I used to be a physical media collector then I ditch it all in favour of streaming as I had a family and now back to collecting 4k discs and boutique along with my favourite cd’s for music. Missed it a lot. So glad you made this video. Love this community.
Given the struggles of streaming companies to make a profit I think physical might make a comeback to the mainstream. Streaming companies are going to have to drastically raise their rates and/or cut back on their original programs and licensing deals. When Netflix costs $30 a month with less programs and bans people for password sharing physical will start looking like a better option.
I refuse to use digital streaming! Not just because I don‘t have a penny to give out, but also because creating an account on them is just too complicated! I want physical media to live on FOREVER!!!
I agree this is a golden age for physical media. For those of who care about it, we're rewarded well. I'm 53, so I'm of the generation who grew up (in the UK) with 4 channels on the telly and ropey quality VHS tapes. Boutique Blu-ray companies have rescued and restored a huge number of films that, in my 20s and 30s, I could only read about in my annual Time Out Film Guide. Also, the smorgasbord board of extras we enjoy (not least the booklets, which amount to an impressive array of critical literature) means it's never been a better time to be a collector.
Same thing was said about books. Everyone thought EReaders were going to replace all physical books. It took years to shake out but books are doing well while digital books are there for people that like them. Streaming will be the mainstream option but physical media will be there for the collectors at inflated prices. I just worry about the availability of players and disc pressing plants.
I have five back up Blu-ray players in a box in my closet. I picked them up whenever I saw them in thrift stores. I wonder what it’ll be like in 20 years when there aren’t HDMI ports in tvs anymore.
One good thing is that Xbox and PS5 play UHDs and you're probably always going to find those around. I just hope they don't get cute and issue a firmware update one day to disable playback. I'm sure by that point, someone will hack the firm though. Not the ideal players but at least they are players.
@@dravenlee4473 from my understanding, Microsoft and Sony are really wanting to move away from the disc consoles in the future. They’d rather sell you a full priced game and cut their production costs.
@@DONWASABIJUAN I'm sure the PS6 and new Xbox will be digital only or only offer an add-on disc drive. I meant that the Xbox Series X and the PS5 though. There are over 30 million PS5s in the world right now and 20 years from now, you are still buying to be able to find used ones to use as 4K players. We'll have options. I just worry if people can't buy new players, there isn't much incentive to keep making new discs. That will be when it truly ends. These players will be for people with existing collections.
Many of the classic movies are not available on streaming, so it is great that you can aquire these movies on physical media and get the best video and audio quality.
I really enjoy listening to you talk about physical media. It is informative and relaxing at the same time (I sincerely mean that in the best way). My thoughts on current physical media are that while I'm glad companies like Criterion, Arrow and Shout Factory are keeping lots of film titles alive...some companies create more problems by releasing limited editions that are pricey to begin with and then become incredibly hard to get when they go out of print. Imprint comes to mind...one title example was The Beast (which was around $50 US for an impressive blu ray release) but was sold out quick and now I have to contend with unscrupulous Ebay sellers for a possible copy. I just wish the studios that originally owned rights to films would do a better job of releasing proper HD physical media of their film catalogs. Sorry if this answer got long winded...anyway, I do really dig this channel.
There’s no money in it for the film studios to go to the effort to release. Which is why the independents do it and and even still there is barely any money it for them. It takes a year for them to break even on most releases. Some of the bigger releases might recoup in 4 months if they are lucky. 10 years ago they would usually recoup straight away with internet pre orders alone.
@@mrjamesmay3548 Actually it is more beneficial financially for the studios to sell DVD and Blu Ray. It takes 50,000 streams of a movie to equal $1 of sales. So if someone were to buy a DVD or Blu Ray, it would give them more money faster. Companies like Red Box really help them out with making them money by buying DVDs from the studios while they are still new.
@Ankha I own a physical Disney plus collection. Thanks to Etsy market, I'm able to own exclusive titles only on Disney +. I use a firestick for all my free streaming, but still want to aquire every Disney title.
Streaming will thankfully be made illegal and the studios will be mandated to either have all home releases be physical or the suits will be prosecuted and the studios be nationalized.
I've always viewed streaming as a replacement for cable tv and rentals, but not for owning films. The streaming wars are helping people to realize they need to own physical copies of their favorites, unless you like subscribing to all the services.
Robert Meyer Burnett is convinced physical media, at least for films and tv, has less than 10 years left. Good to hear a more optimistic view of it's future.
Great video! I think 4K will keep adding more and more titles and be around for years to come. That said, the sales numbers will never rival the heyday of DVD. And that's ok. Studios just need to adapt for a smaller but steady profit.
Great point, my friend! I think 4K isn’t going anywhere. Hopefully the selections stay as great as they are now without the price rising too much! Cheers for watching
I been burnt too many times, whenever I bought a blu ray movie, the 4k version always comes out like a week or a month later once I already purchased the blu ray copy. I always try to buy every movie that I want in 4k and if the 4k version does not exist than I will buy the blu ray version and if the blu ray version does not exist than I will buy the dvd version.
@@Burn_In_Oled_On_Purpose I hear you there. I'm having some feelings about the Last Starfighter 4K announcement. I got the blu-ray semi recently and loved it. With movies I grew up with and really love, it's especially frustrating because I am going to pony up for the upgrade... again. But if that's the price I have to pay to keep this 4K train going....then dangit, I'm in.
I fully agree on 4K being the final format. Something that's not much talked about is that this format is often not used in its full capacity. I have a notion that in the first years of 4K, we didn't have as good 4K releases as those we're receiving now (and it's not just about new films that rely on better and better technology). It's like the industry is catching up and still learning how to make the best 4k presentation out of e.g. 80s film scan. Many films that were already released on 4K, can have way better releases, so I imagine new re-releases of those in years to come. Nonetheless, there's one limitation of 4K UHD that bothers me, is that 3D was ditched out, and due to that we can't have e.g, 4K 3D HDR 60fps release of "Avatar: Way of the Water". I doubt it will ever get fixed, as 3D is very niche market. In my eyes it makes real sense only on big projector screen, and it's a real minority of us that have access to full blown home cinemas.
It is definitely a 'golden' era for media...full stop. With the choice, and so many different and varied ways to consume media nowadays (physical and the streaming/digital world), there is certainly a big enough audience and enough formats to satisfy all tastes and preferences.
Literally everyone I know, including kids and teens buy physical media. This isn't a thing. Physical media is here to stay, and that's a food rhing. Own what you like.
Great topic, pal. I think we certainly are living in a fantastic time in regards to physical media. It's evolved to the niche and that is more enriching for us and our love of cinema. Keep up the great videos, my friend!
We had more 4k titles last year than I could keep up with lol. The products are actually made with collectors and film enthusiasts in mind now and that's good for us
Hi! I'm from Poland. Our 4K releases are expensive and not all relesses. I have to import them from USA, Italy or UK wherever I can find Polish subtitles.. But I love physical media.. And your YT work keeps telling me it's worth it. You have a very nice voice. and it's easy for me to understand you
The main reason the market has changed is because of how some consumers view physical media. Before streaming, some film fans purchased releases just to obtain "access" to viewing it. Now those buyers see streaming as more convenient and economical for them and their own needs. However, many physical media collectors want permanent access to films (not temporary access) and they also want to own films with the best video and audio presentations (and often alongside an assortment of extras).
*PHYSICAL MEDIA FOREVER!* There will always be people who enjoy their collections of movies and music. Revival of vinyl albums shows that trends reverse sometimes, and I think popularity of physical media will begin to grow again in near future.
I've noticed as the years have gone on - decades - that the quality of physical media and what's available out there has improved not declined. Plus how defined an image do you want or can you get without losing that cinematic quality altogether?
One big thing I've found with blu ray recently is alot of classic anime is getting new hd scans / or, western blu ray distributiors are getting a hold of Japanese encodes to where now many fans of 70-90s anime can watch these films in HD with high resolution audio which for me is amazing as none of these series would get new hd versions for some streaming services without the efforts of the blu ray companies.
I actually think that physical movies are going to long outlive physical games. They're different markets, film fans tend to be more passionate and be comprised of people of all ages, game fans tend to just want to the play the game and has more of a focus on people below 30 more than anyone else.
