Best Buy to reportedly discontinue all physical media in 2024 both in stores & online

[ranger_scout]

This report is a huge blow to physical media fans like myself, but Best Buy will no longer be selling any kind of physical media in 2024 both in stores and online. :cry: It could even happen during the 1st quarter of that year. This not only includes 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rays, and DVDs, but video games as well. I'm going to miss physical media when it goes away forever.

https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/101223-1100

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/best-buy-report-no-more-physical-media/

[Andrew NDB]

They might as well just shut down, then.

[Autbot_Benz]

used to use them but their prices are 2-4 dollars more than Amazon so I will use Amazon

[CyberCubed]

I barely buy any physical media since I watch everything for free on the illegal streaming websites. I did buy the TMNT 2k3 DVD boxset though, but only due to my undying love for Turtles.

Physical media will be on its way out probably by 2030 at the latest. It's already showing signs of it now.

[TigerClaw]

Its unfortunate, Because Best Buy is where I ordered those Steelbook versions of movies on Blu-ray.

The last movie I got from Best Buy online was the Super Mario Bros Movie, But not the Steelbook.

[Autbot_Benz]

I barely buy any physical media since I watch everything for free on the illegal streaming websites.

you mention this in EVERY movie thread we get it your too cheap to pay for anything keep it to yourself :roll:

[KROW]

I guess they want to make more room to sell washers, dryers, and electric scooters.

I barely buy any physical media since I watch everything for free on the illegal streaming websites.

Arr, matey!

[Storm Eagle]

I'll be fine as long as I can get releases anywhere, such as Amazon. Unfortunately, there could come a time where all vendors quit physical media altogether. I'll try not to dwell on it since anticipation of the end is worse than the end itself.

[IMJ]

I don't know what to snicker and shake my head at more - Best Buy and their slow decline in general, or that sort of archetypical "large and in charge tough guy" Best Buy employee that seems to have permeated that company for decades.

I have literally decades of "small moments" stories about shopping at Best Buy - stone serious. You can imagine that, given the way that I observe people and their personality-tells, that going into Best Buy is like an exercise in extreme patience - made even worse because I'm the customer.

Your average Best Buy employee is a $#!(bag who would approach an unsuspecting old couple who came in for a single Sonos speaker, and then try to convert them indiscriminately into an Whole Home Controller just so that they could get their 20 dollar spiff at their 30k a year $#!(show retail job.

And I can honestly say that there is a positive linear correlation between Best Buy's ongoing reduction of physical media and my increasing absence from their stores.

[MrPliggins]

The Best Buy DVD section used to be a regular stop for me for many years. Now, I can't remember the last time I set foot in a Best Buy store. The decline of physical media compared to those times is apparent, but I'm surprised they'd eliminate it completely at such an early date. Sales must be very dismal. The report does say "take this with a grain of salt", so maybe it won't be that soon.

[Cowabung-Gal]

Physical media will be on its way out probably by 2030 at the latest. It's already showing signs of it now.

So if America were to have a massive internet blackout, the ones who don’t have DVD’s to keep themselves entertained would definitely be in trouble

[The Deadman]

They said theyre still gonna sell video games.

[Roseangelo]

So if America were to have a massive internet blackout, the ones who don’t have DVD’s to keep themselves entertained would definitely be in trouble

Well, books still exist.

[Barkworm]

Well, books still exist.

For most Zoomers (and probably a lot of older Internet degenerates as well) that's not an option.

[CyberCubed]

Physical media is definitely going to be largely phased out by 2030, and even that is probably being generous. Movies/TV and videogames are all dying in the physical space, and only special prestige stuff will get released.

Eventually they may stop making blu-ray players and disc drivers altogether, so I wouldn't be surprised. I think we have maybe 7 or less years left of most stuff still being released physical.

[ranger_scout]

They said theyre still gonna sell video games.

They have just confirmed that. Yes.

The company will continue to sell video games.

https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/best-buy-ending-dvd-blu-ray-disc-sales-1235754919/

[IMJ]

Does anyone remember the social event of just going to a place like Tower Records, hanging out looking at everything, chatting with the varied customer base there and leaving with a CD? Or a midnight release event?

