The film fans who refuse to surrender to streaming: 'One day you'll barter bread for our DVDs'

[Coventina]

When a hurricane struck Florida in 2018, Christina’s neighborhood lost electricity, cell service and internet. For four weeks her family was cut off from the world, their days dictated by the rising and setting sun. But Christina did have a vast collection of movies on DVD and Blu-ray, and a portable player that could be charged from an emergency generator.

Word got around. The family’s library of physical films and books became a kind of currency. Neighbors offered bottled water or jars of peanut butter for access. The 1989 Tom Hanks comedy The ’Burbs was an inexplicably valuable commodity, as were movies that could captivate restless and anxious children.

“I don’t think 99% of people in America would ever stop to think, ‘What would I do if I woke up tomorrow and all access to digital media disappeared?’ But we know,” Christina told me. “We’ve lived it. We’ll never give up our collection. Ever. And maybe, one day, you’ll be the one to come and barter a loaf of bread for our DVD of Casino.”

Streaming was supposed to kill physical media, and has come very close. The DVD and Blu-ray market fell from $4.7bn in revenue in 2017 to barely $1.5bn in 2022. In September, Netflix ended its movie-by-mail service. Best Buy has removed physical media from its brick-and-mortar stores, and Target and Walmart may follow. Some new films may never be released physically at all.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/27/the-film-fans-who-refuse-to-surrender-to-streaming-one-day-youll-barter-bread-for-our-dvds

*************

Interesting read. I'll never give up my physical collection. I might trim it down some more. Every now and then I donate DVDs and CDs that I'm pretty sure I will never miss. But, I still buy physical media that I care about.

[CrispyQ]

1. Some things aren't coming out on DVD anymore.

Also there's an Amazon lawsuit & I'm not sure if it's been decided but it had to do with Amazon selling digital content & then the buyers lost access when another streaming service took it. ??? I think that's the gist of it.

But I was bummed when a series I like wasn't available on DVD.

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. It's collectors like us who will keep physical media alive

I have thousands of DVDs and CDs for that very reason- I don’t want to be at the mercy of streaming services (although I subscribe to several of them).

[50 Shades Of Blue]

3. That's why I've been recording lots of movies from streaming channels!

[AllaN01Bear]

4. me too.

[brush]

5. Were land line phones still in service post-hurricane?

I'm one of those who still keep a land line and also have a cell, just incase weather knocks out cell service

And no, I don't wear a belt ans suspenders.

[AllaN01Bear]

7. i have a land line still. will keep it untill at and t in ca yanks it from us.

[brush]

14. I'm keeping mine too, was just wondering if the OP poster's

land line survived the hurricane.

[AllaN01Bear]

6. i remember when one could order movie reels , rent projectors and so on from the back of magazines and that was

a very long time ago.

[rsdsharp]

8. They know what happens when access to digital media disappeared

but they were fine because they have DVDs?

DVD=Digital Video (or Versatile) Disc.

[Coventina]

11. Sloppy copy writing.

They should have said streaming services.

[rsdsharp]

12. It was a quote from the DVD owners. It could only be sloppy copy writing

if it was a misquote.

[Coventina]

13. You are correct! Sloppy reading on my part!!

[bucolic_frolic]

9. If you own a DVD, they can't charge you any more for it.

Why so few figure it out is beyond me.

[yellowdogintexas]

10. we have all ours too and music CDs as well.

Mr YD has loaded every single one of them on his computer. We can watch or listen as long as we have power because we won't need the internet to do so