‘Rental places will surge back’: readers on the fight to preserve physical media

‘A reluctant necessity for abstraction reasons’

At location we person been getting into nan habit, erstwhile we place (a knack successful itself!) a show aliases movie we are assured we will want to re-watch, of ordering an inexpensive DVD copy.

At nan extremity of 2020, erstwhile we moved to a caller flat successful a different portion of Seattle, I threw retired bin bags afloat of VHS tapes. While a reluctant necessity for abstraction reasons, I powerfully suspected we mightiness regret this. As it turns out, moreover we had not anticipated conscionable really accelerated and beardown nan move would beryllium for TV channels to commencement charging to position nan benignant of aged contented (from Jaws to Airplane! to vintage dramas) almost virtually overnight aft that binning date! MountainAspect

‘Ultimately upwind up arsenic early landfill’

I rather for illustration nan thought of owning a DVD postulation whose shelves I mightiness browse for illustration a rental store.

However, I can’t shingle nan conception that astir of nan weighted things we amass successful life will yet upwind up arsenic early landfill for nan adjacent procreation to woody with. I americium besides very conscious of immoderate time taking connected nan load of disposal aliases redistribution of my various interests, aliases leaving that process to my adjacent of kin whomever that whitethorn be. The thought of owning moreover a mini DVD postulation extended capable to screen each nan bases fills maine pinch dread successful that regard. I deliberation of my grandparents and their accumulated belongings of their lifetimes that ended up successful boxes destined for nan dump, nan attic successful my parents’ house, aliases kindness stores. TypeONegative

‘The quality successful value … is considerable’

Maybe I’m a Luddite, but I haven’t really caught connected to this streaming thing.

I’ve watched films connected Disney+. The image connected caller films is often excessively acheronian (a title which a fewer group I cognize person complained about). Older films are often shown successful nan incorrect ratio, aliases nan soundtrack is poor. I’ve conscionable subscribed to Prime Video for TV shows for my boy to watch, and haven’t tried searching for immoderate films yet. Somehow I uncertainty that nan films I want to spot will beryllium available.

I’m fortunate successful that I still person a section HMV store. Nothing thumps stepping successful there, mooching for an hr aliases truthful and picking a Blu-ray. The quality successful value betwixt streaming and watching a movie connected beingness media is considerable. After Hours, Eraserhead, Boogie Nights, Naked, The Conversation, The Passenger … The much casual movie instrumentality mightiness bask their Netflix and chill, but nan much superior movie instrumentality would for illustration their shelves afloat of beingness media. TheManWithoutFear

A Blockbuster Video shop successful 2009. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

‘This existent shape sucks’

Rental places will surge back, it whitethorn return a while but will happen, nostalgia for 1 and besides nan caller acquisition of it for others. Like nan article says pinch nan resurgence of vinyl, which has boomed again. The much that original fans and younger generations realise they can’t spot nan existent point nan marketplace will adapt. But yea this existent shape sucks, particularly [with] streaming pulling titles near and right. MrUsername2014

‘The hype is real’

I precocious cancelled my streaming subscriptions and begun a nascent postulation of “final format” 4K Blu-rays.

The hype is real: nan value is exceptional, pinch nary of nan micro-drops successful ocular and audio value you get pinch streaming. Some discs are peculiarly well-optimised for nan format – Oppenheimer is simply a premier illustration of this (viewing it connected 4K disk pinch a group of bully value headphones is 3 hours very good spent). Villeneuve’s Arrival besides looks great.

As for a player, it gives my PS5 thing to do arsenic I seldom person clip to play 20-hour-plus games these days. bluejay2011

‘Household budgets are stretched’

I tin only speak for myself but I deliberation nan streaming manufacture will yet travel to regret attempting to fastener their customers in. Because sadly family budgets are stretched and paying for a streaming work costs money. And location is not conscionable 1 of them. There is simply a load of them successful title pinch 1 another, wherever do you stop?

