Proof That Physical Media is NOT Dying

[@Terry.W]

I felt so sorry when my neighbors internet went down....they popped round and watched one of my Blu Rays ..no adverts no loss of quality and full on Dolby Digital...They were impressed and are now thinking of investing in physical media ..Yay so pleased..

[@Matanumi]

Not only that but their internet coming over caused them to come to a neighbor.... Creating community that wouldn't be there if it wasn't for internet going down

[@pirateluffy01]

​@@Matanumiso true

[@chaosvii4605]

Streaming is "content", physical is forever. Physical always wins.

[@davidsimicevic1769]

This is great. Physical media is the best way to watch movies at home.

[@ericlozen9631]

I've built my home theater system around one focal point: physical media. If this format didn't exist, I wouldn't have spent a ton of money doing so. The demand is still great and as long as it remains this way, I will continue to spend money.

[@Lexy-O]

The demand for physical media exponentially bigger than what was predicted but the studios believe the streaming propaganda and aren’t tapping that revenue by offering much of their highly collectible franchise content or much of the back catalog. All those pirated movies could be studio revenue if they simply offered those titles. In addition all the titles that sell out quickly hint at a much larger market than the quantity that was produced. Additionally the sales of out of print titles going for the price of new copies or more are another clue as to the demand being higher. They could also fan the flames of the market by abolishing region locked discs and players and make every physical media release going forward region free which would not only sell more discs but also more players for people that want to upgrade to a region free player. The fact that 4K blu ray is mostly region free shows they already know region locking is actually bad for business. If someone wants to pay a bit extra for an import that isn’t going to cut into domestic sales…

[@slate49]

I didn’t start collecting unti all rental stores closed and the cost of purchasing disc came way down-now disc are going up in price. I like holding what I’m gonna see. I’m assuming others are like me out there

[@DriveupLife22]

Anyone who's been in the high end audio market for any length of time (Vinyl, SACDs, DSD and FLAC downloads) knows that niche formats live on for decades, and the releases today are the best the format has ever seen. This will be no different for 4K.

[@nicholasthill7151]

The question is, if the players aren't worth producing because not too many want to lay down $150-200 to play a film a person can stream, Sony and others won't be eager to keep manufacturing them. I think we forget, if the players aren't easily attainable, you have expensive drink coasters. This isn't like Lps where they have been around for a hundred years and there are tons of used turntables and you can manufacture and sell inexpensive ones. Another factor is that the average film collector is not comprised of younger people. The vast majority of younger people could care less and care even less about throwing a couple hundred to watch a film they can watch on their phones. Many aren't even going to the theaters. So, doubtful they are eager to throw $30 on some fanboy 80s cult film they can watch for free. In the next 3-5 years, many Boomer collectors will be gone. My daughters are in their 30s and were raised on film. Their film teachers used to tell me how impressed they were with their film knowledge. Guess what? They are satisfied with DVD. They care more about the film than the format. They even pick up VHS.All this, in spite of the fact I buy them Blurays every year for Christmas! They haven't watched most of those because they have the DVD! I bought my grandsons dozens of DVD collections of various anime series and famous animated shows (the Transformers and Thundercats and many others) and they have not finished one of them over the past two years of owning all of them. They stream a ton of stuff. To change the perception, it's going to take more than wishful thinking and hoping they become enamoured with slip sleeves, steelbook and other onboard gimmicks and extras. It's long to take cheaper prices and promotion and nobody wants to work ot volume sales. Well, Mill Creek is an exception but everyone else? Not so much. It reminds me of the classical music hard media issue. Nobody can figure out why kids aren't eager to pay $20 for a performance that has been printed a dozen times and is being released in a new remastered/remastered edition with lots of bells and whistles. Of course, the fact kids can listen to the older restored editions for free on KZbin or stream it on Spotify can't be the issue. Nah. I'm certain the kids will go out an buy CD players and pay collectors premiums at some point. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[@s0jrn3r]