An entire engagement of sub-culture that just doesn't exist anymore. I have so many stories from small concerts and midnight releases at places like Tower Records back in the day.

[Barkworm]

Does anyone remember the social event of just going to a place like Tower Records, hanging out looking at everything, chatting with the varied customer base there and leaving with a CD? Or a midnight release event?

An entire engagement of sub-culture that just doesn't exist anymore. I have so many stories from small concerts and midnight releases at places like Tower Records back in the day.
We didn't have midnight releases but I fondly remember me and my best friend going to our local CD store almost every Wednesday afternoon when we were teens, browsing the shelves, listening to CDs and often buying stuff.

[CyberCubed]

The push to digital has really been aggressive. I used to see rows and rows of DVDs of movies and TV shows in the early 2000's, now it seems like nobody cares. I'm sure places like amazon will still sell discs for as long as they make them, but I think Target and Wal-mart may follow suit too, and at that point they'll be pretty much done outside of online retailers.

It's really not much different than how VHS tapes were gradually phased out in the early 2000's, but you could still buy VHS as late as 2005-2007 if I remember right before they disappeared entirely.

[Andrew NDB]

Whether it was VHS tapes in video stores in the mall or DVDs later on, there was a certain feeling to perusing them in aisles upon aisles. I'd discover all kinds of movies. All the book stores that used to be in malls, as well. There's obviously still a Barnes & Noble here and there outside of malls, clinging on, but it's not the same anymore.

And I'm sure there's still similar sorts of experiences in record stores nowadays, only now it's just hipsters and it's only vinyl -- again.

The push to digital has really been aggressive.

"You will own nothing and be happy!"

[CyberCubed]

This is basically the modern version of the way people used to browse movies/tv shows in store aisles:

https://i0.wp.com/moviesgamesandtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/image-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&w=640

Remember all the kids who grew up in the 2000's are now 20 year olds and they're used to just scrolling through a digital storefront page and selecting what they want to watch. They don't care about going to stores to pick something out because you can just do it from the comfort of your own home. Hell most people watch stuff on their cell phones and don't even watch on TV anymore.

[Andrew NDB]

One pro: remember the feeling of going to the video store to rent a specific movie, like maybe a new release, and ending up on the wrong end of the very real chance it could be completely rented out, and then going home without it? And thinking to yourself in defeat, "maybe we can try again tomorrow?" That's not a thing anymore.

[IndigoErth]

Well that's lame.

Not that I've bought from them in forever, and not been to a store since they stupidly closed the one near me, conveniently on a local highway, after opening another one by the mall, which now requires fighting mall and interstate traffic, so I rarely visit that area anymore.

Really never cared for the shift to digital only media, because it just removed the cost burden of producing, shipping, storing, and stocking a physical product, but they sure as hell didn't pass on much, if any, savings to the customer. :roll: And on the consumer end, if you lose access to stuff you paid money for (like a normal person)... oh well, I guess, it's gone.

[TheCanadiandrome]

One pro: remember the feeling of going to the video store to rent a specific movie, like maybe a new release, and ending up on the wrong end of the very real chance it could be completely rented out, and then going home without it? And thinking to yourself in defeat, "maybe we can try again tomorrow?" That's not a thing anymore.

Pepridge Farms remembers lol

I for one still love to buy me some physical media. That’s not to say that digital isn’t alright as well, but I want the choice, these butthole company’s who think they can make the choice for us can go EF themselves hard far as I’m concerned

[Barkworm]

One pro: remember the feeling of going to the video store to rent a specific movie, like maybe a new release, and ending up on the wrong end of the very real chance it could be completely rented out, and then going home without it? And thinking to yourself in defeat, "maybe we can try again tomorrow?" That's not a thing anymore.

That could be seen as a con as well, since everything is available all the time, you just take everything for granted. And the "Let's try again tomorrow!"-feeling was also exciting in a way, wasn't it?

I'm going "Grumpy grandpa"-mode with all kinds of stuff. I listen to CDs every day, started buying DVDs again, don't have a Netflix or whatever subscription, never stopped buying books, hell, I even started buying an actual newspaper again. We can't get rid of the digital age but I'll try my best to take part in it as little as possible.

[KROW]

Does anyone remember the social event of just going to a place like Tower Records, hanging out looking at everything, chatting with the varied customer base there and leaving with a CD? Or a midnight release event?

