Whats the point off owning blu rays or dvds?

[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.

 

[Hawk of Battle]

I own the entirety of the Stargate series (yes, even Universe) on dvd, and regularly re-watch (like I am currently) the entire thing from the first movie, all the way through SG-1, Atlantis and the dvd movies, almost on an annual basis. Your point is invalid.

 

[Something Amyss]

Because I will watch them, again and again, throughout my life. I don't have to worry about internet connections or Netflix availability or who had a tantrum about digital content or not getting paid enough or whatever. I can watch them again and again, no strings attached.

 

[x EvilErmine x]

Well as for me, I only buy a film on Blu-ray or DVD if I'm confident that I'll want to watch it again. Like I got Blade Runner on Blu-ray because it's the ultimate cut. It's got all of the different cut's of the film so it was a good deal. If you haven't seen the different cut's then it's interesting to see how much of a difference it makes to the tone and atmosphere of the film.

 

[Ishigami]

I re-watch stuff a lot. I just love certain movies e.g. Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World, Ghost in the Shell, Lord of the Ring, Hot Fuzz and others.
Seriously there is no year I wouldn?t watch them at least once.

Also streaming is all fine and dandy but Blu-Ray still gives you better sound and image quality not to mentioned you are independent of the internet.

Netflix and Hulu is not available in my country. I?m Amazon prime member but honestly a lot of the stuff I like is missing from prime offers and paying 2? - 5? for renting a stream is kind of meh to me if I can score the Blu-Ray for 7? - 12? on a sale.

I?m also a hardcopy guy.

 

[McElroy]

Probably the thing that's aged the worst in MTV Cribs. "Here's my DVD collection." Friggin' hoarders just like my friend who has something like 750 movies and TV shows sitting in his shelves. I'm not that much into re-watching films (maybe once every other year if it's a superb one) or extras, the cases take shelf space, libraries here have decent collections on their own, and I have a dvr. Sometimes I might find a really cool release that I can genuinely appreciate, but that's extremely rare.

 

[laggyteabag]

Some people like to have material possessions. Its great when you have a subscription to Netflix, or when your favourite movie comes on TV, or when you can just download a copy of whatever film you want to watch, but take that away, and then you are left in the dark. I know a guy that doesn't like the idea of Steam or downloading games in general, because the second that the service goes under, there is a chance that you will never see that stuff again. Some people just like to own things.

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

it just feels better to own a the dvd/blu-rays of film and tv shows you like.. i rewatch my dvds all the time..i only buy the dvds/blu-rays of thing i know i'm going to watch again.. besides, most of the itme you get great behind the scenes features and other extras that aren't available anywhere else.. it's just better then buying a digital copy.. you can't trade digital copies, you can't get refunds on digital copies.. i've never seen a advantage of a digital copy over a dvd/blu-ray

 

[DirgeNovak]

I rewatch stuff all the time. Maybe even too much. I have about a dozen movies I've bought months or even years ago and still haven't watched, but I watched Event Horizon for the second time in a month last night.

With the death of most rental stores, if a movie isn't on Netflix, buying the DVD is the only legal way of watching it. Netflix's bad habit of pulling movies and shows often without warning means I might not be able to watch a movie whenever I want. And DVDs don't use up bandwidth. There's plenty of reasons to buy DVDs.

EDIT: Also WTF is this doing in Gaming Discussion?

 

[masticina]

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.

That is a good point you have there. I don't mind for many movies not to really have access to the commentary's and the extra's. But for that I have netflix! Netflix is good enough if you just want to entertain yourself with a movie.

Some movies though I definitely desire more from. And I understand that there are enough people who watch LOTR that just watch it for the movies. Good for them.

I mean I am sure they have certain movies that I really don't care that much about.

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

Main reason is I'm a hoarder.

Also, I do like to rewatch in my free time; online streaming can change its line up and I may not be able to watch what I want, when I want, also HD streaming can be unreliable

 

[BaronVH]

There are several reasons for me. I will say that I do not buy DVDs, only Blu-rays. So this will be why should you buy blu-rays. First, the quality is much better than downloads or service providers. With a decent home theater setup, your audio can actually sound better than the theaters unless you live in a big market. Obviously this is with a properly calibrated system that is 5.1 or better. Most blu-rays have uncompressed audio which gives you the exact studio master for the audio. This is slightly changing with Dolby Atmos, but few theaters have this currently. Second, I rewatch everything. Multiple times. I can almost always get my disks at less than $20. I do not have any unopened disks. Third, it is easier to organize. If I am in the mood for a war movie, I don't have to sift through tons of movies. Sci-fi set on other planets? Easy to find. Fourth, I do not have to wait. Pop in and watch. No buffering. Finally, no fear that if the compnay goes under, my digital collection is gone. I have insurance for theft, fire, or other loss.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I rewatch things with friends frequently. I also like physical collections because I don't trust the cloud and hate it when the internet goes out, taking some entertainment options away from me. I'll always have my favorite DVDs around if I need them.

 

[Rabbitboy]

I cant believe how many people here are shallow, materialistic decadents and just want to look at their meaningless collection of shinnies.

But ok seriously now. I can understand a lot of the arguments made above, but I don't really need to have it look nice on my shelf and I have a pretty decent internet connection. Almost everything is Digital with me the only major exceptions are console games and books. Console games because I can trade them in and books because I cant get used to e readers. I also bought a few dvds/bluerays of movies which I thought were really really good but those examples can be counted on one hand.

 

[Jamash]

For me, buying DVDs is cheaper than going to see the film at the cinema, and personally a more preferable experience too.

For TV series that I've enjoyed which I watched for free on the BBC when it aired, such as Luther or The Shadow Line, I often buy the complete boxed set as a way of contributing some money back to the creators as a small token of appreciation beyond my viewing figure, plus I find that a second viewing of a series that I've enjoyed without waiting for 10080 minutes between episodes leads to a richer experience and altered perspective on the overall story.

I also just like to have them in an easily accessible format that I can re-watch at any time I want without being dependant on outside factors like the Internet and a Netflix subscription, not to mention that watching films can be a good social activity, whether it be planned or spontaneous, so it's good to have a collection of physical media occasions such as those too.

 

[FPLOON]

Well, I can explain myself on this one... You see, I only buy DVDs/Blu-Rays of things I AM going to be watching more than once, especially when they come with bonus features up the wazoo! The again, I have yet to, at least, "embrace" the digital side of owning shows/movies, despite the various combo packs I've bought over the years that do come with digital copies, because of how intangible it is in comparison to DVDs/Blu-Rays...

Don't get me wrong... I respect digital copies of shows/movies, especially for those that see it as the more convenient alternative to their viewing habits and the like, but I honestly have yet to get on board with going full-digital, for example, because I still like the feeling of holding something physical that I own, even if it is just a [legal] copy in the long run...