Whats the point off owning blu rays or dvds?

[Hairless Mammoth]

I'm repeating what other have said, but yes owning what you like is worth it. I've watched my sets of Venture Bros. DVDs, both Tron movies' Blu Rays, Star War DVDs, Alien Blu Rays (now I need to find some helium filled container to hide the VHS copies of the last 2 in) way too many times. Also, many Blu Ray makers are getting smart and giving you the DVD copies in the same case, giving you the incentive to sell you old DVD if you have one or giving you the relief of knowing that any video frisbee player (besides laserdisc, you nutty collectors) in your house should be able to play that new movie you just bought. There is also the fact your internet could give out right when you want to download something. Having at least a few physical choices is good in cases like that.

Netflix rotates it's streaming shows and movies out of circulation either for rights issues or space issues all the time. Other streaming and digital sales service have the same issues with server space and the content creators (specifically greedy execs) wanting more money. The only reasons I trust Steam and GOG are the sales and the fact they screw over their customers the least compared to most other media companies. I'm still extremely hesitant to buy full games and movies via download from any other company because of the DRM systems failing at the perfect moment and giving me a headache, the console becoming so old the servers are unplugged or the possible lack of support if the service looses distribution rights to something I payed full price for.

Also, the physical discs always have at the very least some extras (unless you dug it out of the bottom of the bargain bin) but usually have captions (usually in multiple languages), creator commentaries, production documentaries, and sometimes games, Easter eggs, or extra video shorts expanding on the movie's universe, maybe even dropping sequel hooks. Netflix might have captions in more than just English, but I've never heard of even the commentary tracks being available for anything they stream (besides House of Cards. But I don't care about House of Cards). They also don't ship both discs if the DVD you ordered would normally come with an extra disc with all the special features. You might be able to find some making of documentaries online,[footnote]Youtube's automatic IP protection, in all its draconian DMCA banhammer swinging, doesn't seem to care about these popping up when there's honest reviews, LPs, and even actual rights holders to false flag.[/footnote] if you can find them.

 

[Rayce Archer]

I re-watch movies, I don't much buy anything else. And in what I consider a bold break from my past hoarding tendencies, I try not to buy anything that's already on Netflix. I mostly succeed.

 

[Mid Boss]

Ownership. Hard, cold, ownership. No corporation is going to storm into my house and pull my DvDs out of my hands. Streaming takes away any illusion of ownership and makes you subject to the whims of corporations. Your favorite movie or series could vanish tomorrow and you have no say in it. But if you own the dvds you can still play it whenever you want regardless of what some corporation wants. At least until they come out with players that check with a server before they play the DVD. To see if the company wants to allow you to watch it. You think I'm crazy but it's a CEO's JOB to be as money hungry and asinine as possible. If I can come up with it, they thought it up years ago.

 

[michael87cn]

1) share with friends

2) I WILL want to re-watch them at some point

3) its fun to own/buy things you love

4) have something to do when the internet goes out

5) this doesn't apply to me but someday they might be worth double their original cost in resale value; you can't sell digital content

 

[SerithVC]

Was thinking about this the other day, honestly take a look at your DVD and blu ray collection how many times have you re-watched something?

I hardly ever re-watch films only usually comedy shows.

So why do you buy something that likley to sit on the shelf for the rest of your life?

On my DVD/Blu-Ray shelf are LOTR Trilogy, LOTR Extended Edition Trilogy, The Hobbit 1 and 2 and the available extended Edition, Starship troopers 1, 3, and Invasion, Titan AE, Wreck-It Ralph, epic, The Musketeer, Snow Queen, Hercules, Blood of Beasts, Zombieland, The Forbidden Kingdom, Stardust, The Princess Bride, and the Jurassic park trilogy. All of which are movies that i still watch every now and again.

 

[Vault101]

its cheaper for me to buy the DVD than it is to go to the movies

we also don't have streaming services like Netflix here, and as far as blu ray goes the quality is more reliable compared to streaming

I also like to watch stuff on my TV sometimes...which is most convenient with a DVD, I can do it with the stuff I buy on iTunes but I had to own an Iphone and buy a $60 adapter for the privilege...which will go if I decide me next phone won't be an iphone

also take into account some people (particularly here) have data limits to consider

 

[Chaos Isaac]

Because a single DVD is less trouble then a hard drive.

Secondly. Because I have like 8 different ways to watch a dvd, and all of them have a disc drive, and using that is the fastest way.

Also old school

 

[Hawki]

Sense of ownership.

Not dependent on Internet.

Ease of access (live in Australia, so can't access Netflix for instance).

