Ever since streaming gained momentum and became (for many) the default option for entertainment viewing, film fans and TV lovers have had instant access to countless hours of video content. From slick dramas and prestige shows, to big blockbusters and must-see movies, the options are seemingly endless and all available at the touch of a button.
But are the options as endless as they seem? Come on, fess up, how many times have you sat down to watch a movie only to find it isn’t available on the streaming platform you subscribe to?
Or maybe it’s worse. After doing a quick search through the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, etc, you discover the film in question doesn’t appear to be streaming anywhere! It’s all to do with some licensing agreement or something, and however way you cut it, you can’t watch the movie you had your heart set on.
OK, no worries, what about a TV show? Can’t go wrong with a good TV show.
Only, on closer inspection it seems three of the five seasons of your chosen show aren’t currently available to stream as part of your subscription. One of the missing seasons is available to watch if you wish to purchase it (at an eye-watering price), but the other season seems to have vanished into the ether. Oh dear.
Well, not to worry, there’s plenty more fish in the sea, or more viewing choices, including a brand new series on Netflix which has an all-star cast, and everyone and their mother says it is fantastic.
Oh, wait, it was just cancelled by Netflix. Damn. Probably not worth investing time in.
No drama, llama, the second season of that crime show you like is now available on Prime Video, so you can watch that instead. You may recall you watched the first season three years ago, and even though you’ve mostly forgotten what happened, you’ve still been waiting patiently to watch… *checks length* …this new four-episode season.
Hmm. Only four episodes? After three years?!?
Well, four episodes is better than nothing, so settle in, get ready, and prepare to indulge! Just as soon as all the adverts have played out.
Does any of this sound familiar? The short seasons, the cancelled shows, the missing movies, the endless ruddy adverts – it seems to have become the new norm with streaming, and it’s getting a bit annoying.
Sure, it’s not all doom and gloom, but it’s not quite the utopian viewing experience we all signed up for. And it’s certainly not the experience we had during the early days of streaming.
Back then, shows took less time to get made and they hung around longer. Meanwhile, before the various studios started clawing back their titles for their own streaming services, all the big movies were in abundance in one place.
And let’s not forget the distinct lack of adverts. We subscribed to a service which guaranteed no ads, yet now we can’t move for commercials for funerals, cat food, and bottles of Pepto Bismol.
When all the streaming services started introducing adverts things really began to change. Initially the adverts were few and far between, but then they started increasing, and appearing in random places – midway through a scene; midway through a sentence; midway through every other blooming word!
I have no major issue with adverts in general, you’ll see a bunch dotted all over this blog. My issue is that there’s no genuine thought about where they are placed in a film or show.
In the UK, if you watch a TV show on a traditional broadcast channel, a 30 minute show contains one advert break, while an hour-long show contains three. On streaming services, YouTube etc, ads appear willy-nilly and are often just dumped in the worst possible place.
Now at present, subscribers can avoid these adverts for an additional fee, but streaming platforms are increasingly changing the arrangement. Disney recently made changes to its terms and conditions to suggest advertising and promotions will be included in all of their pricing plans – even the ones that previously included no adverts.
Now, it could be argued that streaming services, like all services right now, have increased costs, so advertising is necessary – and that’s understandable. Yet that doesn’t mean I want the next atmospheric horror movie I’m watching to be interrupted every five minutes by an advert for car insurance.
When streaming started, what attracted our attention was quality TV shows; access to lengthy seasons; a varied selection of the best blockbusters; no adverts; and cheap subscription fees. Over the past few years, all of this has been altered, watered down, or replaced.
Some of it we noticed, some we didn’t. The pandemic didn’t help, because there was a period where things changed and we felt like we were getting a better deal, but really it was just a transitional time.
Remember when all the cinemas closed and all of the huge blockbusters started popping up on streaming? Well, that’s when it happened.
Suddenly streaming seemed fantastic. Why pay to go to the cinema when all the top titles were going to be on the services we already paid for?!
Problem is, that arrangement didn’t last. Once the cinemas re-opened, all the biggest and best movies went back to the big screen.
However, we didn’t notice and the lines became somewhat blurred, because the streamers started filling their platforms with ‘big’ new movies featuring ‘high profile actors’ that appeared to be the same as what we’d get at the cinema. We assumed these films were of equal value, as they feature recognisable talent, yet this isn’t always the case.
Most of these movies featuring A-listers are a bit naff, and often play like mid-tier films. At best they are watchable, but most are instantly forgettable – and they are getting in the way of us seeing really good films!
People are missing some of the best films at the cinema, because they are watching rubbish on streaming. Along the way, the quality of these poor streaming titles has then convinced everyone there aren’t many good films any more, when that’s not true, people just aren’t seeing the good stuff.
