MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > DVD and Blu-Ray sales nearly halved over...

DVD and Blu-Ray sales nearly halved over the last five years

posted 6 years ago by PrimeMinisterX (8859)
33 replies | jump to latest

This to me is very sad.

I still buy films on physical media and will continue to do so for as long as physical formats are offered. Not only is the picture and sound quality superior to streaming, but the wealth of special features on many discs is not replicated in the streaming versions, even when you "buy" them.

Speaking of which, you never do really "buy" a film when you purchase a streaming copy. You just purchase the right to stream it indefinitely. Fuck that. I want something that isn't going to disappear just because the server crashed or the company went out of business.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/04/dvd-and-blu-ray-sales-nearly-halved-over-five-years-mpaa-report-says/

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21723) 6 years ago

You are quite right. I have been collecting vinyl and turntables for years and their prices are sky rocketing right now.

I love DVD and VHS and will always collect them. :)

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

I started out in the VHS era and that format will always have a place in my heart.

In fact, I still have a VCR and about once a year I will stop by this place that sells used VHS cassettes for a dollar. I will pick a few up and watch them to remember the good old days. The quality is shitty and the movies are almost always cropped to 4:3, but it brings back some great memories.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21723) 6 years ago

I feel the same! I love going to Goodwill stores and searching for rare VHS. If you look on EBay you will see many titles are becoming pricey.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

I'm not enough of a collector to actually pay real money for a VHS film, but I do understand that some cassettes are pricey today.

What's amazing to me is that you can still buy new, sealed VHS films on Amazon. It seems that at this point that would not be easy to do, but it is surprisingly easy.

The last film I watched on VHS was Broken Arrow. I had only seen it once before, in the theater, and was disappointed with it so I figured I'd give it another shot. Nah, it's really not a very good movie.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21723) 6 years ago

Yep, that movie was not that great. If I remember right I saw it when it came out and I was hoping Travolta would be good in it because I loved his come back in Pulp Fiction but it was not to be. :(

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

I think it did pretty well financially, so in that sense it was a hit, which may have helped Travolta out after all. But yeah, the movie overall was not great.

Personally, I was hyped to see it at the time because of Christian Slater. I guess I was about 13 then and to me Christian Slater was still one of the coolest cats to ever walk the earth. I remember being confused when his popularity didn't continue on in the coming years.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 6 years ago

The last film I watched on VHS was Jumanji (1995). I liked it so much at the time. The CGI was unreal.

It was the time when people got excited by any CGI lol. How the table has turned.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

You know, as much as it is a beloved classic by many, I have to say that I have never been a huge fan of Jumanji. I can't put my finger on it but there's just something about that film that is a little off-putting to me.

I did enjoy the recent sequel with The Rock though.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 6 years ago

I enjoyed both movies. I was skeptical at first, but turned out the sequel was pretty cool and funny too.

I think it was a wise decision of the makers of the sequel Jumanji to create a different kind of movie and not simply remake / reboot it.

Because when I looked back to the O.G. Jumanji it's, like I said, surely most of my fascinations were about the slick CGI / SFx.

If they do the same Jumanji just with new cast and modern CGI I'm pretty sure it would flop because people are not amused by CGI anymore, no matter how good.

If I watch the old Jumanji now without my rose-tinted glasses, probably it would just be a mediocre movie.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

Yeah, the new film did a good job of taking the basic concept and making it its own. I remember going to see it in the theater and it was PACKED. I was surprised, though I'm sure the fact that it was Christmas break didn't hurt.

I have always enjoyed adventure films and, while it was no Indiana Jones, it was fun enough and had enough of the proper elements to be a good ride for me.

I was shocked when it ended up making almost a billion dollars, but also pleased. Hopefully the sequel is just as fun as the last film was.

[–] slimone (7996) 6 years ago

I borrow DVDs from my local library, and haven't bought on since my favorite video store closed several years ago. I don't think there are any left.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

Video stores? There are still a few left.