Definitely. Leafing through all your favorite genres searching for those one or two albums you need to complete that one band's discography. I think the first album I ever bought with my own money was White Zombie's Astro Creep 2000. I've only been to one midnight release and it was for Halo 3 with Storm Wolf. She had to stand amid a huge crowd while mall security made me sit it out nearby since I wasn't buying anything. I wasn't part of the rabble so I couldn't enjoy the nice mix of B.O. and cigarettes. She hated it. We agreed never to do that again.

[TheCanadiandrome]

That could be seen as a con as well, since everything is available all the time, you just take everything for granted. And the "Let's try again tomorrow!"-feeling was also exciting in a way, wasn't it?

I'm going "Grumpy grandpa"-mode with all kinds of stuff. I listen to CDs every day, started buying DVDs again, don't have a Netflix or whatever subscription, never stopped buying books, hell, I even started buying an actual newspaper again. We can't get rid of the digital age but I'll try my best to take part in it as little as possible.

Totally agree for sure

[Storm Eagle]

I remembered that I got my first DVD player from Best Buy back in 2002, as well as my first DVD. I even bought two VCRs of the same model later that year. I plan on getting the 4K Blu-ray of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem from them when it comes out in December, and it's probably the last home video release I ever buy from them.

[Andrew NDB]

And the "Let's try again tomorrow!"-feeling was also exciting in a way, wasn't it?

Not in and of itself, but I'm sure it increased the excitement level when you finally did get to rent and watch the movie.

I listen to CDs every day, started buying DVDs again

CDs still make sense. They're playing completely uncompressed .WAV files, whereas with .MP3s you're getting that MP3 compression. DVDs, though? I can't fathom watching movies in 480p again unless that was literally the only format it was available on.

I'm halfway considering getting like a couple of 20 terabyte drives and ripping UHD movies to it, cataloguing them for quick viewing.

[IMJ]

I remembered that I got my first DVD player from Best Buy back in 2002, as well as my first DVD. I even bought two VCRs of the same model later that year. I plan on getting the 4K Blu-ray of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem from them when it comes out in December, and it's probably the last home video release I ever buy from them.

So I have an interesting story about how I got my first DVD player. I'm pretty sure it was the Winter of 1998 because I had just turned 21. We went to this nightclub/dance club that was in town and there was a Chicago radio station promotion there giving stuff away. I wound up making conversation with the girl running the "raffle" and lo and behold I wound up winning - it was absolutely rigged. I won an RCA TV - not a very big one, but more like your typical bedroom sized T.V. for that time.

So a week later we got in my buddies truck and we drove to (what used to be called) The Sears Tower because they were housed there and that's where I picked up what I won. This was the era of "box T.V.'s", not flatscreens obviously, and it was basically identical to the T.V. I had at home already.

And so, there was a shipping label on the T.V. box, I think it was from North Carolina. So we took it to Best Buy (whom I already hated passionately by this point) and found that they carried the same T.V. I wove this story that my aunt from North Carolina bought this thing from Best Buy and sent it to me as a birthday present but I already had one and couldn't bring myself to ask her for the receipt for it. The store manager took the "return" but gave me store credit for it.

I used the store credit to buy my first DVD Player and, IIRC three DVDs - The Crow, Dark City and the awful Godzilla movie. Best Buy wasn't harmed by this at all - the store manager didn't care about no receipt because he carried the T.V. model in the store so he just put it on the shelf. It was sealed, new and unused. I think when all was said and done I came out of pocket for the player and the discs for like 10 bucks maybe.

[Storm Eagle]

So I have an interesting story about how I got my first DVD player. I'm pretty sure it was the Winter of 1998 because I had just turned 21. We went to this nightclub/dance club that was in town and there was a Chicago radio station promotion there giving stuff away. I wound up making conversation with the girl running the "raffle" and lo and behold I wound up winning - it was absolutely rigged. I won an RCA TV - not a very big one, but more like your typical bedroom sized T.V. for that time.

So a week later we got in my buddies truck and we drove to (what used to be called) The Sears Tower because they were housed there and that's where I picked up what I won. This was the era of "box T.V.'s", not flatscreens obviously, and it was basically identical to the T.V. I had at home already.