This is obvious - games age and are replaced over time, gamers are not replaying 10 or 20yr old titles cos they look like garbage. Films instead transcend time, even more so with 4k restorations...
@@GamezGuru1 Since when do people not play old games? 🤣Dude I spend more time playing PS1 games than I do new games. The only people who complain that 10 year old games look bad are people below the age of 15.
@@cookiesontoast9981 you're kind of in the minority honestly. People still play old games yeah but the majority of gamers, i.e. casual gamers, mostly only play every new thing and then move on. Nostalgia is only huge when they remake an old game to be better.
The thing with games is that they're increasing in size every year. It will soon be impossible to fit most games on a 100gb quad later blu ray. Most gamers seem to want physical games
@@coindog6336 Nah most people don't care about physical games anymore. Unless they're nerdy like we are lol, but most casual gamers you meet wouldn't care. It is true though that games are getting very very big.
I’ve been collecting physical media since the days of VHS. I used to have a large collection of VHS but sold them many years ago when DVD came out. I started collecting DVD’s in about 1998 and then replaced many titles with Blu Rays over the years. I didn’t make the jump to 4K as I’ve already brought movies on VHS then DVD and then Blu Ray. I do have a few 4K discs as a few titles have only had a dual 4K/Blu Ray release. I wouldn’t be that bothered if a lot of big budget mainstream movies did not come out on disc as I mainly collect movies on Boutique labels such as Arrow, 88 Films, Second Sight, Radiance, Severin, Vinegar Syndrome, Blue Underground, Synapse, Vintage Classics, Criterion, Indicator, Film Detective, Kino Lorber, 101 Films, Shout Factory, Fun City Editions, Warner Archive to name a few. I’m mainly interested in older movies, obscure strange films from around the world, B movies, cult/exploitation, World cinema, Art House, classic movies, Silent movies, martial arts, science fiction and horror. I have a vast collection of about 5000 movies (probably about 2000 DVD’s which include many obscure early releases on this format and around 3000 Blu Rays). I have considered trimming my collection down, getting rid of a lot of mainstream (not all) Hollywood movies as there are many (especially Superhero movies) that I don’t think I will watch again, but the mass produced mainstream movies are not worth any money (some if you sell to CEX are worth 1p, which I would rather donate them to charity). This would be mainly due to space as well. Looking at future releases from all these companies there are many great movies on their way this year.
Wise words. I agree that some of the collector's sets of blu-rays coming out these days - especially the Indicator ones - are fantastic, high-quality packages. Some of the transfers of old movies are astoundingly good and allow us to appreciate and enjoy some classics in the best possible way.
In terms of content and boutique labels it’s a fantastic time to be a collector but the problem is there aren’t enough of you. Also supermarket’s have massively devalued the DVD that people don’t want to buy it day 1 and will then just wait for it to be on sale which massively hurts the studios. The physical market has shrunk by about 60-70% in the last 10 years as well. Think of all the retailers we’ve lost in the last 10 -15 years.. it’s mind blowing when you think about it and all the jobs that have been lost in home entertainment
Collector culture is the cornerstone of artist income. It doesn't matter whether you talk movies, books or music, the majority of profits always comes from dedicated collectors and not casual consumers. When the paperback novel revolution happened in the 1950s, everyone said it would be the end of hardcover books. End result: hardcover sales increased and entire mail order publishers were established that specialized in hardcover books. In the end, the publishing industry settled on a release style were a hardcover edition would be the first release, followed by the paperback edition a month or so later. The hardcover run was small but had a dedicated following that would show up and buy on the release date. You might see the same kind of model with Blu-Rays happen. There will be a limited release for collectors and specialized publishers of just Blu-Rays. but they'll never really go away. There's too much money to be made from collectors for production companies to get rid of them completely.
I've decided to rebuild my collection of DVDs and blu rays so that streaming services don't have me by the balls . I pick up a lot of films for cheap at pawn shops and Walmart.
Thing with a big physical media collection is, lot of the time they are on shelves collecting dust, taking up too much space in your home. If say you had 600 movies how would you get through watching that amount it would take a life time at say one a week. Plus still adding to that collection as well, just rediculous. If you go to work you would not have enough time to sit and watch a lot of movies. I have 60 movies in my collection and struggle getting through those. I only get movies if l am really going to repeat watch them that's why only get real favourite movies. Most movies can live without, watch and move on to next
I have around 2000 digital films and what you said is true, but I bought them cheaply and if I've watched them once, I'm happy. I hate to think how much time we've spent watching movies.
DVD to Blu-ray was absolutely massive! The pciture quality is worlds better, and we finally got uncompressed mulitchannel audio! The difference between Blu-ray and UHD is much less noticeable, and I could easily live without UHD. Blu-rays are also more durable and have an anti scratch layer. UHD seem to be very sensitive and prone to scratching. I think Blu-ray is actually the best physical format we have ever had. A well-mastered BD still kicks serious butt in this day and age. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate UHD, and it can look absolutely amazing, but is it really worth the upgrade? Only if the BD sucked imo, which sadly is often the case. For that, I am truly grateful. Anyway, hail to physical media.
I wouldn’t consider myself a collector but I’m definitely moving back into buying physical copies of my favorite movies and TV shows. The problem with DVDS is that most of them look absolutely awful on modern 4K displays. Really anything below 1080p looks bad on 4K displays. So I’m rebuilding my collection with primarily 4K or regular Blu-ray discs and settling for DVDS when both of those options aren’t available. Streaming services just don’t cut it anymore especially when there’s so many different ones and it makes no sense to subscribe to them all just for a particular movie or tv show that’s exclusive to a particular platform.
Interesting thoughts. I agree with a lot of what you say. Physcial media is not the mass market thing that it once was, but that suits us collectors as the market is now targetting us directly. While the major studios dont seem to be bothered, it may mean we get titles coming to boutique that once never may have made it. Unfortunately, it also means we're unlikely to see the kinds of releases that the true greats of cinema truly deserve. 4k is a niche of a niche and is likely to remain as such but like you, I would argue its never been better than at the moment - aside from our bank balances :)
There will always be a market for movies on disc, like CD's and even vinyl with music, but it will become increasingly niche and a collectors and enthusiasts market.
Hello hello! I believe it tends to be reduced more and more to the boutiques and maybe some really special editions for the bigger brands/studios. Who knows? The CD's are still around.
I have a very large collection of Laserdiscs, and it was a format that was never mass market due to the prices of discs and players. Yet you can still buy them on auction sites for a fraction of their original prices. Will te same happen with Bluy-Ray and 4K, perhaps, it depends what new technology appears over the next decade, steaming higher than 4K will require superfast fibre broadband at far lower than the current prices for it to become mass market. Physical media might seem that it is dying due to the lack of shops selling it on the high street or malls. Plenty is still available online. One concern is that most of the major brands don't make players today, only Panasonic and Sony still have them available, but have not released any new models for a few years. Media will continue to be available until demand drops to a level that is not profitable anymore.
I do a little bit of physical media collecting still, mainly for that rare/cult stuff or movies I just love. That's where it shines, and appropriately, I think that's where 4K shines as well.
No, physical media isn't "dying." There are more than TWO DOZEN titles released EVERY TUESDAY. Now, will that ever stop...? I don't know, but I don't think that movie studios or boutique labels want to kill a revenue stream.
This is a massive buying opportunity. I got so many quality Blu-Rays and 4K discs in the past few years from facebook marketplace. Blu-Rays are £1 when you buy in bulk, 4Ks are £5-10. It's a bit like trading those Panini stickers for the world cup football sticker albums, you say got, got, got, not got.
I am shocked to hear 'EEAAOnce' is not available on ANY physical format in the UK (at there moment). Even here in Australia it's available on DVD, BR & 4K !
I guess I'm a collector. I DO support the boutique distributors and am buying blu-rays and 4k disc's, but I'm also getting rid of the older DVDs of replaced titles.
I honestly doubt it , as long as hardcore collectors are around and even the ones like me who are just collecting movies that they are interested in. physical media can never die.
