It’s Time to Use Physical Media Again
It’s finally time to admit that streaming apps and digital distribution have disrupted most of the creative media industries, and perhaps physical media was the right choice from the start.
Okay, this is a little dramatic. But this is not entirely true.
To be honest, streaming apps aren’t all that bad. Streaming services and digital storefronts make it easy to access our favorite shows, bands and video games on almost any device we have. And they give us legitimate ways to support legacy media without succumbing to greedy profiteers or shady pirate sites. But what started out as a way to “cut the cord” and tie it to cable companies and record companies has only spawned a new corporate overlord who has no respect for his customers, the media they distribute, or the people who make them.
The problem with streaming and digital media
It could be argued that troubles like The Office leaving Netflix or that the first Mannequin movie isn’t available digitally while Mannequin 2: On the Move is readily available are only part of the reality of the new digital landscape.
But this inconsistency is starting to look more like a bug than a feature. Last week we learned that Warner Bros. Discovery unceremoniously removed the TV show from the HBO Max app for the sole reason that it wanted to stop paying residual amounts to its creators. be available on HBO Max. Meanwhile, digital video games are regularly removed from digital shelves, making it impossible to buy or re-download them, even if the inevitable server shutdowns make multiplayer modes or even entire games unplayable even after you’ve bought and downloaded a game .
Not only music, movies and games – even e-books and comics are at risk from streaming and all-digital platforms. Just look at the backlash against Amazon Comixology’s recent overhaul , which made purchasing new comics nearly impossible for some users and rendered some comics and manga unreadable due to unwanted layout changes.
All streaming apps, regardless of media, revoke your access to their free libraries if you unsubscribe, suffer a sudden outage of service, or go permanently offline – not to mention that streaming business models are notoriously tricky artists and creators who distribute their work through these apps.
These and other issues make it increasingly difficult for shoppers to enjoy their purchases, and media retention becomes nearly impossible.
Do you know what doesn’t have these problems? physical media.
This does not mean that physical media is immune to problems. Streaming does make media more accessible and seemingly “unlimited” in supply (as long as they remain available), while physical media can only exist in limited quantities, creating an environment suitable for both companies and resellers to use. . In addition, physical media, like all physical substances, wear out and can be lost, broken, or stolen. However, when it comes to ownership, customer interaction, and media preservation, physical media outperforms digital and streaming in almost every way.
Streaming has issues, but isn’t physical media dead?
I acknowledge that buying a hard copy may not be right for every person or every purchase, but physical media is useful to more people than just hobbyists, historians, or hawkers. And don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that physical media is obsolete or useless – most media still comes in a full physical version. Major theatrical films are released on Blu-ray and most full season TV shows are still sold in these large multi-disc boxes. They may just be harder to find.
Video games are harder. Many new “physical” games still require an online connection, even if they are technically a single-player game with no internet connection, but many newer games are fully playable on disc (or cartridge, in the case of the Nintendo Switch). Buying older games, vintage consoles , and rarer releases can be prohibitively expensive, but companies like Limited Run Games, Super Rare Games, and Strictly Limited Games print physical copies of indie games that don’t usually come in boxes, and in some cases even re-releases of old games. Physical video games also tend to drop in price much faster than their digital counterparts, sometimes with dramatic price cuts only days or weeks after release (with the exception of Nintendo games).
CDs remain a great way to collect and listen to high quality music, and “legacy” formats such as vinyl and cassettes have become popular again thanks to independent record labels, distributors and the collectors’ market. While these retro throwbacks may have started as hipsters’ currency of trust, they are quickly becoming more reliable ways to access music than streaming. Also, buying physical music directly from artists or labels is a better way to support them financially than earning fractions of a dime through streaming.
How about cost?
Another issue with physical media is cost: wouldn’t buying each new media cost more than your monthly streaming bills?
Of course, especially if you’re buying a lot of new stuff to watch, play or listen to, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Personally, I have found myself interacting more with purchased media than with content I stream or rent. Streaming tends to turn artwork into disposable “content” that our brains grind into dopamine. However, streaming or buying anything digitally is absolutely the case, and it’s a decent option when you don’t necessarily care what you’re watching/playing/reading and don’t mind if it suddenly disappears. But even if you don’t see the difference between owning something and streaming, the fact remains that physical media is always more reliable than digital media.
Digital content comes and goes, servers go down, and users lose content if they switch to other apps , but that movie shelf in your living room isn’t going anywhere. And as long as you have the right hardware , you can enjoy it forever whenever you want without having to sign up for a new service, download an app, or fiddle around with a wireless connection.