And so, there was a shipping label on the T.V. box, I think it was from North Carolina. So we took it to Best Buy (whom I already hated passionately by this point) and found that they carried the same T.V. I wove this story that my aunt from North Carolina bought this thing from Best Buy and sent it to me as a birthday present but I already had one and couldn't bring myself to ask her for the receipt for it. The store manager took the "return" but gave me store credit for it.

I used the store credit to buy my first DVD Player and, IIRC three DVDs - The Crow, Dark City and the awful Godzilla movie. Best Buy wasn't harmed by this at all - the store manager didn't care about no receipt because he carried the T.V. model in the store so he just put it on the shelf. It was sealed, new and unused. I think when all was said and done I came out of pocket for the player and the discs for like 10 bucks maybe.

I was a senior in high school when DVDs started out. So I wouldn't have been one of the earliest adopters. I don't think I even knew about DVDs back then, but I noticed them becoming more mainstream in 2000 or so. It wasn't until 2001 that I decided I wanted a DVD player, but I had finished college and didn't have a job even though I tried to get one. I didn't start working until March 2002, and I bought a DVD player and my first DVD with my first paycheck there. It's one of those double feature DVDs with a movie on either side of the disc, and I still have it despite having Blu-ray copies of both those movies. Sentimental value and all that.

DVDs were a total game changer for me. I used to tape shows in their entirety on VHS, but I now own season sets of most of the shows. They take up less space, and I was able to dispose of a large chunk of VHS tapes that are likely to wear out quicker.

[IMJ]

Oh yeah - lol the double sided disc with a movie on each side, or sometimes it was letterboxed versus pan 'n scan.

Or how about the "Different camera angles feature" that everyone thought was going to make rewatching a movie a totally different experience with different angles - and it never got used. It's like 1:500 DVD's actually had branching on them, and most of the time when they did all they were doing was intercutting behind the scenes footage into a moment of a movie. :roll:

Star Trek TOS did it well though - you can go between the original effects and the HD CGi.

[Storm Eagle]

Oh yeah - lol the double sided disc with a movie on each side, or sometimes it was letterboxed versus pan 'n scan.

Or how about the "Different camera angles feature" that everyone thought was going to make rewatching a movie a totally different experience with different angles - and it never got used. It's like 1:500 DVD's actually had branching on them, and most of the time when they did all they were doing was intercutting behind the scenes footage into a moment of a movie. :roll:

Star Trek TOS did it well though - you can go between the original effects and the HD CGi.

The second DVD I bought was double-sided with the pan & scan version on one side and the widescreen version on the other. I no longer have it, but I still have one DVD like that. I also have its movie on Blu-ray which of course presents in widescreen, but I keep the DVD around since it's a Target exclusive that has an extra disc of special features.

The angle thing sounds familiar. I believe I remember the DVD player I had having that feature, but I'm not sure any of my DVDs made use of it.

[Andrew NDB]

Oh yeah - lol the double sided disc with a movie on each side, or sometimes it was letterboxed versus pan 'n scan.

Or how about the "Different camera angles feature" that everyone thought was going to make rewatching a movie a totally different experience with different angles - and it never got used. It's like 1:500 DVD's actually had branching on them, and most of the time when they did all they were doing was intercutting behind the scenes footage into a moment of a movie. :roll:

It was a cool idea, but I can imagine more than a few directors -- particularly DPs -- wouldn't like that. They shot it and edited it a certain way, how dare you see angles that aren't supposed to be in the shot, etc..

[IMJ]

Definitely. Leafing through all your favorite genres searching for those one or two albums you need to complete that one band's discography. I think the first album I ever bought with my own money was White Zombie's Astro Creep 2000. I've only been to one midnight release and it was for Halo 3 with Storm Wolf. She had to stand amid a huge crowd while mall security made me sit it out nearby since I wasn't buying anything. I wasn't part of the rabble so I couldn't enjoy the nice mix of B.O. and cigarettes. She hated it. We agreed never to do that again.

Awesome post - I remember doing exactly what you said there for Alice In Chains once I discovered the Jar of Flies album. Going to bins and digging for the rest of the catalog immediately. And I did this routinely for STP - I bought all of their albums from Purple forward on release day, but after that I was always digging for CD single releases that might have live tracks on them.