I still buy CDs and SACDs ..yes they are still around and there is plenty of online companies to choose from....and whatever happens with physical media there will always be companies willing to supply discs ...they are very clever and release limited quantities just right for us collectors ...I love Blu-rays and 4K discs ..and again they remain popular the future looks good..
I still have all my games that meant alot to me I will probably keep them forever but now and then I am guilt of buying digital cause it's just convenient for me not to have so much clutter and having to store in drawers or plastic containers under my bed.
I see a niche for collecting films that are potentially offensive to some group of viewers or another. If you like the movie, it may end up no longer showing up on streaming services (or being for sale), or the film may be 'modified' from its original to be less offensive. Regular run of the mill movies I don't have much use for in a physical format....I think Apple iTunes 4K has good enough quality even if its slightly less than Physical 4K.
To those "regular" people who just want to get ride of their often smaller collection. I would say search up a normal collector instead of a store. I am sure you can get a quite nice deal from lots of people whilst the stores are quite picky and might not even buy in all of your stuff.
Great point about the past decade of fantastic releases and we are still seeing great releases every month even if they are not as numerous as years prior. These past ten years and present have definitely been the golden years of physical home video giving us some of the best looking presentations of films since their theatrical debuts.
All of those boutique labels offer niche films for niche collectors, most people have never heard of them. They're happy with the mainstream titles you get on streaming. The people who collect physical media also stream and they don't seem to have the time to watch their collection. I get the appeal, the box, the artwork, displaying something, but they all end up collecting dust. There is no difference in PQ between the two now, when watching on an Apple TV box at 8 - 10 feet back. In fact the streaming version often has Dolby Vision and the physical only HDR10. That can work both ways, with GoT being only HD on streaming. Apple also offers almost lossless Atmos. Physical media is fun but it's expensive and the storage sucks.
@Mike P True, but you can watch them online on a device or on your TV. I'm not sure why you need Plex. No one has ever lost an I-Tunes movie unless they moved countries, rights issues.
@Mike P Every time someone says they've had their movies removed, it turns out they moved countries and it was a rights issue. I have titles to watch that are no longer available to buy. If the studios start removing titles they would lose customer trust and have a lawsuit on their hands. It says BUY TO OWN so it doesn't matter what they say in their terms and conditions, they would lose in a court of law. Finally, films are as little as 1.99 in 4K DV and so at that price I don't think it matters. If you get it for rental price or below it's fine. As long as you've watched it, to me you got your money's worth at that price. I'm not against physical media btw, but I only have it for movies / shows not available on streaming.
When the first big music streaming channel or the first big 4k video streaming channel tanks and goes under, everyone will wish they had kept their CD, DVD and Blu-Ray collections. When you go to listen to all that music or watch all those movies that you "bought" from the bankrupt service that has folded and you discover that you no longer have access to that music or film, its going to make you feel really shitty and make me feel good. Not that I have bought every CD, DVD,or Blu-Ray(4k or regular)that I have purchased on Apple Music, or Netflix or Prime Video. But I have made an effort to collect the physical media of my FAVORITE music and videos, in one format or another. I also invested a bit of money in a very high quality optical disc player. I hoped that as people rediscovered vinyl, that would lead to people collecting physical media again. I urge everyone to get CDs and other media while you still can.
Great video again, Elliot. Couldn't agree more ... we're living in a truly great age for collecting film physically. And I love it. #PhysicalMedia is alive an well! :)
I'm not sure I'm sold on bothering with 8k but if there is ever a fully awesome quality VR or holographic immersive experience where I can step into the film and watch it from within as if I'm there (or close enough to feeling like I'm there) then I'd definitely be interested in that!
The problem with streaming sites have to pay for the licenses so the movies will eventually not be available anymore (on that server). I have netflix but it has much less content now that it did back in the 90s. For example if I type 'goodfellas' the search bar just gives me suggestions on what might be similar to it. While competition is good (as it keeps the costs of the sites down) there are many hulu, netflix, apple, etc. so that means that you have to do research and see where the show you want is (and hope that you can see it before the service removes it). (at least for me) it is much cheaper to buy the series that I am interested in than buying a subscription to have access to a series that you are interested, and yes have access to other movies but not really that interesting (watching it because it is already included vs watching it because you are interested in it) While it is true that video physical media might die someday I don't think it will anytime soon.
Given with what's been happening now with digital media and people now realizing that they don't 'own' what they buy, I don't think that physical media is dying at all. In fact, in my opinion I think we're going to see a resurgence if anything.
I have never stopped buying movies i still have DVD´s that i bought in the early 00´s some of which came out in the late 90´s, my main problem is since most of what i like to buy are only sold in Japan and the US the studios region lock some of their releases and its random some are hard locked to region A/1 or B/2 and some are multi region and i get around that by having two players but i would like to get a 4K Blu-Ray player but that means i will NOT be able to play those region locked A/1 movies not unless i keep my old US player and i have no idea how much life that one has left so its a massive problem if it dies and from what i found importing a Panasonic from the US will not work in the EU due to the PSU not working with 230v or something like that
Watching films on streaming with all the compression artefacts makes me wonder how folks put up with it. Dark scenes can be as bad as the VHS days on a big-screen OLED.
Really? What are you watching the streaming films? I use apple tv 4k on an 83 inch oled and don't see compression artifacts that everyone keeps talking about with streaming. Could be I'm blind but lots of reputable reviewers also say there isn't any artifacts. Maybe on something like HBO max or Roku.
The companies that made high end blu-ray players like NAD, Oppo, Denon and Yamaha have stopped making them. I guess they didn’t think there would be a market for blu-ray players anymore
I would of liked to have seen the 4k resolution bypassed and just got straight to 6k as that is roughly the resolution of 35mm film, the colour space is fine with HDR but why skimp on the resolution.
Anime is in the golden age for physical media. back in the day you had to buy Volumes with like 1-3 episodes for 20-30 dollars. now you can buy a whole season for 30-40 dollars
Weird that Everything Everywhere All At Once didn't even get released in the UK. We got it in the Nordics, although not 4k (which seems to be a US import only). Typically I have to get imported UK versions of some movies in 4k, so it seems very odd for a movie to not release there at all.
I keep my hands in all media formats vhs ,cassettes ,cd ,dvd ,thumbnail and flash drives ,l hav a few records I’ve had since the 80’s left but that may be tossed out soon.
It’s becoming more niche and I think it will just stay that way. I haven’t bought a physical game in ages. I typically play two games at a time before moving on to another game. It’s a pain to have to keep swapping discs. Digital is so much easier
I agree that 4k is the last popular format, at least at the moment. I remember few years ago 3D was the thing but right now 3D TV's are no longer manufactured and the only place you can go and watch 3D is the cinema. Going back to 4k I feel that it had a rough start, first movies which I bought were 2K DI's and jump from blu ray was not substantinal, but now I feel that hollywood starting to making more movies in 6k or 8k cameras and finishing in 4K DI which is a great news - watch Revenant, Top Gun Maverick or the older one and you will know what I am talking about
Schindler's List on Prime has DNR all the grain scrubbed away, feels like a totally different movie than it should be. Netflix has the grain not scrubbed abway but is suffering from 6MB/s
I'm really enjoying the output on physical media right now. I've mentioned those very words "golden age of physical media" on a few occasions now, and I believe it! Especially when/if you can combine what the international markets have to offer. It has also been severely irritating me the lack of a UK release for Everything Everywhere... I just can't understand the logic at all. I have been holding off importing it, expecting some sort of imminent announcement, which just hasn't materialised. It really does boggle the mind! Similarly with Titane, I know it's a bit more niche, but where is that UK release?! When there's a delay in these sort of things, people do tend to import, meaning when a release does finally make it to the UK, sales will inevitably be lower than other regions.
@Mike P nice workaround. Its probably easier just to invest in a multiregion player, though. They aren't too expensive these days. The worst thing about importing for me is the shipping cost. Especially since they all now add 20% on top for VAT....
