Formats : Why do people still buy physical disks?

Why do people still buy physical disks?

Digital movies are cheaper to buy, they don't get scratched/lost/stolen/destroyed and will forever be in mint condition. THAT is much more bang for your buck, not to mention the extra bonus features you receive and the ability to watch it on any device you please (including your TV of course).


Why someone would pay more money for a disk that won't last forever and certainly not in mint condition, is terrible for the environment, has less bonus features and is restricted to one device only baffles me. It literally makes no sense.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

It's true, nothing is completely permanent, but...

By "digital movies", I'm assuming you mean digital downloads. Movies are stored on physical discs as digital data too.

Picture and sound quality (the picture and sound data on digital downloads is more heavily compressed), plenty of special features (I don't know where you're getting your "bonus features" on digital downloads) and the data, as long as the disc is properly cared for, stored in a cool, dry place, won't corrupt for a very long time. I still have DVDs from 1997 that play just fine. If it's not already in the works, you can bet Hollywood wants your digital downloads to self-destruct after a short time so you have to buy them again if you want to watch them again.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Same useless thread, different useless answer: because they're smart enough to go with what works instead of falling for the latest retarded money-grubbing scam. Just like how people still buy CDs and vinyl instead of storing their entire "collection" on an Ipod.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

I've yet to meet this person who still has every file they've ever saved in their life and they are all still runable without any problems which they are guaranteed to to, forever.

It's a myth made up by people who make tons of illegal downloads to make them feel less guilty.

Glasgow's FOREMOST authority Italics = irony. Infer the opposite please.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

I don't know anything about illegal downloads.


I purchase all of my Movies/ TV shows/ Music from iTunes.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Oh yeah. I've never heard of anyone losing or screwing up their Itunes library. IT never happens.

Glasgow's FOREMOST authority Italics = irony. Infer the opposite please.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

You're on the youngish side, aren't you? I'm guessing not older than 25yo? It's not a criticism, but you'll learn some tough lessons...such as Hard Drives have a tendency to suddenly fail, and when they do almost always that means everything you've stored on them is gone. At least when a CD or DVD goes bad that's only one film or album you've lost, not 500 films or 3000 songs.




People believe what they want to believe. One term for this is Faith. Another is Delusion.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


You're on the youngish side, aren't you? I'm guessing not older than 25, yo? It's not a criticism, but you'll learn some tough lessons... such as hard drives have tendency to suddenly fail, and when they do it almost always means that everything you've stored on them is gone. At least when a CD or DVD goes bad it's only one film or album you've lost, not 500 films or 3000 songs.


^-- This.

I guess I'm sort of in between the two extremes. I buy physical DVD-video disks and I dump them to a portable hard drive using DVD Shrink (requires a level of knowledge above that of your average cell phone packing teenager). That way I can run them on the computers in their original resolution and still have the source disks remain in like-new condition, and save my optical drives from wear and premature failure. I don't even have a standalone DVD-Video player console any more. At least this means when the hard drive eventually takes a dump (it will) nothing is really lost, because I still have the masters.

I do download movies sometimes (rarely) and usually I export them to optical disk as soon as the transfer is finished, at the lowest speed the disk/recorder combination supports.

Even the most elementary of computer users knows the first rule: keep backups and have them ready. At least I like to think they do. Sad fact is far too many don't. Optical drives fail too, but not as catastrophically.

Lighten Up...

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


You're on the youngish side, aren't you? I'm guessing not older than 25yo? It's not a criticism, but you'll learn some tough lessons...such as Hard Drives have a tendency to suddenly fail, and when they do almost always that means everything you've stored on them is gone.

In that matter you most certainly represent only yourself, and not people over the age of 25. I'm older than 25 twice over, and know all sorts of things, like a HDD is not a proper noun, how to build RAID arrays and do other things to protect my files from any single point of failure.

Only you can explain why you have failed where others have succeeded in storing digital files. All I can say is that it's not all that hard to do.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

It actually sounds like you're A LOT older than 25 twice over, judging from the amount of your condescension. I was only pointing out to the OP that any form of storing a collection, whether it's physical media or digital files, can have drawbacks as well as pluses. I didn't think I had to be overly lecturing about it and mention the importance of also backing up data, but I guess I should have to please the anal retentives out their who would jump in to make a point of it.

