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Do you still buy physical media?
- Thread starter JamesMay82
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I live in New Zealand and I bought a Blu-ray recently... which I had to import from Australia because none of the local retailers had it, even three weeks after release.
The silly thing is that maybe 90% of the time the NZ releases are literally the same as the AU ones, just with a different rating sticker on the front. So it's not like it's expensive to sell them here...
I definitely do not rely on streaming, and if I find high quality uploads of shows on YouTube that I enjoy (e.g. The FBI Files), I download them all, because you never know when they'll just randomly pull them or block them from your country. I also love buying older movies and TV series on DVD and Blu-ray.
I have noticed the past 12 months or so (in UK), any TV series I could previously get, the latest season is either non-existent or a 'dodgy' looking burned disk (from Amazon, via marketplace).
They always show the Region 1 packaging, but are actually Region Free.
I buy 4k UHD discs because of the better picture and audio. I buy 3D but have to import some because 3D is primarily on it's last leg in the U.S. sadly. The price of projectors with 3D are coming down to tv prices so maybe 3D will come alive again
I still buy physical media but unlike 5-10 years ago I've only been buying based on things I truly want in my collections. Personally, I'm on the road for less is more in my life. Though it is a damn shame that physical media isn't what it used to be due to streaming. It is so important to keep physical of the things you enjoy most or at least have your own digital back up that you own outright.
Here in Portugal, there are no stores selling any sort of DVD or Blu-ray. Only online, there they are selling the discs already in stock. 4K discs never really took off here.
What I buy is from online retailers from Uk or Spain. Occasionally from France, because love French comedies, but I'm not fluent in French.
What I buy is from online retailers from Uk or Spain. Occasionally from France, because love French comedies, but I'm not fluent in French.
I do the same. I stream most music and video. I will purchase only really special films or tv series (that I’m afraid may be ‘disappeared’ from streaming, as has happened a few times); and then I do my best to extract the files so that I can have a digital copy. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t like having to actually use a disc. I don’t even have a blueray connected to my tv anymore. Just a bluray burner/player external drive that I use for data storage and file conversion/extraction.
With regard to music, before the start of streaming I had collected an enormous (at least to me back in 2010) digital music collection of variable bitrate (very high quality) and lossless audio files (around 120GB). Many of those were ripped from my own CDs…which I ultimately sold off for pennies, as I didn’t need the discs anymore. Over the past few years, I have purchased some music, but I really prefer everything entirely digital. So I have purchased some hi-res files via services like Qobuz, who offer very high quality and current music.
What I reallly want—soon!—is for Apple to produce a new codec or streaming solution to mobile devices that will allow for high-resolution/lossless file streaming to wireless headphones. I know…mostly one can’t tell the difference (I’ve done the ’golden ear’ sound tests, 😂), but I think that in some instances it is possible. Anyway, wires are just too much trouble and get tangled…and frayed!
It really depends from person to person.
I don't consider paperback books as physical media. For me, media is either music or motion pictures (TV or movies).
I still do sometimes.
Streaming is incredibly convenient and the ability to skip all the credits etc,is really useful plus, it's usually in a really high quality format.
But, a whole season of something is often cheaper on DVD than it is to take a subscription, or it's not available to stream at all or most often: it's just not available in English.
You probably don't realise how common it is when you live abroad to find Apple, Prime etc only make series available in the language of the country, or don't include the subtitles in English of not at all.. Madly infuriating.
I streamed 3 series of Killing Eve in English with English subtitles, the forth series only available in French
WTF????
I can't bear dubbing: if it's made in English I want it in English and if it's made in French I want it in French and with the appropriate sub titles. DVD is great for that.
Streaming is incredibly convenient and the ability to skip all the credits etc,is really useful plus, it's usually in a really high quality format.
But, a whole season of something is often cheaper on DVD than it is to take a subscription, or it's not available to stream at all or most often: it's just not available in English.
You probably don't realise how common it is when you live abroad to find Apple, Prime etc only make series available in the language of the country, or don't include the subtitles in English of not at all.. Madly infuriating.
I streamed 3 series of Killing Eve in English with English subtitles, the forth series only available in French
WTF????
I can't bear dubbing: if it's made in English I want it in English and if it's made in French I want it in French and with the appropriate sub titles. DVD is great for that.
I have zero 'subscriptions' to streaming services.
All is iTunes, BUT I have numerous shows which on UK iTunes may only have season 1, so I then have to get other seasons on DVD, which is so annoying.
Having collected vast amounts of Films/TV series over decades in numerous formats (seems nonsense to to keep re-buying in new formats), VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/HDdvd/Blu-ray it got to a point where storage was an issue, so moved to iTunes whenever possible.
Still buy disks for foreign/un-available titles though.
All is iTunes, BUT I have numerous shows which on UK iTunes may only have season 1, so I then have to get other seasons on DVD, which is so annoying.
Having collected vast amounts of Films/TV series over decades in numerous formats (seems nonsense to to keep re-buying in new formats), VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/HDdvd/Blu-ray it got to a point where storage was an issue, so moved to iTunes whenever possible.