People tend to forget that it is still a multi-billion dollar industry with physical media. It shrinks its margins and market share every year in some respects but it's by no means a dead market. The opposite is true. The truth is that a blockbuster film such as Wonder Woman might sell a lot of copies but only a small fraction of what it would have sold in a pre-streaming industry. Yet niche titles released by smaller labels with a dedicated fanbase and focus (Criterion, Vinegar Syndrome, Kino Lorber, Arrow Video, Shout Factory, etc.) are actually experiencing a growth in popularity and release even more titles than before because the niche labels are doing better with finding a audience and are selling well enough for the market to be successful. It is by no means a market that is going anywhere. It is just not going to appeal to every casual film fan now (at least in the same way). Regardless, the world has billions of people, and even non-diehard collectors of physical media occasionally might want a movie - either as a gift or to acquire a personal favorite.
Agreed, I don't think it's dying. Just look at sales of CD's and Vinyl. Vinyl saw a resurgence in sales over the last decade. Physical Media is not dying. It is just a niche thing. 4K UHD sales increased in 2022 thanks to Sony getting more PS5's in stores. It plays 4K UHD discs for those that didn't know.
I'm in the opinion that me having my dvd and vhs collection is way better than looking for what I want on any streaming service. Than They might not have it, or the monthly payment of like 5 services can add up to me just getting a physical copy.
You’ll NEVER be able to takeaway the mental connection of looking and holding something physical. Because of this, it will remain in circulation even if only as a niche market. If $200-$400k sports cars have a market, physical media will always have an audience. Just not as massive as it was at the height of DVDs before streaming became an option. I do both. I purchase films digitally as well as physically, but keep the media purchases to only Criterion.,
Streaming is going to be illegal and I look forward to the government shutting down Netflix and forcing the American public back to Blockbuster and Hollywood Video.
It's on Amazon Prime, I think they have the rights to it, that's probably why. I personally didn't like it but I'm sorry that you can't get a physical copy.
The Quality of new movies is not helping much as well.. I can count on my fingers how many good movies have been released recently.. 2024 will be the end for pysical media.
Streaming i have, some shows i kinda like on them, shows or movies i really like i seek out on blue ray or 4k disc cause i want to re-experience them in the best quality possible
I'm a huge fan of Succession and HBO has just announced the complete series box set is only going to be on DVD, with no blu ray release at all. It's really sad and this seems to be what they're doing with lots of other shows as well (unless it's a mega hit like The Last of Us or Thrones, where they don't just do blu-rays but steelbooks and limited editions etc. as well). I would love to own one of my favourite shows and be able to watch it whenever I want, but I can't justify buying a DVD in this day an age as the picture and sound quality just isn't as good as it could be even on a standard blu ray. Get it together HBO/WB.
The problem is that there are no real compelling physical formats on the market for the average consumer. I love the idea of physical media, but I refuse to buy CD's, DVD's, Blurays, Vinyl records, Cassettes or any other physical media that's been released over the past 100 years, because all of these products have a lot of flaws. I think Mini Disk was the closest thing we've ever had to the perfect music format, but even that had a lot of flaws. I realize that you're never going to get the perfect format, but I'm not going to settle for something like Bluray disks, just because it's the only option available. None of these formats are appealing to me in any way. That being said, as soon as someone develops a compelling format, I'm on board. * Note: I would consider the perfect format to include the following: #1. No spinning disks (CD, DVD, Bluray, Vinyl, etc). #2. Small enough to fit in the hand, but big enough that it would be considered a real, tangible product. #3. Based on a solid state format. #4. Easy to back up on a computer. #5. Completely DRM-Free and open source.
I still buy physical media because I like to display it, I like going through it and I just love collecting. I’ll buy new 4k movies or standard blu-ray movies but I do think physical media is dying. It’s decreased a lot, that’s why I just go to Disc Replay or Half Price Books. I was at Target and there wasn’t much in the isle for physical media and that shocked me. My local Walmart doesn’t have a $7.88 bin full of blu-rays anymore and even my local Best Buy doesn’t really have much except new releases or a re-release with a different cover if that makes sense. Really makes me sad but I always enjoy buying used 4k and blu-ray movies in really good condition.
Could not agree more with your gastronomic analogy towards streaming. I made the mistake of getting rid of my CD’s. I just ended up buying some of them all over again.
I kinda feel like when cds came out. Vinyl pretty much stopped being produced, but now look at it. Vinyl lovers always said it sounded better (but no one understood compression for some reason), and plus they just look cooler. Movies same way. U watch, the generation born now is gonna love physical media bcuz their mom and dad never bought it.
Film / tv physical media will echo what vinyl records did for music. Now I don’t think it will have the same type boom that vinyl records did, since that was largely tied to the indie/hipster culture of the early to mid 2010s, but I think it’s safe to say that dvd, Blu-ray and 4K are here to stay. I stopped fear mongering and realized that there is a large enough market of dedicated fans to keep the hobby alive.
Exactly, everything can go through periods of decline and I think physical media regarding TV and film has already been through a massive era of decline this past decade. I can see streaming services dwindling to smaller numbers, and piracy and disc collecting will increase so people can access what they want when they want and not have to rely solely on blind hope that their favourite series/movies turn up on a streaming service.also have to factor in how much fans there are of international cinema and how much of those films would never see a release on Netflix or Prime etc. Some boutique labels may drop out but some will always survive.
@@StevenLeeRUclips it may be "niche", but it is still huge. Vinyl lately exceeded CDs for the first time in a very long time. Anecdotally, I can't count how many people my age and younger (i'm in my early 20's) I know who have and still are collecting vinyl since their teenage years. Probably about 30 people in my closest circles. I only know two other people my age or younger who collect blu-rays, despite half of my friends being film-interested. Yet I know random people everywhere who collect vinyl. Vinyl is pretty big, especially among "alternative"/"indie" teenagers/young adults, and students in general. There are plenty of vinyl shops/cafes here, yet the only chain that sold blu-rays in my city (half of the store was vinyl) closed down a few years ago despite being fairly popular. Most people don't care about blu-rays or even know it's still a thing, meanwhile vinyl is everywhere.
@@nikomiller Not really, it accounts for something like 5 percent of all music listened to. 88 percent is streaming. You must just know a lot of vinyl enthusiasts.
@@StevenLeeRUclips I’m sure that percentage would be quite similar to the amount of people that still buy films on disc. I don’t know a single person that collects Blu-rays/dvds/4ks in my personal life, but know many people that collect records. Majority of people stream both films and music rather than owning, so I’m not sure what your point is. Vinyl had a very undeniable boom in the 2010s and became incredibly trendy to a point where it was sold in urban outfitters and even have dedicated aisles in target in the states. I just don’t see how film discs can be such a big cultural zeitgeist like records were in the 2010s.
If you want to support physical media, check out the BEST 4K BLU-RAYS of last year here - ruclips.net/video/SCohywI16Jw/видео.html
I used to be a physical media collector then I ditch it all in favour of streaming as I had a family and now back to collecting 4k discs and boutique along with my favourite cd’s for music. Missed it a lot. So glad you made this video. Love this community.
Same boat here. Sold off a ton of the fluff, kept classics and other films I enjoyed and now adding to the collection as I can.
Welcome back to you both 🎉
You are doing great job man
Yess!!! Never give up!!! Never go to the dark side!!
Discs and digital rips are always the way to go.
Given the struggles of streaming companies to make a profit I think physical might make a comeback to the mainstream. Streaming companies are going to have to drastically raise their rates and/or cut back on their original programs and licensing deals. When Netflix costs $30 a month with less programs and bans people for password sharing physical will start looking like a better option.
I refuse to use digital streaming! Not just because I don‘t have a penny to give out, but also because creating an account on them is just too complicated! I want physical media to live on FOREVER!!!
I agree this is a golden age for physical media. For those of who care about it, we're rewarded well. I'm 53, so I'm of the generation who grew up (in the UK) with 4 channels on the telly and ropey quality VHS tapes.
Boutique Blu-ray companies have rescued and restored a huge number of films that, in my 20s and 30s, I could only read about in my annual Time Out Film Guide.
Also, the smorgasbord board of extras we enjoy (not least the booklets, which amount to an impressive array of critical literature) means it's never been a better time to be a collector.
Same thing was said about books. Everyone thought EReaders were going to replace all physical books. It took years to shake out but books are doing well while digital books are there for people that like them. Streaming will be the mainstream option but physical media will be there for the collectors at inflated prices. I just worry about the availability of players and disc pressing plants.