And most people--people who aren't anal retentives anyway--don't back up their data on a daily or even weekly schedule, so some data inevitably will be lost when a main drive malfunctions. But I'm sure YOU back yours up constantly, don't you? Probably it's not all that's backed up for you either...




Can you dig it? I knew that you could!

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Name-calling wins you nothing. Not a point, and not a friend.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Yeah well, you started it with the pithy remark about my mis-capitalization of hard drive in my previous post, and you just got sniffier from there.

When someone starts with the attitude on a message board, I'm not interested anymore in "winning friends."



Can you dig it? I knew that you could!

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

In other words you need to constantly maintain, modify and upgrade software AND hardware to ensure prolonged enjoyment of stored files. Sounds great.

My BD player plays all my current collection of discs. Unless I damage them or they develop a fault some other way I should be able to enjoy them for as long as I want to. My BD player only plays BDs so it is not exposed to any problems caused by using it for any other purpose.


Glasgow's FOREMOST authority Italics = irony. Infer the opposite please.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


In other words you need to constantly maintain, modify and upgrade software AND hardware to ensure prolonged enjoyment of stored files. Sounds great.

It is great! It's a process that I control, and the content is DRM-free. I'm also not locked into any single hardware or software platform. So if, for example the consumer electronics industry decides to quit making optical disc readers (and it will sooner or later), I have no worries. No DRM, no single point of failure, no hassle. Yeah, it's pretty sweet.

Last time I checked, Blu-ray players (a.k.a. "BD") don't last forever. And there are software updates if you want to be able to play discs with the latest DRM. The difference is that you're locked into a single hardware platform, and a single software platform, and don't have any say in either. Ouch!

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


Last time I checked, Blu-ray players (a.k.a. "BD") don't last forever.


Nothing does. But a BD player shouldn't and doesn't require any real maintenance or upgrading top continue enjoying my existing collection and if it's faulty, I take it to the store and get it fixed or replaced.

PC software and hardware isn't supported for ever either, is it? Ouch!

People who have enjoyed vinyl records (70 years on) and printed photos (100+ of years) don't seem to be bothered about the fact that the manufacture of them could be taken way at any minute. And I'm not concerened either.

It always amuses me how the fact that they don't own a particular thing can give someone so much to talk about.

Glasgow's FOREMOST authority Italics = irony. Infer the opposite please.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


PC software and hardware isn't supported for ever either, is it? Ouch!

Swing and a miss. My RAID arrays don't run on "PC software and hardware".



It always amuses me how the fact that they don't own a particular thing can give someone so much to talk about.

Pot, meet kettle; kettle, meet pot. Have fun talking about how black the other is.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


Pot, meet kettle... [then some other hackneyed, trite pish]...


Hey sonny. The thread is asking why people buy physical disks, the implication being that files are somehow immortal and disks finite. I am refuting the OP's and your hypocritical claims. Not having a go at people who don't own disks, unlike you sunshine.

Are you claiming that your arrays and whatever else you keep your child pornography on are beyond failure? If not then please be quiet. If you are then please shut the fúçk up.



Glasgow's FOREMOST authority Italics = irony. Infer the opposite please.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Name calling always loses. And you've worn out your welcome sunshine.

Troll-B-Gon

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

You're wasting your time with Marmadukewhatever, he's a known troll and a proven liar. I think he's still angry about Scotland being ruled by the English lol. He'll have to crawl around beneath our boots for a few more years at least though, whether he likes it or not.


Terrible things, Lawrence. You've done terrible things!

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Thanks for your moral support, Mark!

I've been doing this long enough that I have a routine. I give everyone a chance to prove themselves either way. I support everyone's right to say something stupid.

And I know all about the Scots. Nobody likes an angry drunk...

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Cheaper? Used dvds can be less than a buck. Even the ones without a case usually play perfectly.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


Digital movies are cheaper to buy, they don't get scratched/lost/stolen/destroyed and will forever be in mint condition. THAT is much more bang for your buck, not to mention the extra bonus features you receive and the ability to watch it on any device you please (including your TV of course).
Why someone would pay more money for a disk that won't last forever and certainly not in mint condition, is terrible for the environment, has less bonus features and is restricted to one device only baffles me. It literally makes no sense.