The Astro Creep album has a unique memory for me - it was a birthday present from my "high school sweetheart". It was great because it was one of the first times I got an "insightful present" from someone who wasn't my parents as opposed to... you know.... something nice but "obligatory". :lol:

I don't think I ever went to a video game early release - I had enough of that culture working at a FuncoLand when I was younger. But the Tower Records midnight album releases were usually a lot of fun. The release parties for STP's Tiny Music and later for Eve6's "Horrorscope" were particularly unique and fun. Tiny Music was promoted heavily by Atlantic so there was all sorts of stuff there at the store for it, and the Horrorscope album had Eve6 playing in the parking lot which was neat.

Although I remember getting eaten alive socially at Tower when I picked up Kid Rock's "The History of Rock Album". :lol: I bought it only for the Metallica-sampled "American Badass" track which I thought was decent, but that release coincided with Rob Halford's (Judas Priest) solo release and OMG when those guys saw me with a Kid Rock CD.... hahahah oh geeze the commentary was on. :lol:

but I keep the DVD around since it's a Target exclusive that has an extra disc of special features.

I did something similar with the 5th Element. I love Luc Besson movies, and the 5th Element is endlessly watchable. But it's received a variety of releases over the years. I've bought several of them and sort of compiled the discs with the unique features on them and they are all now housed in my 4k Steelbook as an "ultimate edition". I bought these sticky CD mounts for the inside of the case.

This was a unique decision too because I don't like breaking up sets from the way they are factory packed, but I just had to do it for that one.

It was a cool idea, but I can imagine more than a few directors -- particularly DPs -- wouldn't like that. They shot it and edited it a certain way, how dare you see angles that aren't supposed to be in the shot, etc..

The art kills the tech. :lol:

[sdp]

physical media enthusiasts have been coping with this for over a decade in denial that there market segment didn't keep shrinking despite statistics proving otherwise.

[CyberCubed]

I mean if Walmart or Target follow Best Buys example and drop DVDs/blu-rays, then I really will believe discs are on their way out. I'm sure they'll still be made in limited quanities online and amazon will probably still sell them for a good while, but movie companies like Disney, WB, etc. are not going to bother printing discs if stores are not going to carry them anymore.

[Andrew NDB]

As far as I'm concerned, DVDs should have been discontinued a loooong time ago. Blu-ray has been out for almost 20 years -- if you haven't made the switch yet, that's on you. At this point I believe DVDs have even been "out" longer than the entire run of VHS, and by a good margin.

[TigerClaw]

I mean if Walmart or Target follow Best Buys example and drop DVDs/blu-rays, then I really will believe discs are on their way out. I'm sure they'll still be made in limited quanities online and amazon will probably still sell them for a good while, but movie companies like Disney, WB, etc. are not going to bother printing discs if stores are not going to carry them anymore.
Walmart is reportedly gonna discontinue physical games in 2024.
https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/walmart-discontinuing-physical-games-media-xbox-2024/

[Andrew NDB]

Walmart is reportedly gonna discontinue physical games in 2024.
https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/walmart-discontinuing-physical-games-media-xbox-2024/

Might have to do with theft more than anything else.

[Storm Eagle]

As far as I'm concerned, DVDs should have been discontinued a loooong time ago. Blu-ray has been out for almost 20 years -- if you haven't made the switch yet, that's on you. At this point I believe DVDs have even been "out" longer than the entire run of VHS, and by a good margin.

Well that's interesting.

DVDs still sell pretty well, and that's basically why they're still around. This account keeps track of physical media sales, and somehow, DVDs still sell better than Blu-rays and 4Ks.

https://twitter.com/UltraHDBluray/status/1713310474492690688

[IMJ]

physical media enthusiasts have been coping with this for over a decade in denial that there market segment didn't keep shrinking despite statistics proving otherwise.

Oh. It's you. ;)

Yeah man. No. I have literally never seen a disc collector in denial that physical media wasn't a diminishing market segment.

You're perspective seems to come from a sense of pleasure at something being taken from someone, which is odd. But most collectors perspective is that media formats have evolved and changed going as far back as Phonograph Cylinders replaced by Piano rolls and so on. They understand this as part of their hobby.