I think players are more of a concern than anything. I’ll most likely buy a back up region free player with 4K capabilities
I have five back up Blu-ray players in a box in my closet. I picked them up whenever I saw them in thrift stores. I wonder what it’ll be like in 20 years when there aren’t HDMI ports in tvs anymore.
One good thing is that Xbox and PS5 play UHDs and you're probably always going to find those around. I just hope they don't get cute and issue a firmware update one day to disable playback. I'm sure by that point, someone will hack the firm though. Not the ideal players but at least they are players.
@@dravenlee4473 from my understanding, Microsoft and Sony are really wanting to move away from the disc consoles in the future. They’d rather sell you a full priced game and cut their production costs.
@@DONWASABIJUAN I'm sure the PS6 and new Xbox will be digital only or only offer an add-on disc drive. I meant that the Xbox Series X and the PS5 though. There are over 30 million PS5s in the world right now and 20 years from now, you are still buying to be able to find used ones to use as 4K players. We'll have options. I just worry if people can't buy new players, there isn't much incentive to keep making new discs. That will be when it truly ends. These players will be for people with existing collections.
Many of the classic movies are not available on streaming, so it is great that you can aquire these movies on physical media and get the best video and audio quality.
I really enjoy listening to you talk about physical media. It is informative and relaxing at the same time (I sincerely mean that in the best way). My thoughts on current physical media are that while I'm glad companies like Criterion, Arrow and Shout Factory are keeping lots of film titles alive...some companies create more problems by releasing limited editions that are pricey to begin with and then become incredibly hard to get when they go out of print. Imprint comes to mind...one title example was The Beast (which was around $50 US for an impressive blu ray release) but was sold out quick and now I have to contend with unscrupulous Ebay sellers for a possible copy. I just wish the studios that originally owned rights to films would do a better job of releasing proper HD physical media of their film catalogs. Sorry if this answer got long winded...anyway, I do really dig this channel.
There’s no money in it for the film studios to go to the effort to release. Which is why the independents do it and and even still there is barely any money it for them. It takes a year for them to break even on most releases. Some of the bigger releases might recoup in 4 months if they are lucky. 10 years ago they would usually recoup straight away with internet pre orders alone.
@@mrjamesmay3548 Actually it is more beneficial financially for the studios to sell DVD and Blu Ray. It takes 50,000 streams of a movie to equal $1 of sales. So if someone were to buy a DVD or Blu Ray, it would give them more money faster. Companies like Red Box really help them out with making them money by buying DVDs from the studios while they are still new.
The problem with streaming is content keeps getting removed. So it's never a grantee.
you are right streaming is garbage
@Ankha I own a physical Disney plus collection. Thanks to Etsy market, I'm able to own exclusive titles only on Disney +. I use a firestick for all my free streaming, but still want to aquire every Disney title.
Streaming will thankfully be made illegal and the studios will be mandated to either have all home releases be physical or the suits will be prosecuted and the studios be nationalized.
I've always viewed streaming as a replacement for cable tv and rentals, but not for owning films. The streaming wars are helping people to realize they need to own physical copies of their favorites, unless you like subscribing to all the services.
Most people's favourites are Marvel movies pre-Endgame. So, it doesn't really matter since they will rush to buy only mass media and not niche movies.
Robert Meyer Burnett is convinced physical media, at least for films and tv, has less than 10 years left.
Good to hear a more optimistic view of it's future.
Great video! I think 4K will keep adding more and more titles and be around for years to come. That said, the sales numbers will never rival the heyday of DVD. And that's ok. Studios just need to adapt for a smaller but steady profit.
Great point, my friend! I think 4K isn’t going anywhere. Hopefully the selections stay as great as they are now without the price rising too much! Cheers for watching
@@ElliotCoen the boutique labels have all been doing more and more 4K titles year over year. This makes me feel optimistic. (Not on price though)
I been burnt too many times, whenever I bought a blu ray movie, the 4k version always comes out like a week or a month later once I already purchased the blu ray copy. I always try to buy every movie that I want in 4k and if the 4k version does not exist than I will buy the blu ray version and if the blu ray version does not exist than I will buy the dvd version.
@@Burn_In_Oled_On_Purpose I hear you there. I'm having some feelings about the Last Starfighter 4K announcement. I got the blu-ray semi recently and loved it. With movies I grew up with and really love, it's especially frustrating because I am going to pony up for the upgrade... again. But if that's the price I have to pay to keep this 4K train going....then dangit, I'm in.
I fully agree on 4K being the final format. Something that's not much talked about is that this format is often not used in its full capacity. I have a notion that in the first years of 4K, we didn't have as good 4K releases as those we're receiving now (and it's not just about new films that rely on better and better technology). It's like the industry is catching up and still learning how to make the best 4k presentation out of e.g. 80s film scan. Many films that were already released on 4K, can have way better releases, so I imagine new re-releases of those in years to come.
Nonetheless, there's one limitation of 4K UHD that bothers me, is that 3D was ditched out, and due to that we can't have e.g, 4K 3D HDR 60fps release of "Avatar: Way of the Water". I doubt it will ever get fixed, as 3D is very niche market. In my eyes it makes real sense only on big projector screen, and it's a real minority of us that have access to full blown home cinemas.
5-10 years from now, we're going to be looking at older 4K discs like we look at some of the first Blu-rays from the mid 2000s.
It is definitely a 'golden' era for media...full stop. With the choice, and so many different and varied ways to consume media nowadays (physical and the streaming/digital world), there is certainly a big enough audience and enough formats to satisfy all tastes and preferences.
Literally everyone I know, including kids and teens buy physical media. This isn't a thing. Physical media is here to stay, and that's a food rhing. Own what you like.
Great topic, pal. I think we certainly are living in a fantastic time in regards to physical media. It's evolved to the niche and that is more enriching for us and our love of cinema. Keep up the great videos, my friend!
You may mention this but i feel compelled to say it right from the start. Vinyl is a thriving physical media form that has had a huge renaissance
Yes Mofi for example. eBay prices speaks volumes for collectors and Criterion is not investing on upgrading films in the way Vinyl do yet..
We had more 4k titles last year than I could keep up with lol. The products are actually made with collectors and film enthusiasts in mind now and that's good for us
Hi! I'm from Poland. Our 4K releases are expensive and not all relesses. I have to import them from USA, Italy or UK wherever I can find Polish subtitles.. But I love physical media.. And your YT work keeps telling me it's worth it.
You have a very nice voice. and it's easy for me to understand you
The main reason the market has changed is because of how some consumers view physical media. Before streaming, some film fans purchased releases just to obtain "access" to viewing it. Now those buyers see streaming as more convenient and economical for them and their own needs. However, many physical media collectors want permanent access to films (not temporary access) and they also want to own films with the best video and audio presentations (and often alongside an assortment of extras).
*PHYSICAL MEDIA FOREVER!* There will always be people who enjoy their collections of movies and music. Revival of vinyl albums shows that trends reverse sometimes, and I think popularity of physical media will begin to grow again in near future.
I've noticed as the years have gone on - decades - that the quality of physical media and what's available out there has improved not declined. Plus how defined an image do you want or can you get without losing that cinematic quality altogether?
One big thing I've found with blu ray recently is alot of classic anime is getting new hd scans / or, western blu ray distributiors are getting a hold of Japanese encodes to where now many fans of 70-90s anime can watch these films in HD with high resolution audio which for me is amazing as none of these series would get new hd versions for some streaming services without the efforts of the blu ray companies.
Discotek and the work of media OCD is really under appericated in the blu ray space but they are doing some outstanding works in home media
I actually think that physical movies are going to long outlive physical games. They're different markets, film fans tend to be more passionate and be comprised of people of all ages, game fans tend to just want to the play the game and has more of a focus on people below 30 more than anyone else.
This is obvious - games age and are replaced over time, gamers are not replaying 10 or 20yr old titles cos they look like garbage.
Films instead transcend time, even more so with 4k restorations...
@@GamezGuru1 Since when do people not play old games? 🤣Dude I spend more time playing PS1 games than I do new games.
The only people who complain that 10 year old games look bad are people below the age of 15.
