Newsletter #4: Let’s get physical (again)

By Alex Wiggan

A few years ago I found myself falling out of love with DVDs and Blu-rays. These once popular forms of home entertainment, which I had been interested in for years, no longer seemed to grab my attention in the way they did.

Various reasons were in play for my decreased interest in discs, including less time to watch movies, less storage space to house them all, a reduction in spare income, and a few too-many DVD playback issues which soured the experience. On top of this, the industry was shifting more towards streaming, less effort was being put into new releases, and fewer places were stocking discs.

So, I reduced what discs I had, and put more focus on digital. This worked well for a while, as digital is nothing if not convenient.

However, jump forward a few years, and post-pandemic I’m once again a big fan of physical media. VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K now line the shelves in my over-priced flat, and I couldn’t be happier (about the physical media, not the flat).

As for the reason I buy four formats? It’s because I get a little bit of something different from each.

I buy VHS for nostalgic reasons. There’s nothing quite like the whirring noise of a tape rewinding to remind me of lazy Saturday afternoons in the ‘90s.

DVDs get added to my collection because the format is currently super cheap. You can pick up DVDs for crazy prices right now, and thanks to the upscaling ability of Blu-ray players, the picture quality of DVDs is often fine for some films (comedies, low-budget titles, etc).

Blu-ray tends to be my default choice as the quality is great, while 4K is reserved for favourite films, or for fancy new boxsets I simply can’t resist. Obviously price is always factored in, and I collect accordingly.

But why have I re-embraced physical copies in the way I have? Well, there’s multiple reasons, and all play their part.

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The unreliability of digital

OK, so we all know digital is incredibly convenient. Whether you are going on holiday, visiting family, or just switching from one room to the next, the ability to take digital media from one place to the other is very difficult to ignore.

Sure, you can carry discs around with you, but more effort is involved. You also need a TV and a disc player, which is something you don’t require with digital – a phone or a tablet will do.

However, while digital is more convenient, it can be unreliable. Digital platforms and streamers lose the license to stream movies and TV shows all the time, meaning a favourite film or series can abruptly disappear from the likes of Netflix or Amazon etc without notice.

Sure, convenience is great, but not if I can’t watch the films or shows I want to watch, when I want to watch them. I don’t have the same problem with discs, because once they are on my shelf they remain on my shelf.

Paywalls

Sticking with digital problems, and I now need to factor in paywalls. Some streamers – Amazon for instance – will carry multi-season television shows, but won’t make all the seasons available to view as part of a subscription.

Once again this is a licensing issue, but it is incredibly frustrating. If a show has seven seasons, and only two are free to stream, with five hidden behind a paywall, it soon becomes a costly affair to watch the series (especially if some of the seasons vary wildly in price).

But with discs you know what you are getting up front. If you want the whole series or all the films in a set you just buy them all, rather than have half as part of a subscription and half sat in your digital library.

Streaming quality problems

Staying with the subject of streaming for a moment, and the quality of streaming vs the quality of high-definition discs is noticeably different. Films and shows tend to stream in a lower quality than what is on disc.

For some shows and films a drop in picture quality might not matter, but if it’s my favourite title, or a film which favours visuals over everything else, I’m going to want the highest quality possible. Plus, who wants to have to deal with constant buffering caused by drop outs in the internet? Not me!

Pulled content

Another problem with digital is the way in which episodes or films are pulled or edited for content at the whims of studios. A notable example of this is The Simpsons episode ‘Stark Raving Dad’.

Due to the inclusion of a character who may or may not have been voiced by Michael Jackson, this episode has been pulled from digital platforms, so it can’t be bought or streamed through official digital channels. Just go ahead and check Disney+, which streams all the episodes of The Simpsons, you won’t find it on the playlist.

If you want to watch this episode, you need to own a copy on DVD. No one has removed it from my old DVD boxsets from the ‘00s, so I can still watch it, should I wish.