Well that's interesting.

DVDs still sell pretty well, and that's basically why they're still around. This account keeps track of physical media sales, and somehow, DVDs still sell better than Blu-rays and 4Ks.

https://twitter.com/UltraHDBluray/status/1713310474492690688

I have some sense of surprise at the number of actual "DVDs" I see at random stores to be honest. But I think a big part of that is the backwards compatibility that is built into any disc player nowadays. You know? Your blu-ray player can still play DVD's, but it can't take a VHS tape. So when people who don't want to spend on Blu Ray or 4k they just denied the advancement and stuck to their DVD.

The weirdest thing is the strange array of movies at places like Dollar General... lmao! Talk about B-movie...

[Cowabung-Gal]

Well, books still exist.

You kidding? Getting the average person to switch from the Internet to books is like trying to convince a junkie to choose brussels sprouts over drugs. They wouldn’t last a day.

https://i.makeagif.com/media/1-29-2018/uhJcff.gif

[ranger_scout]

It's better that this happens now rather than never since Best Buy will stop selling physical copies of movies for good, but Titanic is finally getting a 4K Ultra HD release.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/titanic-finally-arrives-on-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray/

[CyberCubed]

Honestly the writing is on the wall. I do think the top most popular movies will still get blu-rays/4k releases, but I think everything else is going to be phased out. Meaning also no DVD collections of TV shows anymore either. If the retailers/stores drop selling physical media, how much longer are all the companies going to bother producing them for the niche online market?

[ranger_scout]

Blu-rays and DVDs could be making a comeback like Vinyl records and CDs.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/dying-dvd-bluray-business-resurrection-cds-vinyl-1235639108/

[Andrew NDB]

Doubtful, unless we're talking about 4K UHD blu-rays which are still a thing. Whether you're listening to vinyl or a CD, you're listening to something that is "lossless" in quality, it's just different. If you're watching something on DVD, you're watching something that's at about 10% of the quality of modern stuff.

[CyberCubed]

It's not going to make a comeback. All the 2000's kids are now 20 year olds and they don't care about physical media at all. You're going to see discs largely phased out for both movies/shows and videogames a lot over the next decade.

[DarkFell]

I still doubt that Best Buy will discontinue to carry a majority of their physical media products. That story sounds phony at best, and somebody trying to blow wind up a few butts at the worst.

Regardless of what the streaming purists say, DVD's, CD's video games, and whatever LP records that might be in stock, are still Best Buy's 'bread and butter.' If B.B. decides to ditch most of what they carry in-store, then they will definitely lose a lot their customers ..especially on my side of town. Most of the folks out here aren't exactly well-to-do financially to afford a streaming service.

A handful of DVD's are still cheaper than Paramount Plus, Disney Plus, etc.

[TheCanadiandrome]

It's not going to make a comeback. All the 2000's kids are now 20 year olds and they don't care about physical media at all. You're going to see discs largely phased out for both movies/shows and videogames a lot over the next decade.

That’s your opinion bro, but I disagree. There’s still gonna be a few people who want to own physical media because they don’t wanna go fully digital

[IMJ]

Outside of a slight and somewhat shady "sound quality" argument, there is no reason for vinyl to have had the resurgence it's had over the last several years. And I'd gamble that CD's will see a similar revival at some point as well.

I don't think physical media is "dead" at all, but there are a lot of factors contributing to this - probably more than most people here want to hold in their mind's eye to understand the situation.

An easy example - stores that hold physical media always hand to hold a breadth of offerings to draw people in - which means gauging order sizes and holding onto what basically amounts to self-space demurrage for discs that don't sell. Combine that now with online ordering of movies on disc basically resulting in exact-distribution and you've cut a swath out of the profitability of ordering and holding DVD's in physical inventory.

So that simple example, combined with several others that I can think of, in addition to the whole "digital streaming" environment and you have the situation at hand. But physical media isn't dead at all - it's going to live through online retailers and orders.

[CyberCubed]

If you visit Best Buy, or Target, Wal-mart etc, they've all noticeably reduced their "DVD shelves" or aisles considerably. Even if they don't do away with them entirely, they barely get like 1/4th of the level they used to in the early 2000's. The writing is on the wall, too many people either stream or watch digitally or whatever.