@@cookiesontoast9981 you're kind of in the minority honestly. People still play old games yeah but the majority of gamers, i.e. casual gamers, mostly only play every new thing and then move on. Nostalgia is only huge when they remake an old game to be better.
The thing with games is that they're increasing in size every year. It will soon be impossible to fit most games on a 100gb quad later blu ray. Most gamers seem to want physical games
@@coindog6336 Nah most people don't care about physical games anymore. Unless they're nerdy like we are lol, but most casual gamers you meet wouldn't care.
It is true though that games are getting very very big.
Feels like it's thriving these days. I can barely keep up with all the Jackie Chan releases, never mind everything else.
Hong Kong cinema has exploded onto blu-ray in recent years. I’ve discovered so many great films and still many more to watch! Cheers
I’ve been collecting physical media since the days of VHS. I used to have a large collection of VHS but sold them many years ago when DVD came out. I started collecting DVD’s in about 1998 and then replaced many titles with Blu Rays over the years. I didn’t make the jump to 4K as I’ve already brought movies on VHS then DVD and then Blu Ray. I do have a few 4K discs as a few titles have only had a dual 4K/Blu Ray release. I wouldn’t be that bothered if a lot of big budget mainstream movies did not come out on disc as I mainly collect movies on Boutique labels such as Arrow, 88 Films, Second Sight, Radiance, Severin, Vinegar Syndrome, Blue Underground, Synapse, Vintage Classics, Criterion, Indicator, Film Detective, Kino Lorber, 101 Films, Shout Factory, Fun City Editions, Warner Archive to name a few. I’m mainly interested in older movies, obscure strange films from around the world, B movies, cult/exploitation, World cinema, Art House, classic movies, Silent movies, martial arts, science fiction and horror. I have a vast collection of about 5000 movies (probably about 2000 DVD’s which include many obscure early releases on this format and around 3000 Blu Rays). I have considered trimming my collection down, getting rid of a lot of mainstream (not all) Hollywood movies as there are many (especially Superhero movies) that I don’t think I will watch again, but the mass produced mainstream movies are not worth any money (some if you sell to CEX are worth 1p, which I would rather donate them to charity). This would be mainly due to space as well. Looking at future releases from all these companies there are many great movies on their way this year.
How about a video on the best out-of-print / hard to find movies?
Wise words. I agree that some of the collector's sets of blu-rays coming out these days - especially the Indicator ones - are fantastic, high-quality packages. Some of the transfers of old movies are astoundingly good and allow us to appreciate and enjoy some classics in the best possible way.
In terms of content and boutique labels it’s a fantastic time to be a collector but the problem is there aren’t enough of you. Also supermarket’s have massively devalued the DVD that people don’t want to buy it day 1 and will then just wait for it to be on sale which massively hurts the studios. The physical market has shrunk by about 60-70% in the last 10 years as well. Think of all the retailers we’ve lost in the last 10 -15 years.. it’s mind blowing when you think about it and all the jobs that have been lost in home entertainment
Collector culture is the cornerstone of artist income. It doesn't matter whether you talk movies, books or music, the majority of profits always comes from dedicated collectors and not casual consumers. When the paperback novel revolution happened in the 1950s, everyone said it would be the end of hardcover books. End result: hardcover sales increased and entire mail order publishers were established that specialized in hardcover books. In the end, the publishing industry settled on a release style were a hardcover edition would be the first release, followed by the paperback edition a month or so later. The hardcover run was small but had a dedicated following that would show up and buy on the release date. You might see the same kind of model with Blu-Rays happen. There will be a limited release for collectors and specialized publishers of just Blu-Rays. but they'll never really go away. There's too much money to be made from collectors for production companies to get rid of them completely.
I've decided to rebuild my collection of DVDs and blu rays so that streaming services don't have me by the balls . I pick up a lot of films for cheap at pawn shops and Walmart.
In a world where streaming services are practically cable packages, Owning a library of films ect saves you the money while having the best variety.
Thing with a big physical media collection is, lot of the time they are on shelves collecting dust, taking up too much space in your home.
If say you had 600 movies how would you get through watching that amount it would take a life time at say one a week. Plus still adding to that collection as well, just rediculous.
If you go to work you would not have enough time to sit and watch a lot of movies.
I have 60 movies in my collection and struggle getting through those.
I only get movies if l am really going to repeat watch them that's why only get real favourite movies. Most movies can live without, watch and move on to next
I have around 2000 digital films and what you said is true, but I bought them cheaply and if I've watched them once, I'm happy. I hate to think how much time we've spent watching movies.
DVD to Blu-ray was absolutely massive! The pciture quality is worlds better, and we finally got uncompressed mulitchannel audio! The difference between Blu-ray and UHD is much less noticeable, and I could easily live without UHD. Blu-rays are also more durable and have an anti scratch layer. UHD seem to be very sensitive and prone to scratching. I think Blu-ray is actually the best physical format we have ever had. A well-mastered BD still kicks serious butt in this day and age. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate UHD, and it can look absolutely amazing, but is it really worth the upgrade? Only if the BD sucked imo, which sadly is often the case. For that, I am truly grateful. Anyway, hail to physical media.
I wouldn’t consider myself a collector but I’m definitely moving back into buying physical copies of my favorite movies and TV shows. The problem with DVDS is that most of them look absolutely awful on modern 4K displays. Really anything below 1080p looks bad on 4K displays. So I’m rebuilding my collection with primarily 4K or regular Blu-ray discs and settling for DVDS when both of those options aren’t available. Streaming services just don’t cut it anymore especially when there’s so many different ones and it makes no sense to subscribe to them all just for a particular movie or tv show that’s exclusive to a particular platform.
I'm most worried about always having players. I have more than enough discs to rewatch for life.
Interesting thoughts. I agree with a lot of what you say. Physcial media is not the mass market thing that it once was, but that suits us collectors as the market is now targetting us directly. While the major studios dont seem to be bothered, it may mean we get titles coming to boutique that once never may have made it. Unfortunately, it also means we're unlikely to see the kinds of releases that the true greats of cinema truly deserve.
4k is a niche of a niche and is likely to remain as such but like you, I would argue its never been better than at the moment - aside from our bank balances :)
There will always be a market for movies on disc, like CD's and even vinyl with music, but it will become increasingly niche and a collectors and enthusiasts market.
Hello hello!
I believe it tends to be reduced more and more to the boutiques and maybe some really special editions for the bigger brands/studios.
Who knows? The CD's are still around.
I have a very large collection of Laserdiscs, and it was a format that was never mass market due to
the prices of discs and players.
Yet you can still buy them on auction sites for a fraction of their original prices.
Will te same happen with Bluy-Ray and 4K, perhaps, it depends what new technology appears over
the next decade, steaming higher than 4K will require superfast fibre broadband at far lower than the
current prices for it to become mass market.
Physical media might seem that it is dying due to the lack of shops selling it on the high street or malls.
Plenty is still available online.
One concern is that most of the major brands don't make players today, only Panasonic and Sony
still have them available, but have not released any new models for a few years.
Media will continue to be available until demand drops to a level that is not profitable anymore.
I do a little bit of physical media collecting still, mainly for that rare/cult stuff or movies I just love. That's where it shines, and appropriately, I think that's where 4K shines as well.
No, physical media isn't "dying." There are more than TWO DOZEN titles released EVERY TUESDAY. Now, will that ever stop...? I don't know, but I don't think that movie studios or boutique labels want to kill a revenue stream.
This is a massive buying opportunity.
I got so many quality Blu-Rays and 4K discs in the past few years from facebook marketplace. Blu-Rays are £1 when you buy in bulk, 4Ks are £5-10.
It's a bit like trading those Panini stickers for the world cup football sticker albums, you say got, got, got, not got.
No it's not dying at all. People still buy bluray, myeslf included. And I encurage everyone to boycot all streaming services starting now
I am shocked to hear 'EEAAOnce' is not available on ANY physical format in the UK (at there moment). Even here in Australia it's available on DVD, BR & 4K !
I guess I'm a collector. I DO support the boutique distributors and am buying blu-rays and 4k disc's, but I'm also getting rid of the older DVDs of replaced titles.