Not dependent on a computer to operate (if my computer goes, there goes any digital data stored on it - same reason why I prefer consoles mostly, security of access and all that).

And they look nice on the shelf.

 

[masticina]

Akira

I bought Akira in a tin, with blu-ray and dvd in the same box. Right after I bought it a friend told me that it wasn't worth watching, I should read the manga instead, on grounds of it being better, and the story is too long to have it all in one feature-length film. So I've never gotten around to seeing it. Maybe I should do that soon.

Another great with with dvd's and blu-rays is the extras. Not all are good but at least we get to see a bit about how the movie was shot or an interview with the people who shot the movie, wrote the movie etc.

I've grown more and more fond of extra material lately, a look at some of it for Lord of the Rings have given me a new and kinder look at the movies, even if I still don't particularly favour Elijah Wood as Frodo. However, if you're a discerning person, forget about watching FOX's "documentary" of the movies, if you want to call it that. It's more like a 30 minute long, really bad and lame trailer for the movie. First of all doing it no justice, second of all shitting all over itself by using an annoying, overly dramatic presenter to tell the story. Rounding of with an "oh so exclusive sneak peek at a part in the movie", it's really, really not worth the time.

On that note, I don't know why at least some american presenters annoy me so much. I like the european narrator of Mythbusters a lot, but I was treated to the american narrator once, and it was just terrible to listen to. I've also seen some of those police documentary things, and that narrator is both hilariously over-dramatic and annoying as fuck at the same time. It's like every word coming out of his mouth is scolding his daughter's new and questionable boyfriend.

It's not that I don't like americans talking either, I'm no stranger to a lot of american sit-com and movies.

I hate this quoting system. Oh well, Akira right, it is a great movie great to watch. Yes it is true the manga itself is quite better but go ahead and watch the movie. The movie itself already is great the manga..just about much nicer.

So Fox Sucks, yeah some do suck yeah. But others are awesome like LOTR with its extra dvd's full of material of how the things are made and shot. Wooo.

And I agree with american voice overs, they suck, they suck arse. Unless it is a movie made in america then it stick with its actual language/voice work. Watch Akira in Japanese and use the subtitles because seriously they made the american voice work horrible.

 

[rcs619]

Was thinking about this the other day, honestly take a look at your DVD and blu ray collection how many times have you re-watched something?

I hardly ever re-watch films only usually comedy shows.

So why do you buy something that likley to sit on the shelf for the rest of your life?

Because some people just like to collect things, or to actually *own* an object (instead of it just being some vague collection of data they only get a license to).

Like, I still insist on owning physical books. I just like them better. The look of them, the feel of them, the smell of them. You just don't get that with an e-reader.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

I guess for the same reason I have over 200 CDs on my shelves, even though the majority of the time I listen to music on my PC instead of a CD player. The collection. There is a lot more satisfaction in owning something psychically, and being able to actively see, feel and explore it than just having some folders with digital files within. It also feels like its actually growing each time you get a new addition.

I'd say it's mostly a collectors thing.

 

[Twinrehz]

So Fox Sucks, yeah some do suck yeah. But others are awesome like LOTR with its extra dvd's full of material of how the things are made and shot. Wooo.

Yeah, I've seen Costa Botes' documentaries that came complimentary with the LotR extended blu-ray set, and they are absolutely fantastic. They tell the story about the making of the film, and they bring life to the people that work on the sets, and even some in the background not directly involved with the making of the movies as well. It also shows very much that the actors themselves are real human beings too, professionals doing a job.

 

[masticina]

So Fox Sucks, yeah some do suck yeah. But others are awesome like LOTR with its extra dvd's full of material of how the things are made and shot. Wooo.

Yeah, I've seen Costa Botes' documentaries that came complimentary with the LotR extended blu-ray set, and they are absolutely fantastic. They tell the story about the making of the film, and they bring life to the people that work on the sets, and even some in the background not directly involved with the making of the movies as well. It also shows very much that the actors themselves are real human beings too, professionals doing a job.

LOTR is quite special though. They put allot of money behind this monster project. Remember how many movies did you know that could last 3 hours long. And the gambit, all that money all that work all that time payed off because yes it is awesome. It could have backfired so horrible..

I don't expect the levels of extras that came with the LOTR movies from every movie. Usually you get a few trailers indeed and some interviews. Oh well, there is worse.

And really not every title requires allot of extras.

On the topic owning a disc is nice, to see it against your wall and to know you can always pick it up. You don't get that feeling from a movie on netflix. There it is just a tile..