I remember back in the early 2000's, Best Buy had like 10 aisles stacks of DVDs for movies, TV shows, anime and cartoons...and it would have hundreds of DVDs for everything, and you go in there now and you barely see half of that.

[Andrew NDB]

Outside of a slight and somewhat shady "sound quality" argument, there is no reason for vinyl to have had the resurgence it's had over the last several years.

https://i.ibb.co/m0cZ1DS/Untitled-1.jpg

This. This is the reason.

About DVDs, I think a big part of it is we were "fooled" over and over again. First, that DVDs would be the pinnacle of home media. That that would be it -- once you had something on DVD, that was the best possible version that could exist, forevermore. So you might as well collect everything and fill your walls with movies, right? That's what I did, for sure. But... then blu-ray came out. Going from 480p to 1080p was HUGE. But now all these collectors of DVDs are kicking themselves, having to re-buy everything they had on DVD now on Blu-ray. Then what happens, as they're in the middle of doing that? 4K UHD Blu-ray drops, which is ANOTHER significant resolution jump. I think around this point a lot of people just said, "You know what, screw it... rather than try to keep up with this anymore I'll just stream and be happy."

[Barkworm]

This. This is the reason.
Hipsters are part of the reason for the vinyl renaissance but apart from that they are just great collector‘s items. I‘ve always been a CD collector but some albums I buy on Vinyl because the particular edition looks fantastic.

[IMJ]

Hipsters are part of the reason for the vinyl renaissance but apart from that they are just great collector‘s items. I‘ve always been a CD collector but some albums I buy on Vinyl because the particular edition looks fantastic.

Me too. I'd play my vinyl more than I do but truth be told, it's a PITA. And at this point my CDs are basically my music server backup (ironic, isn't it?).

[Barkworm]

Me too. I'd play my vinyl more than I do but truth be told, it's a PITA. And at this point my CDs are basically my music server backup (ironic, isn't it?).

It used to be the same for me until we moved to the countryside a couple of years ago. Now I drive to work every day and my car's got a CD player. I just love those few minutes I look at my CD shelf to decide what I'm going to listen to. It's just very different from choosing music on your Tidals and Deezers etc.

[IMJ]

It used to be the same for me until we moved to the countryside a couple of years ago. Now I drive to work every day and my car's got a CD player. I just love those few minutes I look at my CD shelf to decide what I'm going to listen to. It's just very different from choosing music on your Tidals and Deezers etc.

That's very cool.... I haven't had a CD player in a car since 2015 so it's all flash drives or phone for me. :)

On another note, I just, literally 10 minutes ago, got my copy of the Atlantic Records 75th Anniversary edition of Stone Temple Pilots 'No. 4" on vinyl - the first time it's been mastered specifically for the format and cut by a prominent sound engineer.

Can't wait to spin it here shortly... this was the album with the Grammy winning track "Down" (absolute monster of a rock track) and the album that every spent the Summer of 2000 with "Sour Girl".

[TheCanadiandrome]

So that simple example, combined with several others that I can think of, in addition to the whole "digital streaming" environment and you have the situation at hand. But physical media isn't dead at all - it's going to live through online retailers and orders.

Exactly. The so-called “writing on the wall” bs is just that. Physical media will never die so long as there’s still a demand for it from even the smallest of people who either can’t or refuses to make the change to digital. Or even the minority who, such as myself, or a few others, collect both.

[IMJ]

Exactly. The so-called “writing on the wall” bs is just that. Physical media will never die so long as there’s still a demand for it from even the smallest of people who either can’t or refuses to make the change to digital. Or even the minority who, such as myself, or a few others, collect both.

I mean the real funny thing is when some uninformed proponent of the "dream of no-physical-media" goes on about how you can "Just go to streaming" and find whatever you want.

RIiiiiiigghhhhtttttt.....

Go. Right now. To Netflix right now. And find what you want instead of what they feed you and really quickly it becomes apparent that very little of what anyone would try to dig up is actually "readily available". On any of the streamers.

[Barkworm]

I mean the real funny thing is when some uninformed proponent of the "dream of no-physical-media" goes on about how you can "Just go to streaming" and find whatever you want.

RIiiiiiigghhhhtttttt.....

