The end days are fast approaching for movies on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. And I’m saddened by what that means for cinema fans like me.
Blu-ray Discs in particular are great for getting the best quality picture and audio. Plus, they come with extras like deleted scenes and making-of documentaries.
I recently watched “Lethal Weapon” (1987) as a pay-per-view movie from Amazon.com. It was an OK viewing experience but the video and sound quality weren’t the best.
I don’t mourn the loss of physical media and all the storage issues that brings. But there’s not an adequate digital alternative like there is for music.
Spotify has basically any album or song you want to listen to. And it’s all available for one low monthly subscription price.
With movies, you have to subscribe to multiple services to watch all the films that friends and critics recommend. And then there are the TV series. I currently subscribe to Netflix, Max, Disney+ and Apple TV+, as well as Kanopy from my public library. And I subscribe to cable TV for live news and sports. That’s a pretty expensive bill.
Signs of the decline of movies on disc are easy to see.
In October 2023, Netflix shut down its DVD-by-mail service.
That same month, consumer electronics retailer Best Buy announced that it would stop sales of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs by early 2024.
In April 2024, discount retailer Target announced that it planned to stop in-store sales of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs by 2025.
In July, the Redbox rental kiosk business shut down after its corporate parent Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment filed for Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy.
Movie lovers unfortunately will have to roll with the changes.
Photos: DVDs and Blu-ray Discs on sale at Target during holiday season 2023. (Patrick Seitz)
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