Picture this: it’s snowing outside, and the weatherman advises everyone to stay indoors because of unsafe road conditions. You have lucked out and have all your favorite snacks on deck, and you will try a new recipe in the crockpot today. So what to do with a snow day? Be lazy, of course! And one of the fundamental ingredients to a lazy day is binge-watching a series – whether it’s a movie or tv series.  

There are over 200 streaming services as of 2022 out there ready to be subscribed to and watched. Many of these services include LiveTV with them, so the entertainment world is one button away. The top five services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max) are most people will go to first to find something to watch. What’s unique about each platform is they all have original content constantly coming in. From Netflix’s Stranger Things, Hulu’s Only Murder’s in the Building, to HBO’s House of the Dragon, there’s a wide range of content to watch. So if there are so many options on streaming services, why are DVDs and Blu-rays still in production? 

In 2019, US video disc sales reached $3.29 billion but dropped 19% in 2021 to $1.97 billion.

DVDs still conquer the market within those sales, and at their peak, DVD sales were over $18 billion, while Blu-Rays made just over $2 billion in a year. In 2007 Netflix launched and changed the way of buying physical copies. If Netflix had not found, Blu-Ray’s had a better chance of making more profit. So if you’re going to beat the system and still purchase physical copies of films in the age of streaming services, which is better to have: DVD or Blu-Ray?

DVD VS BLU-RAY

There are a few critical differences between DVDs and Blu-Rays, specifically the resolution. To understand the resolution, one must understand what’s reading the disc. A red laser reads a DVD, while a blue one reads a Blu-Ray, providing a sharper and brighter image. Since Blu-Ray’s are read with a better quality laser, it gives that better resolution. A higher resolution allows viewers to watch Blu-Rays in high definition. Another difference is the data transfer ability between the two. DVDs can take more time to transfer, especially if high-quality content is downloaded. However, Blu-Rays take a significantly less amount of time to transfer. What’s neat about Blu-Rays is that they’re made of a thicker material than DVDs. This makes them more durable and scratch resistant, unlike DVDs prone to scratch easily if not properly taken care of. The storage of both is also quite different. Blu-Rays need more space to accommodate higher-quality video. DVDs can get overfilled with data which causes them to start lagging, which, as any movie watcher knows, is not what you want to have to happen at the movie’s climax. 

DVDs Outselling Blu-Rays

Even though the picture and sound quality are better with Blu-Rays, DVD sales are still higher than Blu-Rays, and here’s why. 

• Cost: It could be a significant price difference depending on which Blu-Ray you’re purchasing. For example, if you wanted to buy the last James Bond film, No Time To Die, at Target, a DVD would cost $7.99, and a Blu-Ray would be $9.99. Not too much of a difference, mainly since the Blu-Ray includes both the DVD and Blu-Ray along with a digital code. But if you wanted the best quality Blu-Ray, the 4K Ultra HD option is $22.99, but you’re getting the best quality for that film that streaming services don’t even provide. So an avid film lover would usually make the more significant purchase, so they’re guaranteed an enjoyable watching experience. 

• Availability: DVDs are far more available than Blu-Rays. Since DVDs are cheap, they’re more easily made and sold. Retailers will usually have more DVDs in stock because of that, so next time you’re in the entertainment aisle of the store, pay attention to the DVD vs. Blu-Ray amount. 

Is Streaming Really Any Better?

Streaming indeed gives you much more on demand, but at what cost? Not all services have what you could be looking for, and the ones that do could have commercials throughout the movie or show. And there’s always the chance that your wifi may go out, which in this day and age is a make or break. Watching a film on a physical copy avoids the chance of that happening. You also get more content on a physical copy with behind-the-scenes and extras, more so than any service offers right now. 

The price of streaming can be challenging for people as well. With all platforms coming out with original content, there’s a hard chance of being able to watch everything you want. If some people can’t afford to subscribe to anything, at least have a collection of movies on a shelf will not leave them stranded for entertainment. 

While everything has a comeback, physical copies are here to stay. Even if they’re not endangered or disappearing anytime soon, it’s essential for film lovers (and non-film lovers alike) to have physical copies of their favorite films as a backup. And if someone doesn’t have a media player, they can use a gaming console to watch it. Although it’s nice to have a collection of over 500 films on a shelf for everyone to see, it does become a pain when moving comes into question. Are you willing to box up that amount of movies to have them? If you’re the kind of person who moves around a lot, then the answer to that question should be a no. Keep your favorites, and once you’re fully settled, you can reopen your collection. But if you find yourself in a stationary position and not planning on moving any time soon, consider making one of the rooms in your home a home theater. Invest in a good sound system and projector and watch the films come to life better than any streaming service could provide.