Go. Right now. To Netflix right now. And find what you want instead of what they feed you and really quickly it becomes apparent that very little of what anyone would try to dig up is actually "readily available". On any of the streamers.
Well, if we‘re talking about music, you usually get anything you want but I guess lots of music fans have a streaming subscription and buy physical media as well. I agree with video streaming of course, there it‘s totally different and recent developments show that those things will be very different in 10 years, maybe more similar than regular TV.

Thanks for reminding me of No. 4, that‘ll be my CD for tomorrow‘s drive to school. :)

[MikeandRaph87]

I mean the real funny thing is when some uninformed proponent of the "dream of no-physical-media" goes on about how you can "Just go to streaming" and find whatever you want.

RIiiiiiigghhhhtttttt.....

Go. Right now. To Netflix right now. And find what you want instead of what they feed you and really quickly it becomes apparent that very little of what anyone would try to dig up is actually "readily available". On any of the streamers.

See this is what I loved about Netflix. Yes,there was the average 4 day wait,but you could rent practically any movie or television show you wanted no matter how recent or obscure so long as it's a distributed DVD. Now with streaming it's so splintered and you never know what will be pulled from or onto what streaming service. It could easily make a streaming service of no use if one or two things are removed. It's why I like physical copies of film and television because I don't have to he dependent on various streaming services to keep up with it all.

[CyberCubed]

Or you could just not pay for any streaming service like me and just watch whatever you want online anyway. I feel bad for people paying money for Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max, Paramount, Hulu, Amazon, or Crunchyroll all at once.

What a waste of money. I would not spend 1 red cent on a streaming service when I have everything available at my fingertips with a 10 second Google search.

[Autbot_Benz]

Or you could just not pay for any streaming service like me and just watch whatever you want online anyway. I feel bad for people paying money for Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max, Paramount, Hulu, Amazon, or Crunchyroll all at once.

What a waste of money. I would not spend 1 red cent on a streaming service when I have everything available at my fingertips with a 10 second Google search.

you really are the textbook definition of a Cheap Bastard. I wouldn't be surprised if you steal your neighbor's Cable and Internet too.

[IMJ]

See this is what I loved about Netflix. Yes,there was the average 4 day wait,but you could rent practically any movie or television show you wanted no matter how recent or obscure so long as it's a distributed DVD. Now with streaming it's so splintered and you never know what will be pulled from or onto what streaming service. It could easily make a streaming service of no use if one or two things are removed. It's why I like physical copies of film and television because I don't have to he dependent on various streaming services to keep up with it all.

Yeah. And in the beginning it was even better. In the beginning Netflix was a lot like when the Cartoon Network began. It was this cool repository of syndicated cartoons that you couldn't find anywhere else (at the time). When Netflix was new I remember ordering "Night of the Comet" - terrible cult-classic flick but you could see it if you wanted to.

Then Netflix, like Cartoon Network, went to it's own original programming for better or worse here or there. But at the end of the day the business evolution does not allow for truth in the phony narrative of "see what you want when you want". It's a lie. More like, "see what we force feed you when you decide to watch it - as long as it's still there when you decide".

you really are the textbook definition of a Cheap Bastard. I wouldn't be surprised if you steal your neighbor's Cable and Internet too.

It's a character he plays online, man. The weirdness isn't in the behaviors of the character he plays - instead, the weirdness is in that he does it at all in the first place.

:lol::lol:

[CyberCubed]

I honestly forget cable TV is still a thing. Reminds me of that old Simpsons episode where Homer got that guy to install an illegal cable box in his house and the whole town came over to watch because none of them had cable. :lol:

[TheCanadiandrome]

you really are the textbook definition of a Cheap Bastard. I wouldn't be surprised if you steal your neighbor's Cable and Internet too.

Lmao I love it

[Zulithe]

I just bought a ton of 4K blu-rays this week when a lot were marked down to 7.99 or 9.99. From amazon. :lol:

Though a lot of times their sales are just price matching places like Best Buy, so even once BB gives up on physical media, it will likely cause an impact across the industry.

I have an external region-free 4K blu-ray player for my PC, with a hacked firmware so it can play/rip anything from any region, from all formats (4K, 1080p blu-ray, dvd, etc.) so I'm taken care of for a long time.