There's a chain called Family Video that actually still has around 700 stores left.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Video

I know there are also still a few independent stores here and there, and there's one Blockbuster left in the world, in Bend, OR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOQf9dlUDh0

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21723) 6 years ago

In the block buster days, my wife who was my girl friend then would go to the new release section and I would go to horror and we would meet back up like 20 min later. We were both stuck watching what the other had selected. Needless to say she has seen many obscure horror movies. Such fun times.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

That sounds like a good time.

Anyone who doesn't have some good memories of going to Blockbuster just hasn't lived. I feel bad for kids today, because they will never have that video store experience. It's just not a thing for them.

We, however, know that feeling of anticipation as you head to Blockbuster (or Hollywood Video, as the case often was for me) hoping that the new release you were looking for wasn't out of stock, as well as the pleasures of simply wandering the aisles looking for something interesting to watch.

Those were the days.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

It's harder for me to buy them now because there are so very few newer movies and shows I have intetest in. I bought most of my favorites during the DVD era and don't really want to buy the blu-ray.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21723) 6 years ago

I agree with you completely. If I had to guess I would say my most recent DVD is the remake of True Grit and I think that was 2010 and I watch very few remakes.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Oh! I know I just replied, but one more thing. I do worry about certain titles disappearing from streaming. Who's to say ten years from now that some classic movie or show isn't considered offensive? Then boom. It's pulled indefinitely.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

That's a good point.

Good luck finding Song of the South on store shelves these days . . . oh wait, you can't.

As I said in the OP, when you own a physical copy of a movie if someone is going to take that from you, they're going to have to break into your house to do it. For you to lose access to a streaming version that you "bought" then all that has to happen is for the server to go offline . . . or the company to close up shop . . . or the company can just pull the title for some reason.

This has already happened before, such as:

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131216/16292925583/you-dont-own-what-you-bought-disney-amazon-play-role-grinch-taking-back-purchased-film.shtml

And this is also going to cause people some problems:

https://www.slashfilm.com/ultraviolet-shutting-down/

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21723) 6 years ago

Also why should you be forced to have internet access and log in to watch a film you love? A hard copy works if you have electricity and something to watch it on.

[–] samoanjoes (58626) 6 years ago

Me too. I always buy films. I like having physical copies in my collection. I like seeing the covers and seeing the menus when I pop them in. Long live physical media!

[–] Frogarama (12942) 6 years ago

I prefer physical media too, and I buy too many 3d blurays to even consider streaming.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

3D Blu-Ray huh?

I wasn't sure anyone still did that.

[–] Frogarama (12942) 6 years ago

Very popular in the UK, and there are usually region free releases for overseas sales. Theyre big in China too.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I wholeheartedly agree.

Streaming is like paying for the right to borrow and return a book from the library. It isn't ownership.

My only qualms with purchasing physical media is storage space and the waste generated from packaging.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Steaming is convenient

[–] McQualude (4231) 6 years ago

They aren't making movies that are good enough to own. I haven't bought a movie in years.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

Oh come on now, the situation is not that dire. By anybody's standards a film like Blade Runner 2049 should be worth owning.

Even this year already there have been a few movies I wouldn't mind picking up, such as Alita and Avengers: Endgame and, if I could get it cheap, Fighting With My Family.

[–] McQualude (4231) 6 years ago

It will all be streaming in 10 years. I easily imagine the day when movies are no longer sold, only licensed. Anything to milk a dollar from Joe Public.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8859) 6 years ago

I think, or at least hope, that there will always be a market for physical film releases, much as there remains a market for vinyl.

There will always be purists out there who will want the best in terms of picture, sound and special features and who will be willing to pay for it. It will be like LaserDisc all over again.

[–] slimone (7996) 6 years ago

Movies today really suck. The last movies I saw in a theater were The Darkest Hour, and Lion.