Let me guess, you have never owned a high-end TV, high-end Blu-ray player and an high-end A/V receiver.
You just bought the cheapest piece of crap you found at a place like Walmart or similar supermarket and perhaps listened and believed everything, that some no knowledge novices claim on all sorts of highly questionable forums on the internet, who also never owned some proper home gear to watch their movies.

If you don't think that these downloadable low quality movies you can buy can get lost, then its because you yet have to experience your very first hard drive crash or completely die on you.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

actually blu -rays i think have a scratch resistant surface ...or so i heard..

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

That is correct. It's not indestructible but it can withstand a hell of a lot more abuse than DVDs, which can be scratched even during cleaning. Blu Rays can be left lying around out of the case, then wiped with a cloth and look brand new.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Dvds do get scratched and scuffed, but between the optics which look past the surface imperfections, and the error correction, it takes severe damage to make them unplayable. Like radial cracks in the plastic.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Dvds do get scratched and scuffed, but between the optics which look past the surface imperfections, and the error correction, it takes severe damage to make them unplayable. Like radial cracks in the plastic.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

I have a 55inch Sony LED 1080p TV. I'm also a film major.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

I still only buy physical discs.

1. I don't fully trust online storage - too many legit sites have been hacked and people's information stolen.

2. With the physical copy I never have to worry about "Site maintenance" keeping me from watching something, Nor do I have to buy/use and external storage device to save data to.
Also don't have to worry about data corruption, virus issues, internet service being down (we have outages here kind of a lot), connection speeds... and a computer that is on the older side (needs upgraded) that can't always handle streaming.

3. I keep my DVDs (and more recently Blu-Rays) in mint condition. Have had some of the movies since like 2001 and not a one has a scratch. Never had one stolen, never lost one, ever lent one out for that matter.

4. I don't have a tablet, smart-phone/iPhone, or any of the mobile devices (YET), so the only thing I need to view is my Blu-ray player and I'm good to go. If I had the money for one I'd spend it on upgrading my computer first.

5. Don't have to have my computer on, just to watch a movie. TV and player work just fine. It also allows me to use the computer for something else.

6. If I don't want something anymore I can SELL it and get a few bucks, rather than just deleting it. Can't do that with a download. Same with trading it in for other titles.


Bobby: "You don't shoot Bambi, jacka$$. You shoot Bambi's mother."

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


I have a 55inch Sony LED 1080p TV. I'm also a film major.

Which in the first place does not mean, that you know home entertainment technology and storage devices.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Them being a film major may mean they may not know about home entertainment technology... but at least they can reply to the right post.



Bobby: "You don't shoot Bambi, jacka$$. You shoot Bambi's mother."

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


Digital movies are cheaper to buy, they don't get scratched/lost/stolen/destroyed


1. You have to waste online data to watch your film.

2. even if you can watch the download offline, You can lose the file.

Your device or hard drive can crash. I had a 500GB usb external hard drive crash on me. And a lot of my mp3s were purchased from Wal-Mart when they sold digital downloads. I have to re-purchase those from amazon, google or iTunes if I want them back since Wal-Mart no longer offers downloads

3. Blu-ray discs are scratch resistant. if you scratch your dvd, you're at fault for not taking care of it.

4. Often sites that sell digital lose the rights to sell it. and if so, it could disappear from your digital library. and you can't get your money back for copyright reasons.

Nickelodeon had their cartoon "as told by ginger" for sale digitally on iTunes and amazon. Now they don't. if I had purchased it when it was available, there's a good chance it may not be available to me now


5. Music - Mp3s and the .m4a - You have to compress the audio quality to make one of these files. I'm not paying 11.99 for an album on iTunes or amazon mp3 to get reduced quality sound.

6. Digital - you usually get the movie only, no bonus features

I'll only do digital if I want just 1 song

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Collectible. Special Features. Ability to loan, trade, or sell. Can be played on cheaper devices (DVD players and Blu-ray players are typically much cheaper than tablets, PCs, iPods, Smartphones, etc.).

"Topside, this is papa bear. The breezies are in the hold. Cue the balloons."

