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For the past few years now the mainstream media has been tolling the death knell for hard copy movies. The claims are that the DVD/blu-ray market is dead and going to be replaced by streaming services. When these stories first popped up the only two streaming services of note at the time were Netflix and Hulu. Both were offering recently released movies, classic movies and TV series. Things have changed a bit since then.

Now these two are not the only game in town. Disney + came out offering the classic Disney films and series as well as Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars films and shows. CBS All Access came out and has since changed to Paramount +, offering series from CBS and Paramount movies. Amazon Prime jumped on the band wagon as well offering movies and new releases to purchase digitally or to watch via their app. Peacock now carries NBC programming. HBO Max carries HBO series, movies and more. If you enjoy shows on cable channels like the Food Network, ID and HGTV there is Discovery +. Tons of viewing to watch all over the place. So what’s a person to do? Are hard copies of films you loved all to be tossed aside now? 

The main push behind many of these streaming channels was to call for “cutting the cable”. The idea was that you could pay a small monthly fee for one of these streaming services and stop having to pay a cable bill that was suddenly becoming astronomical. Hulu was pushing it first offering many of the programs found on TV a day after they aired. But there was something I said would happen at the time that has since come to pass. 

If there were only two services carrying network programming you might actually be able to save money and get rid of your cable bill. But as with the cable movie channels like HBO and Showtime, once studios recognized they could create their own channels they got greedy. Notice that those two stations each have several variations and that many more arrived in their wake. Rather than lease their movies to them, studios began making up their own cable stations. 

The same is happening with streaming services. Rather than lease programming to these services studios are creating their own. So now rather than pay say $20 for two services you end up paying roughly the same amount of money that you would have paid for cable. And if you’re still getting cable on top of that you’re spending a ton of money each month and likely are unaware of it. 

And those streaming channels that started it all? They’ve had no choice but to offer their own programming instead. With CBS and NBC taking back their shows for their own services, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon have had to resort to shows of their own. Some are good, some bad and most are just kind of there. For viewers that’s good news because you have more to choose from. On the down side we now binge watch shows in a weekend and then have to wait nearly a year for the next season. 

But what about discs? Are they really dead? Or are studios trying to push you to believe they’re dead? Certainly fewer stores are carrying product on their shelves. Big box stores like Best Buy have nearly eliminated any sections to purchase them. But they can still be ordered online or found in smaller sections of stores like Walmart. 

The benefit of discs, which I for one still favor, is being able to watch what you want when you want and not have to pay to see it every time. If you want to watch say AIR FORCE ONE you can pick up the disc on blu-ray for $13.46 at amazon. Then you can watch it over and over again. If you want to watch it on Prime it will cost you $3.99. To see it again a few months later, another $3.99. If you buy a digital version of the film for a service like Vudu or Movies Anywhere you will pay for it but it might be taken away. Yes those services can actually withdraw titles down the line even though you bought them. 

So what’s the solution? For me I keep buying movies that I love on disc. I have them on hand when I want to watch them that way. Or when Halloween rolls around I can actually watch HALLOWEEN. At Christmas I can watch IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE without interruption. I prefer having them on disc. But I have a number of the streaming channels as well, mainly for some of the series they run. The one thing greedy studios don’t seem to understand is you don’t have to limit yourself to one item or the other. 

I suggest that you check out the streaming services and find out what works for you. If you love horror movies let me say SHUDDER is amazing and includes Joe Bob Briggs The Last Drive In as well. Discover + is great for reality lovers. Amazon and Netflix have great original series. The options are wide open and only you can decide what works for you. But let’s hope discs never really disappear.