Still buy disks for foreign/un-available titles though.
I only buy DVD media that is unavailable in a download but this has me rethinking that...
I stream here and there but also still buy physical media (CDs, blurays, books) for titles I actually want for my library. The problem with streaming is titles get dropped when licenses run out (or they can be edited from the original version if someone finds them offensive), quality is significantly worse in most cases, you need constant internet access and there is still buffering, and you have to pay monthly your whole life then once you stop paying you have nothing. I’d rather pay once per title that I want, have the highest quality, never have to wait for good internet connection, amass a collection that I have complete permanent control over, and eventually pass it on to someone else.
There are problems with physical media of course—you have to acquire it, it requires digitizing, and it takes up space and has an impact on environment. So digital purchases would be the most ideal for me, but that quality is mostly inferior like streaming, and DRM spoils everything. I’m hoping someday they can start selling original quality and figure out how to do away with DRM, maybe using blockchain.
Although for the most special of titles, I’d still want a physical copy, especially with books and I’m thinking of getting into vinyl. There’s something special about analog that is a shame to lose.
There are problems with physical media of course—you have to acquire it, it requires digitizing, and it takes up space and has an impact on environment. So digital purchases would be the most ideal for me, but that quality is mostly inferior like streaming, and DRM spoils everything. I’m hoping someday they can start selling original quality and figure out how to do away with DRM, maybe using blockchain.
Although for the most special of titles, I’d still want a physical copy, especially with books and I’m thinking of getting into vinyl. There’s something special about analog that is a shame to lose.
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ha im the same as you and pretty much stopped buying around 2010 as i didn’t dig much new music but i have bought the occasional album since.
So do you use a music streaming at all? And out of curiosity how old are you? I’m 40.
I stream everything now! If I can’t stream it, I don’t want it. And I can wait for something to hit streaming availability. I occasionally think about purchasing discs of things I really want to have permanent copies of, but extracting good files from video is very difficult. Music is much easier, but there are services that sell high-resolution files. And, buying physical media, I then have to store it someplace! I do the same with books, almost all are digital ebooks, with only some books purchased in hardcover (if they’re really special or beautiful or maybe limited editions).
Agewise, I’m about 15 years older than you! But I’ve always embraced new tech (at least when it’s an improvement over the old tech).
Oh, and for music streaming, I use Apple Music. Basically for the compatibility with my devices and homepod, as well as that they do have an extensive library available to listen to now. And I like lots of different genres, so that works for me.
How about you, what service do you use (if you do)?
I’m the same, although i cancelled my Apple Music account just before Christmas because i find myself just listening to all the same old music i already own. Although i must admit i do miss the compatibility of how it works with my Sonos and Apple TV systems. But i also think that I’ve spent thousands on my CD collection over the last 30 years and it seems wasteful to walk away from it and i think that’s what bugs me the most!
LOL, I do understand about the spending. I do often listen to much of the same music in my ‘favorites’ stream/playlist, but I do try to mix it up with new artists who I haven’t listen to before (or only rarely so). That’s how I discover a lot of new music. I’m sure I could be content with what I have in my personal library of music, but I really like having new artists and songs come to my attention regularly, without having to research and look for reviews and pointers in other media about what’s new and good. So to me it is worth the monthly/yearly spend. I’m able to listen to a lot more new music than if I were buying CDs or high-resolution albums.
There is one thing. Buying movies digitally, in my case AppleTV, is far cheaper than buying them physically. A lot of times is a 10 to 15 euros difference.
The biggest reason I stop buying physical media is the space available in my house. There is none.
But physical media can be a roadblock so to speak. I want a 42" or 48" 4K TV in my bedroom/2nd living room but doesn't fit on this massive, very deep (about 60cm) and expensive bookshelf (2 meters in height and width) that we bought in 2002 and it is currently like new. It only fits a 28" TV. Try to work around it, doesn't work on the rest of the space... we have a lot of stuff and living with a person that isn't the type of letting go and has a lot of books and pens and History magazines and PVC figurines... and me collecting movies, Lego and Star Wars Books (the old Expansive Universe, not this Disney new stuff) doesn't help.
And Dust? It can get very dusty, very quickly. In two weeks, the shelves can have a clear white cloak of dust on them. So we have to clean quite regularly.
Dust is the bane of my existence. I live in NYC and it is a really dusty, gritty, city! Even with my windows closed (or mostly closed) the dust and soot comes in and lands on my windowsills.
Totally agreed about storage space, living in an apartment. This is also why I prefer digital media (no physical copies) overall — both for reasons of space, as well as dust and cleaning. I also remember when a 28” TV was a large size! Before everything went flat LCD and format changed to 16:9. My 9 year old 43” TV (LCD) is probably the equivalent of an old 32” CRT from back in the day (turn of millennium).
We stopped a while ago only issue is my content is fragmented because my wife uses Google services and I buy everything on iTunes/Apple TV. Movies anywhere used to be helprul but not all content is syncd anymore.