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Tangibility

One thing that has become very apparent in the age of digital is just how disposable everything is. Movies and shows seem to come and go at the drop of the hat, and this is in part because we no longer own the media we consume.

Yet having a DVD of a film on my shelf means it isn’t just disposable or forgettable. It’s a real thing, which becomes part of my household, my personality, and my journey through life.

Digital comes and goes, but discs stick around. They make shows and movies tangible, and in turn make them part of who I am.

Bonus content

When DVDs were first getting off the ground as a new format, one of the key selling points was the ‘bonus content’ that was included on each disc. This additional material was a big selling point, which encouraged some people to make the switch from VHS to DVD.

Sometimes I bought DVDs simply because of the bonus content, yet nowadays digital platforms rarely carry it. If I buy a movie or a season of a TV show on digital, I generally get just the movie or the season – nothing more.

But here’s the thing: DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K discs still carry bonus content. Sure, there has been a significant drop-off in extra material since the golden age of home video, but there are plenty of collector’s boxsets that come loaded with special features and supplementary material.

If I want it, it’s there. Discs go the extra mile.

Collector’s boxsets

Speaking of collector’s boxsets, we have now moved into a new era of home video where collector’s are rewarded for their dedication. There are multiple labels (Arrow, Second Sight, 101 Films, etc) which are putting out fancy boxsets filled with extras.

Those who miss the days of ‘behind the scenes’ footage or lengthy documentaries can still have their fill of all that lovely bonus material and more. Your average DVD doesn’t tend to contain it, but it’s still there for those willing to pay a little extra.

From time to time I’m willing to pay extra, if I want to get extra information from a favourite film. Most of the time this just isn’t an option on digital.

Feeling more connected to movies

Going back to the tangible nature of discs, and by having something physical in my collection, I feel more connected to the movies I love. If friends or family want to understand me, or want an insight into the sorts of stories I enjoy, they only need to glance at my shelves, where they will see my clear connection to film.

Owning physical items, be it DVDs and Blu-rays, toys, games, football shirts etc, is a way of demonstrating we belong to something. I don’t have to own a DVD to be a fan of a movie, but it is a way for me to feel part of the film and its fanbase.

Beat the Monday blues

Over here in the UK, new releases arrive in shops on a Monday. Back in the glory days of VHS and DVD, I always felt a buzz of excitement walking into a shop on a Monday to see what new titles were available.

A great deal of this fell by the wayside over the years, as shops selling discs began to dry up. However I’ve recently started popping into HMV and/or Fopp on a Monday (the only shops that sell new discs in the UK) and the buzz has returned.

We have Blockbuster at home

And finally, one thing I really miss about the golden era of tapes and discs is the ability to rent films from video rental stores, or video shops as we called them in the UK. Anyone who grew up in the era of Blockbuster knows how special it was going into a video shop, picking out a copy of a film, and taking it home for the night.

With the arrival of Netflix and other streaming platforms, video shops closed down. The closest thing I can get to Blockbuster these days is having my own shelves filled with titles.

OK, so it’s not quite the same experience, but if I want to relive the Blockbuster days, I have to create it for myself. So, I now see my growing collection as a ‘mini blockbuster’, which I can develop and curate as I see fit, creating a reminder of the past in the process.

If any friend or family member wants to pop over and borrow a title, they are more than welcome. I promise not to charge any late fees.

Mix and match

A return to physical media isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine. Those who miss the good old days can return to them, while those who prefer digital and streaming are perfectly OK continuing down that route – it really is your choice.

There is also room for a combination of physical and streaming. In fact, that’s exactly how I approach things.

At present I have a collection of VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K titles, but I also subscribe to Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+, and buy the occasional digital film or show if the mood takes me. Depending on how I’m feeling, what film or show I want to watch, or where I plan on watching it, I now have many options to choose from and this gives me the best outcome all round.

Alex

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