@@nicholasthill7151 I see your anecdotal example and raise you with my own: My 18yo daughter, who loves K-pop and listens to it constantly on youtube, YT music, spotify, etc... and PAYS for YT music... still buys the elaborate and expensive physical media those bands release. If you've never seen a K-pop CD release, prepare to be amazed. They typically come in a 2-CD height box or hardcover media-book style package. They come with art book, poster(s), art cards, stickers, etc. and usually cost from $30 USD to $50. They are on shelves even in places like Target, though book stores an other stores sell them as well. She has me rip them to my plex server, but still adores the physical shelf she has dedicated to the bands she likes. Even better: outside of her (older) car, she does not own another CD player! I am not stating the fallacy that this proves physical media is not dead any more than you should with your example for the reverse... I'm just saying that your one experience is not the rule, and the numbers quoted in the video do not lie. If boutique labels are producing that number of titles in a year and are seemingly doubling it this year, then they are doing so because it's making money. There is no other reason to make that media as a company. THAT proves that someone other than you and your daughters are buying physical media movies and that physical media is not, in fact, dead. Just sayin' ;-)

[@greenricky4782]

Interesting information to think about. A whole Blu Ray market didn't know existed.

[@TheMJKnight]

Good to know Physical media is alive and well

[@azv343]

When I realized that streaming services didn't even have the most recent scans of their movies I started buying physical media again. It got so bad one time that Netflix actually had The Addams Family 1990 in 480p without even smoothing out the low res, no attempt to hide it, this was in 2022!!! FFS I gave my brother the bluray as a present, how can streaming services NOT have the most recent remasters? Same thing happened this year, Nightmare before Christmas on Disney plus looked awful compared to the 4K bluray that came out (obviously I bought it because I don't trust streaming services anymore).

[@strumdogg1]

I remember this moment. The

[@CerealAtMidnight]

Thank you! I'm posting these shorter clips to get the information out there for people who won't watch an hour-long conversation. Hopefully these get good engagement and circulation.

[@joshua2814]

I was raised “cash is king” and see it before you buy it. That market is next to dead and it’s where I most live (I am horrible at budgeting with credit cards). But I can’t really complain. If I watched two movies a day only from my physical collection, I wouldn’t have to repeat one for over two and half years.

[@zztop7000]

Because of Xbox and Playstation is keeping physical format alive!

[@capndavey1]

They want us to think its failing they the music and movie people don't want you to have any of this stuff! they have been flipping out ever since CD's hit the market in 1983!

[@TheAlexZorba]

Its nice to have more data. The truth of the matter is that as long as we live it won't and cant die. There have never been more new weekly releases than there are now. I can't afford anything near everything I want to buy.

[@infectedgoat7775]

I went to Half Price Books the other day bought VHS and DVDs from 1.99-5.00! I bought a Dukes of Hazzard episode that aired on Jan 26 1979 and the day I bought it was Jan 26 and it’s also my sister’s birthday! The universe is definitely telling me to buy a 68 DODGE CHARGER only 70k-100k! Oh and the bizarre thing they were selling Master of Puppets cassette (mint condition) and Megadeth SFSGSW for $100! All my cassettes got chewed up via the janky tape/radio combo in my 89 Dodge Daytona (not even part of the car just thrown into a panel that constantly knocked out the fuses). Hey, I had no AC or heat but I had tunes (most of the time). Funny thing is I was in a band in NYC and used to work in acquiring/distribution of DVDS etc and I told my band mates years ago cassettes are going to make a comeback (vinyl was having its resurgence) and I even found the only place that would still process bulk cassettes w artwork for good prices but nah man nobody wants that crap. Now every show I go to cassettes everywhere! Which is cool I like when people explore different sounds on different media but man lol. I also found had an idea to put our album and special songs on usb bracelets I found from a merchandiser. I thought that was a cool way for peeps who didn’t want physical media etc. “Nah brah that’s ghey nobody in their right mind would wear a bracelet at a NYHC show unless they want a BEATDOWN.” Now bands use those too! But hey they were all from Staten Island and I was from Ohio (moved to Queens) lol. Sorry for the long winded rant my point is physical media in all forms has steadily been rising especially at conventions, film markets etc. For example we could never keep a movie called “COMBAT SHOCK (1986) Limited edition VHS or DVD in stock for long and they always sold at conventions. Fans love to pour over the artwork, liner notes etc. like I used to read all the lyrics in the cassette as a kid and I never forgot that. Surprisingly, the number one bestseller of all time (if you consider it physical media) were coke mirrors lol. Order in bulk and design a template with the movie or band’s name and man! It was such a niche, kitsch item (for entertainment purposes only) they always sold especially in Brooklyn.