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Because I'm a materialist. In order to count something as a possession and call it "mine", I need to hold it in my hand and be able to display it. Being a collector counts for something to a great many people.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

The worst thing about physical discs are the cases. They are pointlessly larger than they need to be. CD sized cases would have been much better. Two solutions:
1. Replace 14mm cases with 7mm cases and fold the liner notes to fit
2. Put the discs into Artisan DVD binders. Unfortunately, each page can display two discs but only one liner note.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

I like the size of BD cases. Any smaller and they'd be too difficult to browse through in stores. I already have to squint like Mr Magoo when looking through CDs in a store because half of them have the titles on the spine printed so small they're practically invisible. God forbid the same happens with movie discs.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

I concur about the cases being too big--a release that is just the disc only doesn't need to be in a 14mm case; it's a lot of wasted space. 7mm is the perfect size for a dvd because it's only a bit wider than the disc itself, and it still can display the cover artwork and even some inside literature as long as it's not more than about ten pages.



People believe what they want to believe. One term for this is Faith. Another is Delusion.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

Some of the size has to do with ant-theft. Even though thousands of DVD/Blu Rays are stolen everyday. There size and the little "checkpoint" stickers do prevent a lot of it.

Do you remember in the late 80's when CD's where packaged in in a retail case that was large enough to put 2 1/2 CD's in the box.

I do agree with you about the cases. All my disk go into my 40 disc DVD and newly acquired last week 400 Blu-Ray players. Cases go in a big box in the garage.

I still buy disc mainly for the quality and the subtitles for my dad.!!!

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


Do you remember in the late 80s when CDs were packaged in a retail case that was large enough to put 2 1/2 CDs in the box?


The cardboard longboxes audio CDs came packaged in (and later plastic frames) were not origially meant to prevent shoplifting, they were so stores could reuse their existing display racks built for LP record albums. It was a kludge more than anything. Two CD boxes laid side by side are approximately the same physical width as an LP album jacket, thus two rows of CDs could be displayed in the same amount of shelf space as one row of albums. The box itself was merely to take up vertical space in the rack. Dedicated CD racks, which negated the usage of longboxes or frames, became popular later.

It really took a long time for some retaillers to dump the ancient LP racks those CD longboxes were meant to accomodate. The local Mu$icland continued using their LP racks that were in place since the store opened in the 80s, until the company finally shat itself about a decade ago. They did have the plastic frames that "locked" (yeah, uh huh); from experience, as a customer, it was much easier to just snap the stupid things open then hand them the seperate CD and frame on checkout than it was for them to use the little "unlocking" tool. Sometimes they were quite appreciative, as it saved them having to waste time doing it behind the counter especially when they were busy. So much for countermeasures.

Consequently, the big plastic cases DVD-Video/Blue disks still come packaged in were originally the same kludge as the old CD longboxes, only to permit VHS racks to be reused instead. (I saw this firsthand, working at Suncoast for a while as they were "transitioning" from the one format to the other.) We are now 18 1/2 years into DVD-Video's existence. How many places are still using VHS displays today? The smaller jewel boxes commonly used for audio/data CDs would be a better choice, overpackaging-wise, but for some reason the obstinate tradition of using overly-large VHS-height packaging for video disks persists. Why?

Lighten Up...

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


We are now 18 1/2 years into DVD-Video's existence. How many places are still using VHS displays today? The smaller jewel boxes commonly used for audio/data CDs would be a better choice, overpackaging-wise, but for some reason the obstinate tradition of using overly-large VHS-height packaging for video disks persists. Why?


Consistency, for the most part, helped by the fact that DVDs and VHS tapes coexisted for a good decade; the difference in size between DVD and CD cases isn't as dramatic as the CD longbox issue, and this far along it seems a little silly to change it; with CDs still being sold at retail, the size difference makes it instantly simple to distinguish between a CD and a DVD. It's also important for distributors to maximize the space available for art--they want consumers to be able to easily identify the product when it's facing front on a shelf (or at least show you through floating heads who's in the movie). It's small enough as it is, I doubt they'd want it to get any smaller.

Note that Blu-ray cases are shorter than DVD cases, but have the same width, the same reason as why VHS and DVD cases had the same height, and why the CD box was 12 inches long--having one dimension the same length lets them use most of the same fixtures/shelves.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

like the difference between TXT and books.
both are great for some people.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

I read only the first five posts, but I'm pretty sure nobody mentioned a crucial fact: It's somebody's birthday every day of the year, plus Xmas sales, etc. I don't know anybody who doesn't like getting a gift of a book, CD, DVD or other media.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

cause i don't like buffering when my connection craps out?


