To me, the benefits of physical media are not vague or subtle. I have written about this topic with an emphasis on research. There are real scientific reasons why someone prefers to watch movies on Blu-ray, discs, 4K discs and DVDs. Additionally, embracing physical media gives a consumer the opportunity to support small businesses in ways that are virtually impossible when viewing content via streaming services or digital downloads.
I am passionate about this topic. Still, I find that I tend to stick with streaming platforms when watching TV shows. Although I’m proud of my physical media collection, I choose to stream series a lot, much more often than buy seasons on physical formats.
For many viewers, streaming makes more sense than watching a TV series. Consider the following reasons why:
DVD and Blu-ray sets of TV shows take up excessive space
Watching a show on streaming is more convenient because no discs are involved
There are some realities of the physical media experience that you must accept if you are committed to growing a library of discs (and even VHS tapes). For example, streaming versions and digital downloads of content do not take up actual space in your home. A physical copy of the same content does.
This is not necessarily always a disadvantage. In some cases, Blu-rays and other such discs come in packaging that can essentially double as decorations in your home.
That said, I find it necessary to consider several practical realities when deciding whether to invest in a boxed set of a TV series I watch. These sets can be bulky, taking up a lot of valuable storage space. This is an instance in which one can gain the benefits of streaming over physical media.
A TV series is not the best content to show what makes physical media impressive
There are many reasons to invest in discs of your favorite movies instead of watching them on Netflix or downloading them from a similar platform. One of the top benefits that physical media offers is great picture and audio quality.
However, you may already understand that not all content in this arena is equally impressive. This might be something you consider when deciding whether or not to see a movie in the theater. If a film is a visual masterpiece that embodies the meaning of the word cinema, it is worth spending money to experience it in the appropriate setting. If it’s a more visually subdued film, you may decide that the financially sound decision is to wait until it’s released on home video formats.
I use similar math when deciding whether to buy a DVD or Blu-ray set of a show that I could easily watch on a streaming platform. While there are certainly exceptions, most TV series are not as cinematic as most movies. As such, watching a series on physical media does not offer the same thrill as watching a movie in these formats. I can watch the show on a streamer and enjoy it just as much as I watch it on a disc.
Watching shows on streaming services saves me a lot of money
It would be cost prohibitive to watch TV series on physical formats
We live in a golden age of televised (streamed?) content. That’s a bit of a double-edged sword. While I never complain about having too many good shows to watch, I also get no shortage of recommendations from friends and family who insist I have to dive into the latest series they think I’ll love.
You can probably relate. Of course, I can’t justify going out and buying a season every time someone tells me I have to watch a certain show. I don’t have to either. Often these shows are on streaming platforms that I already subscribe to. Even if they aren’t, temporarily subscribing so I can binge the show usually costs me significantly less than I would spend if I bought the show in a physical format. This is all to say that streaming a TV show is often the much more sensible option from a financial perspective.
There are reasons to buy DVDs and Blu-rays of TV shows
Streaming is not the only way to watch a series
Don’t get me wrong: there are a few TV series that I own physical copies of. Sometimes a show is cinematic enough to own on DVD or Blu-ray. Sometimes a show isn’t available on streaming, or you want a physical copy that you know can’t be removed from a platform. Maybe you’re just a really big fan of a series and want to own a physical copy of the show accordingly.
Trust me, I thoroughly understand. There are definitely reasons to own physical sets of some of your favorite series. That being said, we shouldn’t discount the convenience streaming offers. In some circumstances, such as watching a show that a friend recommended, streaming is still a valuable option.