinda redundant to buy since I could stream the movies earlier than they release on BD.

 

[har9020]

I like the convenience of streaming but consider digital copies/streaming a calculated risk. Other parties can remove my access to those films at any time. I like having hard copies as a backup, and the bonus content that comes with many of them. Internet goes down? No problem. Disc!

I do have many digital titles that were priced too attractively to turn down, and I don't have physical backup copies. But for the titles that REALLY matter to me I have physical copies too. And there are a great many movies and shows that are not available at all digitally. 1972's "Sleuth", for example. The rights are tied up in a convoluted knot. So I'm keeping my DVD forever in a safe place.

 

[phrehdd]

I like the convenience of streaming but consider digital copies/streaming a calculated risk. Other parties can remove my access to those films at any time. I like having hard copies as a backup, and the bonus content that comes with many of them. Internet goes down? No problem. Disc!

I do have many digital titles that were priced too attractively to turn down, and I don't have physical backup copies. But for the titles that REALLY matter to me I have physical copies too. And there are a great many movies and shows that are not available at all digitally. 1972's "Sleuth", for example. The rights are tied up in a convoluted knot. So I'm keeping my DVD forever in a safe place.

While not totally consistent, I do very much the same. I make a point to purchase UHD discs that include digital. I also have a few streaming-only items that were in a very good sale. My most recent thoughts on streaming only is to ask myself how many times might I watch a particular movie then check rent vs purchase.

 

[MarkC426]

I still have VHS tapes, Laserdisc, DVD, Blu-ray, HDDVD and all associated players.
Also cassette tapes, masses of vinyl (which I am currently digitising), CD's.
I actually bought a video tape recently, as it doesn't exist on any other (legitimate) format.

Most new purchase are iTunes.

Don't touch 'paid' streaming services.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I just can’t deal with all the space physical media takes up. Digital is just more convenient.

 

[hungryghosty]

I'm happy to sign up to streaming subsciption services (netflix, spotify, etc) but I've never felt comfortable with the idea of "buying" movies, games or music from online services unless they also give me the option to download a DRM-free copy of the content I've paid for.

Given the choice I'd rather subscribe to a service or pay for physical media. Buying digital content is only something I'll do as a last resort when I have no other option.

 

[steve62388]

I just can’t deal with all the space physical media takes up. Digital is just more convenient.

This. I used to have a huge physical collection but moved to digital a few years ago.

The convenience means I watch my films more often, which is a good thing.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I have a lot of physical media. I have been working to get it all transferred to my home server. I no longer buy digital media from Apple.

 

[smoking monkey]

I got about 250 DVDs just sitting there wonder what I should do with em. Some of them I'd like to turn into digital files, I guess I should grab Handbrake to "back them up".

 

[Apple_Robert]

I got about 250 DVDs just sitting there wonder what I should do with em. Some of them I'd like to turn into digital files, I guess I should grab Handbrake to "back them up".

MakeMKV is much better than Handbrake not to mention a lot faster. Once MKV gets done with the file, I use Permute to convert to MP4, which is also quick.

 

[Lioness~]

Used to listen a lot to music in earlier. So I have a quite large collection.
I ripped them over to digital long time ago.
But hardly ever listen today. Meditation destroyed' the need for that constant 'feeding of the emotional body'.

I buy/download maybe an album every other year or so now. Gotta have some new ring-signals and/or wake up music. That's it.

 

[throAU]

Since I posted I started collecting Ultra HD blu-ray. For the quality improvement.