There is no denying that physical media has been struggling in the digital age. Even Blu-ray, the proverbial king of the hill when it comes to physical media, has been lagging behind streaming services. If we try to derive some kind of trend from recent statistics, it could be said that all physical media – including Blu-ray – is dying.
But is that really the case? While it’s true that new technologies often kill off older ones, there are many cases of older tech still hanging around because it still has value. Cars may have become more popular than trains, for example, but the latter are still around. Might that be the case for Blu-ray and other physical media too?
Why Is Physical Media Fading Away?
OTT (over-the-top) media services such as streaming have undeniably shaken up the movie industry. The sheer convenience they offer, combined with the lower overall price per movie or TV episode, have dissuaded many people from bothering with DVDs or Blu-rays ever again. That’s perfectly understandable, and there likely is no going back for those people. As long as the Internet exists, many people would rather just stream what they want to watch rather than get physical copies of every single piece of content.
People have been making the case for physical media for years, yet the statistics keep going against it. This goes beyond movies and TV, as most people today also listen to music, play video games, gamble through websites like casinos.com, and do much more online.
What Is Keeping Blu-Ray Around?
Despite all of the above, some people just like physically owning the things they have purchased. In fact, there are numerous recent examples of people rediscovering the value of having a physical copy of a movie they love. Moreover, the people who enjoy streaming and those who like owning physical copies of films are not two entirely separate groups. There is a massive overlap between the two, as many people are happy to do both – stream some things and physically own others.
With all that in mind, what is it that’s still pushing people to buy DVDs, Blu-rays, and other physical media?
1. Superior Video and Audio Quality
Streaming may have the edge on Blu-ray in terms of convenience, but those who want and can afford high quality know that physical media is the way to go. Ironically, this is also a restricting factor for physical media, as few people can afford the AV hardware required for Ultra HD Blu-ray. Nevertheless, while the demanding requirements of high-quality video limit the popularity of physical media, the high quality is why Blu-ray is still around. No matter how popular and convenient streaming becomes, there will always be people who want the highest possible video and audio quality – and want it in a permanent, physical format.
2. An Unlimited Library
One of the biggest criticisms of streaming platforms in recent years is that their libraries just aren’t all that big. That can sound counterintuitive – it’s the Internet, why wouldn’t everything be available? However, because subscription-based streaming platforms don’t charge per item, they are incentivized to cut as much content as possible without losing subscribers. However, with Blu-ray, DVDs, or even older physical media, you can rest assured that you’ll always own what you’ve purchased.
3. No Need for an Internet Connection
This can sound trivial, as most people have access to the Internet nowadays, but not everyone has a strong and stable enough connection to support 24/7 streaming in 3840×2160 resolution. With a Blu-ray disk, however, you can watch what you want whenever you want with no buffering or interruptions.
Is Blu-Ray Ever Going Away?
People like to doom and gloom about the impending death of physical media, but the reality is that it isn’t going away even if it keeps getting outperformed by OTT services. As long as at least some people can afford Blu-rays and the necessary hardware, movies will keep coming out on physical media too.
That’s more than evident from the fact that many classics keep coming out on Blu-ray to this day, even though the format is not as popular as it used to be.
Will Another Physical Media Format Surpass Blu-Ray?
Blu-ray isn’t the only physical format used today, as there are both older and newer alternatives. Many people still use DVDs, for example, and some are embracing more recent options, such as Kaleidescape. The latter is particularly fascinating, as it offers even better video quality than UHD Blu-ray. Kaleidescape is neither a streaming platform nor requires you to purchase physical disks. Instead, you download the movies you’ve bought to the system’s hard drive.
This might sound like bad news for Blu-ray, but it probably isn’t. That’s because getting the necessary tech to play Kaleidescape is just too expensive for most people, especially since the difference in quality isn’t all that major. Plus, many people still like having a disc collection. This isn’t to say that Kaleidescape isn’t worth it – for some, it is – but it doesn’t quite seem like the “Blu-ray killer” many expected it to be.
Don’t Mourn Your Blu-Rays Just Yet
While we can’t predict the future, Blu-ray will likely remain most people’s go-to option for physically owning movies. It’s unlikely it’ll ever become as popular as streaming, but that doesn’t mean it’s going away either. In other words, if you’re contemplating getting a Blu-ray player or a Blu-ray-enabled PC or console, there is little risk of it going obsolete any time soon.
