The age of physical movies in the mainstream is already over, I hate to say. Sure, you’ll still findBlu-raysand DVDs in some stores, and there’s a surprisingly large fanbase of people collectingVHStapes – but more and more people are letting their physical collections languish, if they ever had one in the first place. It’s difficult to imagine any 20-something college grad having a shelf full of Blu-rays in their first apartment, unless perhaps it’s a collection ofPlayStationgames. Streaming is widespread, and it’s winning everywhere there’s decent internet access.
There are still reasons to choose Blu-ray, though, and it seems like that format will hang on for a few years in one form or another. If you’re a film lover like me, which format should you choose? The answer’s going to depend on a variety of factors, ultimately boiling down to your priorities and budget.
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What are the advantages of Blu-ray?
Consistently high quality audio and video
For purists, this is the big one. 4K streaming can be amazing when it’s firing on all cylinders, but even a movie served up withDolby Atmosaudio and Dolby VisionHDRis going to be subject to the whims of your internet connection. A sudden dip in connection quality can result in artifacts, such as macro blocking, crushed shadows, or audio “blips.” In extreme scenarios, a service might force you down to a lower resolution or come to a screeching halt.
Blu-rays offer consistently high quality every time you watch them. Yes, some degree of H.265 compression is needed to fit a 4K movie onto a single disc – but this is less aggressive than what’s needed for streaming, so it’s more likely to preserve the quality of the source material.
Depending on the movie, you might also need to turn to Blu-ray to get a movie in the HDR and audio formats you prefer. The best example is DTS:X surround sound – most streaming services veer towards Atmos, and even the ones that do support DTS:X (like Disney+) may only offer it on select titles.
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Permanent access
The ugly reality is that even if you “buy” a movie from a service like YouTube, Prime Video, or whatever Apple’s library is called these days, you’re really just getting a license for it. That license is unlikely to be revoked anytime soon, but it’s possible, and you might not get a refund or substitute. Things are even worse if you depend on subscription streaming. Catalog rights change constantly, so a favorite on one service might suddenly migrate to another service you’re not paying for. Many movies are hard or impossible to access via a subscription – good luck finding David Lynch’s Wild at Heart, let alone obscure B- or C-grade movies like New York Ninja.
If you own a Blu-ray, you’ve got access to the movie on it as long as the disc and your Blu-ray player keep working. It can also be a way of ensuring access to your preferred cut of a movie – my favorite version of Apocalypse Now is the theatrical one, but subscription services often force you to watch Redux.
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Extra and alternate content
Speaking of special editions, a Blu-ray is more likely to include extra content, such as trailers, commentaries, and behind-the-scenes material. Indeed, if you’re a fan of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, you’re missing out if you don’t have the remastered Extended Edition box set – there’s literally hours of documentary footage. You won’t find most of that content on streaming.
Some Blu-rays include multiple cuts of a movie in one box instead of forcing you to seek them out separately. I insist on watching the Special Edition of Aliens if I can, and the Criterion edition of Brazil actually includes three different cuts – the original, the Director’s Cut, and the “Love Conquers All” version. You should skip that last one, probably, but it’s terrible to think some people will only ever know a single cut because that’s what they were forced to choose online.
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What are the advantages of streaming?
Convenience
Though Blu-ray ensures permanent access to content, physical media is also kind of a hassle. You not only have to order or shop for discs, but find a place to safely store them, and bring them with you whenever you move to a new house or apartment. Come movie night, it might take a minute or two to locate the right disc and pop it into your player. The larger your collection, the more of a hassle these things become.
Streaming eliminates any worries about storage or delay. In fact, for those of us who remember what it was like when physical media was the only option, it’s nigh-on miraculous that we can sit down in front of a TV and start watching something in seconds. You’re not even limited to your TV – you can watch a movie on your phone, tablet, computer, or VR headset at any time as long as you can sign in to the right service. Blu-rays are very much restricted to a home theater unless you’ve gone out of your way to get a Blu-ray drive for your Mac or PC.
In rare situations, streaming movies receive upgrades without you having to pay extra. A movie that was previously in 1080p might be up-rezzed to 4K, or replaced with a remastered edition that’s cleaner and more modern-looking.
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Blu-ray discs can be expensive, especially if you want a movie in 4K instead of 1080p. On Amazon, for example, the 4K disc for Alien: Romulus is about $27. At that price, a dozen Blu-ray movies would run you $324, and a substantial collection could push you into the quadruple digits. You might luck into discounted discs occasionally, but rest assured that becoming a Blu-ray collector is a pricey hobby.
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Less vulnerability
Any physical movie is at risk of being lost, stolen, cracked, crushed, frozen, or melted. Discs have the unique problem of scratches – a deep enough scratch on a Blu-ray could render it unplayable, so it’s essential to keep it in its original case most of the time, or at least some sort of folder or carousel. If you don’t store things in the right place, you could run into threats like mold or premature disc rot.
All discs degrade over time, no matter if you take perfect care of them. TheCanadian Conservation Institutenotes that while some Blu-rays may last 20 to 50 years, others may only last 10 to 20, and some will only make it 5 to 10. That might be fine with you, but it could also make the amount of money you’re spending feel ridiculous, knowing that you could have an invulnerable version in the cloud – licensing issues notwithstanding.
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My pick in the fight
Final thoughts
I’m going with streaming for now. Mostly it’s a question of cost, but space is tight as well, and I really do enjoy the convenience of streaming services, particularly when I’m moving or traveling. I’m also not as fussy as some cinephiles – I’ll put up with lower bitrates if it means being able to watch something instantaneously on almost any device. It’s the substance of a movie that matters to me most, unless the presentation becomes a constant distraction.
For some of you, a mixed approach may be the way to go. You might limit a Blu-ray collection to your absolute favorites, or titles you can’t find on streaming. You’ll still need some sort of Blu-ray player and a wad of cash, but it could be the best of both worlds.
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