Why do you still collect physical media?

[Svenfan1234]

With a world of Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime, why do you keep on coming back to DVDs? Whether it be TV shows or movies?

For me:
1-I like the comfort of knowing I can come back to it as many times as I please.

2-Netflix and the others are way too unpredictable about yanking licenses really fast.

3-I like collecting DVDs and see them on my shelf.

4-And for those unreleased/incomplete shows without all seasons released, that's what Trading Post and ioffer are for.

[Dr. Loveless]

You've pretty much covered why I stick mainly with physical media... though I do augment my collection a bit with Netflix and Amazon Prime, for both new and classic stuff I want to "test-drive" before owning, or that I just want to watch once.

As far as ownership is concerned, it all basically boils down to eliminating the middleman. This was true long before internet streaming came on the scene. A cable or broadcast channel like TV Land or MeTV might seem to be an embarrassment of riches at one point in time, but a change in management, changing audience demographics and/or other factors can make a network drop their worthwhile programming for things I or you have little or no interest in, as we all have seen, many times. This is pretty much inevitable, because every network wants to ultimately create its own, new programming, or get the rights to something that is still fairly new and popular. The only major exception I can think of, at the moment, is Turner Classic Movies, and if they drastically change at some point in the future, fans of older movies, who don't have their own collections to draw from, are going to be in a world of hurt.

I used to work in a Blockbuster Video store from 2002-2008, during the DVD boom. Any rental movies or TV discs that weren't New Releases had to achieve a certain number of rentals within each 6-month period, or else they'd be sold off in the previously-owned DVD racks. Since the majority of people, young and old, tended to prefer whatever the new thing was, most of the older material was avoided and neglected, and that has constantly been shifting, too, as the years have passed. Now, stuff from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s is considered "old", and anything before that (with a few exceptions) is considered prehistoric, "cheesy", "unrealistic" and is essentially deemed unwatchable, by a large percentage of the general public.

Even streaming services, which don't require physical product, still want to use their server space for whatever gets more views, so opt for new original series, or more recent programming, plus a smattering of classic stuff, which is often added to and dropped from the service, with an availability window of only a few months (and you only get warning of them being dropped a week or so in advance). These tend to be the more popular/familiar classics, too, so you don't get as much variety on, say, Netflix, as you used to a few years ago, and stuff doesn't stick around for as long, if they don't own it themselves. Material can hop around, from service to service, too, so you might end up having to subscribe to several streaming services to have full access to what you want. It's cheaper than cable, but can still get a little costly.

However, if you own copies of the films and series, they're there for as long as you wish, not subject to the whims of others, and you don't have to keep paying for the privilege of continued (limited) access to them. A good video library in the den also can, aesthetically, look really nice, and can allow visitors some added insight into who you are, as a person, but that's a secondary concern.

[OH Nuts!]

Well, I am not adding any physical media. Much of what I have is either on You Tube or could be borrowed from the Library. But I can't bring myself to throw anything out. I have too many sentimental feelings attached and what I have is stored in wallets and doesn't take up that much space.

[Crusinforabrusin]

Because I enjoy having DVDs of what I enjoy physically at hand so I can watch them when I feel like it. It's just not dvds either. I collect records and CDs too. The point in question is because I like having all of my favorite music,DVDs,records right at hand.

I prefer physical media over rental services and streaming. I hate rental service because you have to give the DVD in question back after a certain time. With streaming , the tv show or movie you want to watch can be taken off at anytime therefore preventing you from seeing the movie. That's why I hate Netflix, Amazon prime, Hulu

[tlc38tlc38]

Physical media only for me!

[gopyle]

I, too, prefer physical media since I primarily watch shows pre-1980s with some exceptions. MeTV and Antenna TV are great, but I expect they will go the way of TV Land and modernize eventually. I also like to see the opening and closing credits as they are meant to be seen.
Netflix dropped the ball long ago on vintage shows and Amazon doesn't have a lot to offer in the way of stuff I like.
Fortunately, I have collected most of my favorites on DVD if available.

[BigManMike]

At this point, I just watch DVDs for the most part. The streaming isn't always reliable and licenses could end at any time. I used to watch Antenna TV a lot but I stopped shortly after they started crunching credits. Most of what I like on MeTV I have on DVD so I really don't watch it much either. Decades programming is lousy and repetitive for the most part, but once in a good while they will have a good show on their Binge marathon and I will watch that some. But I mostly just watch DVDs and plan to get more.

[Regulus]

I've heard some "Horror Stories" of people who subscribe to a streaming service where they purchase a shoe which is then "stored" in a "cloud". where they logon and find out their service has gone out of business, leaving them high and dry, and without the money they paid. Or they log on to watch something and get a message saying they are sending you a refund because a show you "bought" had to be yanked due to a "rights issue".

With physical media (That's VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray foe those of you in Rio Linda! ) when you purchase a show it's yours to keep as long as you like. If a show gets yanked you get to keep it because you got it BEFORE it got yanked. If they want my copy they can have it, after they've pried my cold, dead fingers from around it.