At slightest if nan movie aliases immoderate is connected DVD aliases Blu-ray nan customer is only committing to a one-off purchase. So these companies and nan movie manufacture successful wide whitethorn good find themselves losing retired connected a batch of downstream revenue. Whilst [being] nether awesome unit to make judge they support customers entertained. And intelligibly from this taxable galore of america still for illustration to beryllium capable to acquisition movies connected a disk. Buzz2023

‘I person switched back’

Honestly, I switched complete to nan streaming platforms for a while, some pinch movies and pinch music, but person recovered that I person switched back. Not only because nan platforms would region what I wanted (movies and shows), but (at slightest successful position of music) virtually a level alteration meant that I would “buy” nan music, but not really bargain it, and therefore, since they decided to alteration really they did things – I mislaid my money and nary longer owned nan music, because I ne'er really bought it successful nan first place. My wallet disagreed. That was capable to sour maine connected this full thing. Plus, DVDs are truthful overmuch cheaper successful nan extremity and you really OWN them. BeaconofHopeWari

‘So overmuch clutter’

So overmuch clutter. I support CDs, but they are successful disc folders. The cases spell successful nan bin. Heresy to some, but a discuss I’m comfortable with. SevenHigher

‘I americium not a fetishist of nan format’

Owning films successful integer shape is conscionable excessively convenient for maine to spell backmost to physical. I support buying DVDs and Blu-rays of films that are not disposable successful integer of course, but it’s not that many, and it feels for illustration an effort to return nan DVD retired it case, spell to a DVD reader, commencement it etc … While successful in integer I tin commencement nan movie successful seconds wherever I am. I americium not a fetishist of nan format aliases of nan support, I conscionable want to beryllium capable to watch a movie I emotion whenever I want and wherever I americium and only integer tin connection it. bf_silvertown

‘I ne'er sewage into it until DVDs came out’

Owning movies was ne'er arsenic celebrated arsenic owning books aliases euphony (CDs, records, tapes). I ne'er sewage into it until DVDs came out.

What I miss astir nan prevalence of beingness media is going to someone’s location and seeing their book/record/DVD postulation and getting an thought of their interests. And past you person thing you tin talk about. Jjfbjj

DVDs for waste connected racks successful a HMV shop successful London. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

‘The biggest nonaccomplishment of films since nan aged workplace vault fires’

We’re going done nan biggest nonaccomplishment of films since nan aged workplace vault fires. And I cognize group will say, oh, this aliases that unavailable movie still exists somewhere. But if cipher tin ever spot it, truthful what?

And besides, integer formats alteration frequently. One day, each integer transcript of a movie will beryllium obsolete. Will Disney aliases whoever spell to nan effort and disbursal of transferring each their celebrated films to caller formats? Of course.

Will Disney aliases whoever spell to nan effort and disbursal of transferring thousands of films that haven’t been made disposable successful years, and which person astir apt been forgotten, listed successful immoderate database that hasn’t been accessed successful a agelong time? Very unlikely. SonOfTheDesert

‘I nary longer unrecorded for illustration a huffy hoarder’

Two years agone I gave thousands of DVDs and Blu-rays to kindness shops. I nary longer unrecorded for illustration a huffy hoarder and person overmuch much bid of mind. There are truthful galore aged and caller useful to watch that successful decades I ne'er re-watched immoderate of nan discs I had purchased, successful truth I gave distant hundreds still successful shrink-wrap. I could person paid disconnected my owe if streaming had been disposable 30 years ago. RGouveia

‘A people successful film-making’

One of nan reasons I bought truthful galore DVDs complete nan years, and proceed to do so, is because of nan prize contented for illustration nan director’s commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and interviews pinch formed and crew. David Fincher’s Seven whitethorn beryllium connected immoderate random streaming service, but nan DVD commentary tracks unsocial are connected par pinch a people successful filmmaking. Sagarmatha1953

‘DVDs are vulnerable and will not past forever’

Still person each of my DVDs and americium buying caller ones arsenic well. I will support them arsenic galore films are not ever aliases ne'er disposable connected streaming services. The only problem is that DVDs are vulnerable and will not past forever. Same goes for DVD players. I had conscionable precocious thought of buying a caller DVD subordinate arsenic a spare. I do usage streaming services arsenic good but they are very limiting and I do not ever find what I’m looking for particularly erstwhile it comes to “older” movies, eg 1920s, 1930 - 1970s. The different time I watched nan original Ladykillers again :) Its caller remake is simply a nary go. abot

‘It’s not 1 aliases nan other’

For maine it’s not 1 aliases nan other. Streaming (via nan accustomed platforms) has its place. It allows you to watch films you whitethorn not take to watch, aliases effort thing different etc. And beingness media allows you to person your ain collection, either of films not disposable to stream, aliases those films you want to ain arsenic you watch complete and complete again. IronMorg007

‘A badge of honour for nan wealthy’

Physical media has go a badge of honour for nan able pinch a large capable location pinch capable abstraction to shop it. Vinyl records are chiefly a middle-class roar for “man caves” alternatively than a superior choice. I sold disconnected each my CDs, DVDs, vinyl, etc arsenic I simply don’t person nan space. Those pinch nan abstraction happily capable it pinch a beingness media library. tjhvaliants