"sorry but soap Can't wash this mouth out" - Yolanda "yo-yo" Whittaker

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

There's no doubt that a technology as Victorian as a spinning mechanical disc as storage medium for movies is long past its expiration date in the 21st century. However in places like the US, where "active lifestyle" is all the rage, but the Internet has fallen far behind what is available in other nations, there's a big gap in coverage that neither wireless Internet nor the spinning plastic disc are very good at.

I can offer my own situation as a case study. I'm between houses (renting a friend's) as I do a year's worth of business away from my family and eventual home town. The only cable Internet provider (Comcast) doesn't want my business. Neither do the few remaining DSL providers. The one I had planned to use just got bought out and now demands a 2 year commitment, no exceptions. Ditto for wireless (Canopy) ISPs and VSAT services. I live in the third largest city in the US, and I'm stuck buying high speed Internet access by the gigabyte from my wireless phone carrier!

Since I'm stuck with metered service for a year, I'm finding it more economical to buy discs of stuff that I'd never have purchased a physical copy of before. Since I dabble in pro video, I already have many tebibytes of video sever space in the house. Most of that capacity is available using the DLNA protocol, which is handy in a house that isn't wired for fiber or Cat6 cable. I don't even have a TV in the bedroom; I just use DISH w/ Sling for live TV and DLNA to a tablet that I can use in bed, in the yard, in the summer house etc.

When I get a new disc, I rip it and store it on HDD RAID. I just got a new Blu-ray player for those stubborn discs, but DLNA is doing most of it for me. I've suspended my Hulu+ account, and will switch Netflix from data to disc. Yeah, I'll rent and rip. I guess the industry will have to trust me to be honest.

I'm putting off buying a 4K monitor (and camera) until I'm reunited with my family and have a new, custom built home to put it in. Hopefully there will be something larger than 25" by then. Funny thing is that if the studios figured out that they could make a large fortune renting DCI-compliant content to home users through retail agreements, I'd probably be the first to subscribe! Granted, getting a HDD (or even SSD) in the mail isn't ideal, but it's early adopters such s myself who drive the market...

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

And amazon.com is currently not working while I type this

Another reason not to go digital - websites down for maintenance

"Squidward, We already played babble like an idiot!" - SpongeBob

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


Another reason not to go digital - websites down for maintenance

And brick and mortar stores close at night. What's your point?

All told I have to say that the assured end of the only remaining analog video medium, VHS, far outweighs any real or imagined deficiencies in the distribution chains for digital video, be it DVD, Blu-ray, digital file or data stream.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

And brick and mortar stores close at night. What's your point?

His point is, websites go offline--and it's not for scheduled maintenance, but for unexpected problems--and they're supposed to be open 24/7.

Brick and mortar stores close for the night, but regular customers knew to get their rentals before then.



"Sie sagan diese katze Shaft ist ein schlect Mutterficker!"

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

I just like to have my favourite movies on my shelf. I guess i'm old fashioned lol :)

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

There was a time when the movie studios didn't want the average consumer to own any of their intellectual property. VHS tapes were $100 a pop and only movie rental stores bought them. I have a feeling that with an eventual phase out of physical discs the studios can go back to a similar set up where a digital download only lasts for a brief period of time. If you want to watch it again, you have to buy it again. Disney actually tried this years ago with those DVD discs that only had a certain amount of playback before they basically self destructed.

Conquer your fear, and I promise you, you will conquer death.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?

My bf only buys downloads as he feels it unnecessary to pop in a DVD when we have Smart TVs. I see his point but I still like to keep a collection of DVDs to take with me if I travel etc.

Re: Why do people still buy physical disks?


Digital movies are cheaper to buy



not to mention the extra bonus features you receive




Please tell me this place where you *legally* purchase all of your movies for a price cheaper than buying the actual disc and where they actually give you *any* let alone *more* special features than a DVD or Blu-Ray. Because I'm pretty sure iTunes movies run only as cheap as $9.99 and are completely bare-bones.

I still buy physical media because it is *always* cheaper and because you actually get special features, not to mention a form of storage that won't someday crash and/or be revoked when there is a contract dispute between the company that owns the movie and the company that sold it to me.

Anyone here mentions Hotel California dies before the first line clears his lips.
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