The sentiment that physical media are dead is pretty common these days, and for some formats like VHS, that’s probably true. However, both vinyl and even tape cassettes have undergone a revival among old and new enthusiasts. So never say never.
It occurred to me recently, that Blu-ray, especially UHD Blu-ray, has pretty much taken on the same role as vinyl—but for movies. The only real difference is that it didn’t “die” in between.
From mainstream format to niche passion
This is the first time since VHS went mainstream in the 1980s that some (if not most) households don’t have any sort of physical video collection. I suspect that if not for the inclusion of Blu-ray drives in the PlayStation 4, 5 and last two Xbox console generations, most people wouldn’t even have any way to play DVDs, Blu-rays, or UHD Blu-rays.
Credit: Criterion
It’s sad (to me), but physical media isn’t the default for watching movies and series at home. Assuming someone lives in a part of the world with good broadband, they’re more likely to get their media through streaming. Yes, cable is still a thing, but I’m talking about the on-demand equivalent of an old-school movie rental or home movie collection here.
But while some streaming platforms aren’t releasing all their content on Blu-ray (looking at you, Apple) new movies releases are still coming out. There are enough people still buying Blu-ray discs to keep the industry going, and there’s been a clear shift. This is now a niche, enthusiast hobby. The average person streams, the enthusiast collects discs.
Streaming killed convenience, not quality
I always enjoy demonstrating to people in-person how bad a “4K” streaming version of a movie looks back to back with my Blu-ray or UHD Blu-ray version of that film. Yes, even 1080p Blu-rays will beat a 4K stream over the head with quality on average.
Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek
Streaming beats Blu-ray when it comes to convenience and access, no doubt, but it’s nowhere close to being on par when it comes to quality. Compression artifacts, muffled sound, crushed blacks, moiré , mushy fine detail in things like grass or trees, and numerous other compromises plague even the highest quality streaming you can get on mainstream services today. The difference is not subtle. You don’t have to be some sort of AV geek to tell.
The rise of the Collector’s Edition
If you care about having the best possible version of a movie, then owning it on disc (whatever version is best overall) is the way to go. So it’s not hard to understand why people want to collect physical copies of movies or shows.
However, one of the things that made me think of Blu-ray as the video equivalent of vinyl is how new UHD releases are marketed. These releases are expensive and treated like a luxury purchase with steelbook cases, physical extras, elaborate packaging—the works.
Some Blu-ray boxes, the Criterion Channel logo in front, and a few blurred movies in the background. (1)Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek | iceink/Shutterstock
Boutique publishers like Criterion, Arrow, Shout! Factory and the like are leaning into this with gusto and looking at recent and upcoming releases of movies like Back to the Future in a fancy collector’s edition (that I can’t afford) cements the impression that like those expensive new vinyl releases with all the gimmicks, Blu-ray has transitioned into something else. The only difference here is that people will actually play those Blu-rays, as opposed to some vinyl collectors who never even listen to the record—or own a turntable!
The permanence problem streaming can’t solve
Of course, I don’t know how long this will even last. To have a small but sustainable niche that can support the Blu-ray business, you need to at least keep the total market size for these more boutique releases the same size. While vinyl and cassette both enjoyed a revival in no small part because of young people who didn’t grow up with them, I don’t know how many kids who have grown up with streaming and no physical media in the house will become part of that group as adults.
That said, physical media like Blu-rays solve a problem that streaming never will. Movies and TV series are important cultural artifacts, and people like myself consider some titles personally so important that the idea of not having a copy on hand is unthinkable. A Blu-ray on your shelf can’t be delisted, censored, or DRM-revoked.
Blu-ray’s “death” is actually its rebirth
To me, it seems that Blu-ray has found a new life as a passion product, a fitting retirement from being a mass-market medium. I’m grateful that there are enough collectors out in the world that are keeping this market afloat, at least for now.
My long-term hope is that small-scale manufacture of Blu-rays remains viable so that those willing and able to pay can still get hard copies of the movies they want to collect, but even if that doesn’t happen, we can enjoy this second life for Blu-ray while it lasts.