Although, it also doesn’t help that when the good movies leave cinemas and arrive on video-on-demand platforms, studios are trying to charge £19.99 for a two-day rental! But that’s another issue entirely.
The truth is: Streaming isn’t as attractive as it once was. Like your favourite chocolate bar which has tripled in price, and is now made from lesser ingredients, we’ve reached a point where we need to stop and think about value for money when it comes to streaming.
Now, this isn’t to say streaming doesn’t still boast some great qualities: It’s incredibly convenient; the pricing is still relatively affordable; and there are enough streaming-exclusive titles to keep us all attached. But we are at a tipping point.
What we initially signed up for (or were sold on) is not what we get now. The package has changed, it will continue to change moving forward, and we all need to decide if it’s what we want.
So, what do we do? The obvious answer would be to start cutting the chord, but is that really going to be the best solution? You drop the streaming services, but what do you watch? We can’t survive on TikTok dance routines and food reviews alone.
So, might I suggest DVDs? Yes, those digital versatile discs everyone once owned could be an answer. Or, they could at least provide a bit of a respite from streaming, if nothing else.
You might think DVDs are a thing of the past, but actually they’re not. Studios still produce them, all the major cinema titles still get released on disc, and you can still buy them on the high street or from online retailers.
Sure, they’re not as readily available as they once were, but they are out there. And they are affordable, if you balance what you buy.
New DVDs in the UK, if they are blockbuster movies, tend to cost £10. So, if you walked into HMV, and wanted to buy the latest comedy or action film, or a new sci-fi or horror movie, you’ll pay around a tenner.
OK, instantly this seems more costly than a month’s worth of streaming, but it’s highly unlikely you’ll have access to that comedy or horror movie on Netflix. It might pop up eventually, but you’ll almost certainly have to wait a while and it may never appear at all.
Plus, that £10 means you get to keep it. You aren’t at the mercy of a streaming service, who only license titles for a short period of time.
Likewise, this isn’t a digital purchase that can be removed at any point. As a reminder: If you buy digital you are only buying a license to rent the title (even when it says ‘buy now’), this doesn’t mean you own it forever.
But £10 is still £10 and this might seem costly. It’s also not going to encourage you to suddenly start building up a DVD collection.
Well, this is where you start utilising charity shops and second hand stores. Many charity shops in the UK sell five DVDs for £1, while second hand stores like CEX, offer up single DVDs for £2.
You obviously need to check the condition, as some of the previous owners used the discs as frisbees, but utilising the secondary market is a great way to pick up cheap discs. You can then build up your own back catalogue of titles, and watch the movies or shows you want to watch, when you want to watch them. You know, like we used to do.
Now, I know someone out there is saying: “But who owns a DVD player anymore?” Well, if you own a PS3, PS4, or a PS5 with a disc drive then you already own a DVD player.
You can also buy brand new DVD players for around £20. And of course, if you can afford a little more, then get a 4K player, as this opens up your options to 4K discs and Blu-rays, as well as DVDs.
I went back to buying discs a few years ago and I love it. I now get to watch what I want, when I want, and I’m not reliant on what is being chosen for me, or surrounded by ads which take me out of what I’m watching.
I also don’t feel pressured to rush through a series, fearing that it might disappear before I get to the end. I can take my time, take breaks, and get this – I can even lend it to a friend.
So, does this mean I have abandoned streaming completely in favour of DVDs? Actually, no.
I’ve highlighted all of the problems with streaming to make it clear I believe there are significant pitfalls with these services, however, I do think streaming is useful and convenient. I like to watch some shows that don’t get disc releases, and it is helpful to have films and shows at the touch of a button.
But I am not solely reliant on streaming. If there’s a movie I want to see, I want to watch it uninterrupted, and I might want to watch it again in a few months time, or even a few years, then I buy the disc.
Likewise, if there’s an old TV show I want to invest my time in, then I invest money in it as well by picking it up on DVD or Blu-ray. This way I can start it when I want and re-watch as often as I wish.
We live in a time when this option is still available and I urge everyone to recognise this and act accordingly. There is a place for streaming, like there’s a place for digital purchases, but there’s a place for owning discs too, and if you’re getting cheesed off with the way streaming is going, do something about it.
I’m not telling everyone to go 100% disc, because that’s not what I do, and I don’t believe everyone should. Some people don’t have enough interest in films and movies to spend money on hardware, and discs aren’t without their problems too.
What I am saying is to not rule out DVDs. It might not seem like the common or cool thing these days, and some streamers would be very happy if we owned nothing at all, but the option is still on the table.
It’s not necessarily the time to ditch streaming for DVDs, but it is the time to grab a cheap player, a few of your favourite films, and maybe consider how many adverts and crap shows you can put up with from the service you subscribe to. Just because streamers want you to stick with them, doesn’t mean you have to, and at the moment you have a choice.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about streaming and DVDs. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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