I honestly doubt it , as long as hardcore collectors are around and even the ones like me who are just collecting movies that they are interested in. physical media can never die.
Physical media reigns supreme!
they could immediately software patch Blu ray to instant play. skip the warnings , skip the studio logos . that would go a long way
I still buy CDs and SACDs ..yes they are still around and there is plenty of online companies to choose from....and whatever happens with physical media there will always be companies willing to supply discs ...they are very clever and release limited quantities just right for us collectors ...I love Blu-rays and 4K discs ..and again they remain popular the future looks good..
I still have all my games that meant alot to me I will probably keep them forever but now and then I am guilt of buying digital cause it's just convenient for me not to have so much clutter and having to store in drawers or plastic containers under my bed.
I see a niche for collecting films that are potentially offensive to some group of viewers or another. If you like the movie, it may end up no longer showing up on streaming services (or being for sale), or the film may be 'modified' from its original to be less offensive. Regular run of the mill movies I don't have much use for in a physical format....I think Apple iTunes 4K has good enough quality even if its slightly less than Physical 4K.
To those "regular" people who just want to get ride of their often smaller collection. I would say search up a normal collector instead of a store. I am sure you can get a quite nice deal from lots of people whilst the stores are quite picky and might not even buy in all of your stuff.
What is "4K" movie? Is that like a type of Blu Ray disc? Or is it a movie that you project on a wall?
I couldn’t agree more, it’s a wonderland!
I feel so lucky. 😊
Great point about the past decade of fantastic releases and we are still seeing great releases every month even if they are not as numerous as years prior. These past ten years and present have definitely been the golden years of physical home video giving us some of the best looking presentations of films since their theatrical debuts.
How many players are selling? That is the gauge. Not the discs.
All of those boutique labels offer niche films for niche collectors, most people have never heard of them. They're happy with the mainstream titles you get on streaming. The people who collect physical media also stream and they don't seem to have the time to watch their collection. I get the appeal, the box, the artwork, displaying something, but they all end up collecting dust. There is no difference in PQ between the two now, when watching on an Apple TV box at 8 - 10 feet back. In fact the streaming version often has Dolby Vision and the physical only HDR10. That can work both ways, with GoT being only HD on streaming. Apple also offers almost lossless Atmos. Physical media is fun but it's expensive and the storage sucks.
@Mike P True, but you can watch them online on a device or on your TV. I'm not sure why you need Plex. No one has ever lost an I-Tunes movie unless they moved countries, rights issues.
@Mike P Every time someone says they've had their movies removed, it turns out they moved countries and it was a rights issue. I have titles to watch that are no longer available to buy. If the studios start removing titles they would lose customer trust and have a lawsuit on their hands. It says BUY TO OWN so it doesn't matter what they say in their terms and conditions, they would lose in a court of law. Finally, films are as little as 1.99 in 4K DV and so at that price I don't think it matters. If you get it for rental price or below it's fine. As long as you've watched it, to me you got your money's worth at that price. I'm not against physical media btw, but I only have it for movies / shows not available on streaming.
When the first big music streaming channel or the first big 4k video streaming channel tanks and goes under, everyone will wish they had kept their CD, DVD and Blu-Ray collections. When you go to listen to all that music or watch all those movies that you "bought" from the bankrupt service that has folded and you discover that you no longer have access to that music or film, its going to make you feel really shitty and make me feel good. Not that I have bought every CD, DVD,or Blu-Ray(4k or regular)that I have purchased on Apple Music, or Netflix or Prime Video. But I have made an effort to collect the physical media of my FAVORITE music and videos, in one format or another. I also invested a bit of money in a very high quality optical disc player. I hoped that as people rediscovered vinyl, that would lead to people collecting physical media again. I urge everyone to get CDs and other media while you still can.
Great video again, Elliot. Couldn't agree more ... we're living in a truly great age for collecting film physically. And I love it. #PhysicalMedia is alive an well! :)
I'm not sure I'm sold on bothering with 8k but if there is ever a fully awesome quality VR or holographic immersive experience where I can step into the film and watch it from within as if I'm there (or close enough to feeling like I'm there) then I'd definitely be interested in that!
The studios have already said they won't be supporting 8K for home media.
The problem with streaming sites have to pay for the licenses so the movies will eventually not be available anymore (on that server). I have netflix but it has much less content now that it did back in the 90s. For example if I type 'goodfellas' the search bar just gives me suggestions on what might be similar to it.
While competition is good (as it keeps the costs of the sites down) there are many hulu, netflix, apple, etc. so that means that you have to do research and see where the show you want is (and hope that you can see it before the service removes it).
(at least for me) it is much cheaper to buy the series that I am interested in than buying a subscription to have access to a series that you are interested, and yes have access to other movies but not really that interesting (watching it because it is already included vs watching it because you are interested in it)
While it is true that video physical media might die someday I don't think it will anytime soon.
Given with what's been happening now with digital media and people now realizing that they don't 'own' what they buy, I don't think that physical media is dying at all. In fact, in my opinion I think we're going to see a resurgence if anything.
I have never stopped buying movies i still have DVD´s that i bought in the early 00´s some of which came out in the late 90´s, my main problem is since most of what i like to buy are only sold in Japan and the US the studios region lock some of their releases and its random some are hard locked to region A/1 or B/2 and some are multi region and i get around that by having two players but i would like to get a 4K Blu-Ray player but that means i will NOT be able to play those region locked A/1 movies not unless i keep my old US player and i have no idea how much life that one has left so its a massive problem if it dies and from what i found importing a Panasonic from the US will not work in the EU due to the PSU not working with 230v or something like that
Bang on, brother
Long live the ones who keep movies in their heart.
Watching films on streaming with all the compression artefacts makes me wonder how folks put up with it. Dark scenes can be as bad as the VHS days on a big-screen OLED.
Really? What are you watching the streaming films? I use apple tv 4k on an 83 inch oled and don't see compression artifacts that everyone keeps talking about with streaming. Could be I'm blind but lots of reputable reviewers also say there isn't any artifacts. Maybe on something like HBO max or Roku.
The companies that made high end blu-ray players like NAD, Oppo, Denon and Yamaha have stopped making them. I guess they didn’t think there would be a market for blu-ray players anymore
But thanks to consoles people watch more movies os 4k disks
I would of liked to have seen the 4k resolution bypassed and just got straight to 6k as that is roughly the resolution of 35mm film, the colour space is fine with HDR but why skimp on the resolution.
Anime is in the golden age for physical media. back in the day you had to buy Volumes with like 1-3 episodes for 20-30 dollars. now you can buy a whole season for 30-40 dollars
Or get lucky on sales. I bought barakamon for thirteen dollars recently.
Spot on! I love physical media (looking at my late Mizoguchi Eureka box set on my shelf)
Weird that Everything Everywhere All At Once didn't even get released in the UK. We got it in the Nordics, although not 4k (which seems to be a US import only). Typically I have to get imported UK versions of some movies in 4k, so it seems very odd for a movie to not release there at all.
I keep my hands in all media formats vhs ,cassettes ,cd ,dvd ,thumbnail and flash drives ,l hav a few records I’ve had since the 80’s left but that may be tossed out soon.
It’s becoming more niche and I think it will just stay that way. I haven’t bought a physical game in ages. I typically play two games at a time before moving on to another game. It’s a pain to have to keep swapping discs. Digital is so much easier
How does it feel to have an IQ below 70, and to be so lazy?
I agree that 4k is the last popular format, at least at the moment. I remember few years ago 3D was the thing but right now 3D TV's are no longer manufactured and the only place you can go and watch 3D is the cinema. Going back to 4k I feel that it had a rough start, first movies which I bought were 2K DI's and jump from blu ray was not substantinal, but now I feel that hollywood starting to making more movies in 6k or 8k cameras and finishing in 4K DI which is a great news - watch Revenant, Top Gun Maverick or the older one and you will know what I am talking about
Schindler's List on Prime has DNR all the grain scrubbed away, feels like a totally different movie than it should be. Netflix has the grain not scrubbed abway but is suffering from 6MB/s
So buy it on I-Tunes.
The future is unknowable. We should enjoy what we have today and let tomorrow bring whatever it will.