[@adamfn7086]

I love collecting physical media, I have hundreds of movies and tv shows across DVD and Blu Ray and I have hundreds of video games and a few CDS. Streaming services don't always have the movie or tv show you want to watch. when it comes digital video games they can always get removed or the servers are down. It gives me great comfort knowing I can just pop in a game I want to play or a movie or tv show I want to watch at any time. I guess you can say I'm a bit of a hoarder

[@DoctorDestyNova]

If I buy it, I use it. That’s my motto

[@mikesilva3868]

❤great news

[@DoctorDestyNova]

The funny part the internet is how it makes us fatter and less bright, and less communal with our neighbors.

[@izuku8292]

What about physical media sales

[@princeofpop8]

Thank you very much. I’m currently boycotting streaming services in support of physical media. Streaming services sux anyways.

[@PlaystationGamerZX]

What even more funnier even Netflix planning to opening a store of physical copy after best buy planning to remove Physical 💿 Streaming itself know Physical are important

[@DoctorDestyNova]

@@PlaystationGamerZXWait? Netflix acting like Blockbuster? LMFAO!

[@Anonymous-wb3nz]

Same here!

[@SnoDub]

I was robbed for over 200 movies out of my collection. Mostly dvds. It's been 10 years since. And I've found maybe half. Some are rare and cost a lot online. Sucks.

[@eternalhalloween1]

Just my thoughts. There is always hype. The same thing happened in 2006. There was sinister hype over CD dying. Ok.CD is down. But it's still not dead. DVD it too universal. It works in DVD plays. Some laptops still take DVD. Some tablets take DVD. No one wants their DVD collections wiped out. BR has enough of a fanbase. 4K is in the most unstable spot. No. DVD is not going away.

[@treewisps4085]

only media that died was VHS because dvd was just way easier to make / less cost.

[@austinwillcut4919]

Same with Laserdisc.

[@funkytown01224]

Laser disc was the grandfather of dvd, it was old from the start (switching sides in the middle of a movie lmao)

[@austinwillcut4919]

@@funkytown01224 That's true, switching the sides was obsolete but the selling point was that LD looked/sounded better than VHS and it didn't wear out like a tape would from multiple viewings. Also, most of the movies were in widescreen by the 90's and a lot of them had special editions with features.

[@robertt9342]

And now mandalorian has been released

[@nicholasthill7151]

What are the sales of the players like? That's the real gauge? Do we have those numbers or does anyone know where to obtain them? I buy a lot of hard media but I am not the guage, just the addict. There a lot like me.

[@alterdres]

With not having Dutch 3D release of Avatar 2 i disagree. Fox/Disney discriminate us.

[@miz4535]

Yeah it is location dependant. For much of the world, it is dead, but those tend to be places where piracy is more rampant.

[@jrlangdon89]

Just buy physical easy

[@thetoythief8940]

I feel like if they killed physical media they'd release dvds and just gut blu-rays and 4ks completely

[@9latinumStudioz]

Sounds like allot but most movies are trash 🗑️ even the big 1s are only good for 1 watch I had Netflix for like a week and it made me appreciate Hollywood quality so much ✨ so cheesy It was around the time of A Quiet Place which was a major let down - I didn't even talk about it 🤦 They put ANYTHING on streaming - at least if it has a physical release you know it's somewhat decent 🤷 it's the total opposite of straight to dvd - straight to streaming 😭😭

[@ajsmovieplace]

But … there putting out more yet selling less ! That’s indicative of trying to keep a dying trade alive. 🙄

[@CerealAtMidnight]

That's a glass-half-empty way of looking at it. Like winning the lottery and complaining about the taxes.