 

[Twinrehz]

LOTR is quite special though. They put allot of money behind this monster project. Remember how many movies did you know that could last 3 hours long. And the gambit, all that money all that work all that time payed off because yes it is awesome. It could have backfired so horrible..

I don't expect the levels of extras that came with the LOTR movies from every movie. Usually you get a few trailers indeed and some interviews. Oh well, there is worse.

And really not every title requires allot of extras.

On the topic owning a disc is nice, to see it against your wall and to know you can always pick it up. You don't get that feeling from a movie on netflix. There it is just a tile..

It's going to take ages to get through all the extra material, not to mention there are FOUR separate commentary tracks for all 3 extended movies. Quick calculation, assuming about 4 hours per movie, that's 48 hours of commentaries, in addition to the movies themselves.

Owning is really nice. I love the feeling of holding a book too. Nothing beats that.

 

[masticina]

LOTR is quite special though. They put allot of money behind this monster project. Remember how many movies did you know that could last 3 hours long. And the gambit, all that money all that work all that time payed off because yes it is awesome. It could have backfired so horrible..

I don't expect the levels of extras that came with the LOTR movies from every movie. Usually you get a few trailers indeed and some interviews. Oh well, there is worse.

And really not every title requires allot of extras.

On the topic owning a disc is nice, to see it against your wall and to know you can always pick it up. You don't get that feeling from a movie on netflix. There it is just a tile..

It's going to take ages to get through all the extra material, not to mention there are FOUR separate commentary tracks for all 3 extended movies. Quick calculation, assuming about 4 hours per movie, that's 48 hours of commentaries, in addition to the movies themselves.

Owning is really nice. I love the feeling of holding a book too. Nothing beats that.

And all this won't be found on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or any other online streaming service. Oh no you gotta own the discs for that

As much as I like netflix it certainly isn't equal to a nice dvd or blu-ray.

 

[Madame_Lawliet]

I'm still one of those people who only consumes physical media outside of Steam.

It's a sense of tangibility and ownership over your media, having a thing you can hold in hand and see.
It's having that re-assurance that you can watch it whenever you want, for whatever reason you want, so long as you don't lose or damage the disk.
Hell, I own the first thirteen seasons of The Simpsons on DVD, and I've been using them to fill in the blanks I missed during the Marathon last week (y'know all those times I had to sleep). I've seen them all, multiple times as a matter of fact, but I have a reason I want to watch them again, and with DVDs I can do that.

 

[Twinrehz]

And all this won't be found on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or any other online streaming service. Oh no you gotta own the discs for that

As much as I like netflix it certainly isn't equal to a nice dvd or blu-ray.

Then again, not everyone is interested in the commentaries. Some weird people think that watching the movie is enough, and prefers to live in the dark, metaphorically. I for one know how extensive Tolkien's universe is, spanning some 10-15,000 years.

 

[Petromir]

Because some people just like to collect things, or to actually *own* an object (instead of it just being some vague collection of data they only get a license to).

I'm always amused by this, somehow the digital pixels on a hard drive are less a consumers than if they are on an optical disc. The actual ownership rules wise is identical.

I do prefer BluRay to the current crop of D/L (well most of it there are exceptions out there) as the quality of BluRay is so much better. (Don't get me wrong i can enjoy streaming etc fine but the difference is astounding).

And even bluray is fairly shocking compared to the richness and depth of a good DCP.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

For the majority of new content, there's no need to own them on disc. Watching them digitally is fine. But for some things, owning the disc is nicer. As well as the ability to watch it anywhere without worrying about subs, signing in, downloading/caps and more significantly, quality loss.

Compressing a video down to make it suitable for streaming is a lossy process. As well as a lower bitrate, quite often 5.1 sound is also compromised in favour of stereo. Owning the DVD or Blu-Ray means a film/show can be enjoyed in it's full glory, with no compromises on image or sound quality. No ads (beyond any at the start of the disc) and often some extras for fans are like a little icing on the cake.

One other thing is the ownership of the disc. With digital services there's nothing tangible, nothing to be traded or sold on, nothing to be lent to friends or given as a gift. Access to the content is strictly dependant on access to the Internet, a dependency which discs do not have.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Also, there's an element of ease of use. A disc and a disc player are easy enough for anyone to use. Navigating apps and smart TV functions is still off-putting for many people, particularly our parents' generation and up. For many people, even using Email is quite a technical challenge, so for them to navigate streaming sites, search for and find content to enjoy and the rest is a massive ask. Especially when it comes to getting the content onto a TV (as opposed to a tablet, laptop or desktop).

Playing a disc consists of choosing the disc, taking it out of its case, inserting it into the player and pressing play. Using digital files and streaming services is never going to be as simple.