Very stoic of you! I completely agree. Cheers Rob
I'm really enjoying the output on physical media right now. I've mentioned those very words "golden age of physical media" on a few occasions now, and I believe it! Especially when/if you can combine what the international markets have to offer. It has also been severely irritating me the lack of a UK release for Everything Everywhere... I just can't understand the logic at all. I have been holding off importing it, expecting some sort of imminent announcement, which just hasn't materialised. It really does boggle the mind! Similarly with Titane, I know it's a bit more niche, but where is that UK release?! When there's a delay in these sort of things, people do tend to import, meaning when a release does finally make it to the UK, sales will inevitably be lower than other regions.
@Mike P nice workaround. Its probably easier just to invest in a multiregion player, though. They aren't too expensive these days. The worst thing about importing for me is the shipping cost. Especially since they all now add 20% on top for VAT....
i hope it never goes away i had to cancel my netflix subscription recently
People tend to forget that it is still a multi-billion dollar industry with physical media. It shrinks its margins and market share every year in some respects but it's by no means a dead market. The opposite is true. The truth is that a blockbuster film such as Wonder Woman might sell a lot of copies but only a small fraction of what it would have sold in a pre-streaming industry. Yet niche titles released by smaller labels with a dedicated fanbase and focus (Criterion, Vinegar Syndrome, Kino Lorber, Arrow Video, Shout Factory, etc.) are actually experiencing a growth in popularity and release even more titles than before because the niche labels are doing better with finding a audience and are selling well enough for the market to be successful. It is by no means a market that is going anywhere. It is just not going to appeal to every casual film fan now (at least in the same way). Regardless, the world has billions of people, and even non-diehard collectors of physical media occasionally might want a movie - either as a gift or to acquire a personal favorite.
Agreed, I don't think it's dying. Just look at sales of CD's and Vinyl. Vinyl saw a resurgence in sales over the last decade. Physical Media is not dying. It is just a niche thing. 4K UHD sales increased in 2022 thanks to Sony getting more PS5's in stores. It plays 4K UHD discs for those that didn't know.
Less physical media availability on Europe, South America and Asia 😢
I'm in the opinion that me having my dvd and vhs collection is way better than looking for what I want on any streaming service. Than They might not have it, or the monthly payment of like 5 services can add up to me just getting a physical copy.
You’ll NEVER be able to takeaway the mental connection of looking and holding something physical. Because of this, it will remain in circulation even if only as a niche market. If $200-$400k sports cars have a market, physical media will always have an audience. Just not as massive as it was at the height of DVDs before streaming became an option.
I do both. I purchase films digitally as well as physically, but keep the media purchases to only Criterion.,
I totally agree with you brother !!!!
Streaming services should stand as the replacement for cable television not blu-rays
Streaming is going to be illegal and I look forward to the government shutting down Netflix and forcing the American public back to Blockbuster and Hollywood Video.
Bro, you're stressing me out
I can’t believe everything everywhere still doesn’t have a release in the UK, my favourite film from last year and I can’t even own it or rewatch it😢
It's on Amazon Prime, I think they have the rights to it, that's probably why. I personally didn't like it but I'm sorry that you can't get a physical copy.
The Quality of new movies is not helping much as well.. I can count on my fingers how many good movies have been released recently.. 2024 will be the end for pysical media.
Streaming i have, some shows i kinda like on them, shows or movies i really like i seek out on blue ray or 4k disc cause i want to re-experience them in the best quality possible
Vinyl didn’t die so physical media won’t too. I’m not into streaming. I tried it but I prefer physical, thank you very much.
I'm a huge fan of Succession and HBO has just announced the complete series box set is only going to be on DVD, with no blu ray release at all. It's really sad and this seems to be what they're doing with lots of other shows as well (unless it's a mega hit like The Last of Us or Thrones, where they don't just do blu-rays but steelbooks and limited editions etc. as well). I would love to own one of my favourite shows and be able to watch it whenever I want, but I can't justify buying a DVD in this day an age as the picture and sound quality just isn't as good as it could be even on a standard blu ray. Get it together HBO/WB.
The problem is that there are no real compelling physical formats on the market for the average consumer. I love the idea of physical media, but I refuse to buy CD's, DVD's, Blurays, Vinyl records, Cassettes or any other physical media that's been released over the past 100 years, because all of these products have a lot of flaws. I think Mini Disk was the closest thing we've ever had to the perfect music format, but even that had a lot of flaws. I realize that you're never going to get the perfect format, but I'm not going to settle for something like Bluray disks, just because it's the only option available. None of these formats are appealing to me in any way. That being said, as soon as someone develops a compelling format, I'm on board.
* Note: I would consider the perfect format to include the following: #1. No spinning disks (CD, DVD, Bluray, Vinyl, etc). #2. Small enough to fit in the hand, but big enough that it would be considered a real, tangible product. #3. Based on a solid state format. #4. Easy to back up on a computer. #5. Completely DRM-Free and open source.
Love that analogy
I love the comparison of streaming services to something like a Toby Carvery
I still buy physical media because I like to display it, I like going through it and I just love collecting. I’ll buy new 4k movies or standard blu-ray movies but I do think physical media is dying. It’s decreased a lot, that’s why I just go to Disc Replay or Half Price Books. I was at Target and there wasn’t much in the isle for physical media and that shocked me. My local Walmart doesn’t have a $7.88 bin full of blu-rays anymore and even my local Best Buy doesn’t really have much except new releases or a re-release with a different cover if that makes sense. Really makes me sad but I always enjoy buying used 4k and blu-ray movies in really good condition.
Could not agree more with your gastronomic analogy towards streaming. I made the mistake of getting rid of my CD’s. I just ended up buying some of them all over again.
I kinda feel like when cds came out. Vinyl pretty much stopped being produced, but now look at it. Vinyl lovers always said it sounded better (but no one understood compression for some reason), and plus they just look cooler. Movies same way. U watch, the generation born now is gonna love physical media bcuz their mom and dad never bought it.
Film / tv physical media will echo what vinyl records did for music. Now I don’t think it will have the same type boom that vinyl records did, since that was largely tied to the indie/hipster culture of the early to mid 2010s, but I think it’s safe to say that dvd, Blu-ray and 4K are here to stay. I stopped fear mongering and realized that there is a large enough market of dedicated fans to keep the hobby alive.
Exactly, everything can go through periods of decline and I think physical media regarding TV and film has already been through a massive era of decline this past decade. I can see streaming services dwindling to smaller numbers, and piracy and disc collecting will increase so people can access what they want when they want and not have to rely solely on blind hope that their favourite series/movies turn up on a streaming service.also have to factor in how much fans there are of international cinema and how much of those films would never see a release on Netflix or Prime etc. Some boutique labels may drop out but some will always survive.
Vinyl is incredibly niche. Around 88% of people stream music, only.
@@StevenLeeRUclips it may be "niche", but it is still huge. Vinyl lately exceeded CDs for the first time in a very long time. Anecdotally, I can't count how many people my age and younger (i'm in my early 20's) I know who have and still are collecting vinyl since their teenage years. Probably about 30 people in my closest circles. I only know two other people my age or younger who collect blu-rays, despite half of my friends being film-interested. Yet I know random people everywhere who collect vinyl. Vinyl is pretty big, especially among "alternative"/"indie" teenagers/young adults, and students in general. There are plenty of vinyl shops/cafes here, yet the only chain that sold blu-rays in my city (half of the store was vinyl) closed down a few years ago despite being fairly popular. Most people don't care about blu-rays or even know it's still a thing, meanwhile vinyl is everywhere.
@@nikomiller Not really, it accounts for something like 5 percent of all music listened to. 88 percent is streaming. You must just know a lot of vinyl enthusiasts.
@@StevenLeeRUclips I’m sure that percentage would be quite similar to the amount of people that still buy films on disc. I don’t know a single person that collects Blu-rays/dvds/4ks in my personal life, but know many people that collect records. Majority of people stream both films and music rather than owning, so I’m not sure what your point is. Vinyl had a very undeniable boom in the 2010s and became incredibly trendy to a point where it was sold in urban outfitters and even have dedicated aisles in target in the states. I just don’t see how film discs can be such a big cultural zeitgeist like records were in the 2010s.
great video