The digital age has dramatically changed how we watch films and TV shows. Gone are the days when the average household stored hundreds of DVDs or spent an afternoon assembling a storage unit to house them. Over the last decade, the rise of streaming has seen a steady overall decline in DVD and Blu-ray sales.
On both sides of the Atlantic, most supermarkets stopped selling all physical media (outside of Christmas). As a result of fewer outlets, many have speculated that both prominent formats are on the way out.
However, physical media chain HMV recently reported a sustained (albeit slight) increase in sales for all visual formats. It’s not enough to claim a full-blown resurgence, but it suggests there’s plenty of life in physical media.
In this article, I’ll take you on a whirlwind tour of the history of Visual Physical Media. I’ll highlight some now-obsolete formats and explore why the digital age can’t (entirely) kill off DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD.
A Brief(ish) History of Visual Physical Media
Home Entertainment systems’ origins go back more than a hundred years to the invention of home film projectors. While the history of the projector is fascinating, I’m only going to cover the main formats from the last forty (or so) years.
VHS and VCR (1976-2008*)
The VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) went mainstream in the 1970s, but its origins date back to the 1950s. JVC’s VHS (Video Home System) became the dominant format; however, it wasn’t the first to market. Prior to VHS, Sony’s Betamax was released; more on that in a moment.
VHS launched in 1976 (Japan) and around the world over the following two years. Costing upwards of £800 at the time (in the UK), the VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) was a genuine status symbol. The ability to record things off the TV was mind blowing to a generation, and Hollywood quickly saw its earning potential. In light of this, an entire straight-to-video arm of the film industry was born.
*VCR production stopped in 2008, but the last company that still manufactured them carried on until 2016.
Laserdisc (1978-2001)
Decades before DVDs or Blu-rays, the record-sized Laserdisc, the grandfather of all-optical disc-based technology, offered a premium viewing experience. Believe it or not, the Laserdisc was an invention of the 70s (1978), four years before CDs.
On the negative side, each side of a Laserdisc could only hold around 60 minutes of information. So, like an LP, you’d have to turn the disc over halfway through the movie.
Despite its superior picture and sound quality, the high cost of the players and discs meant it never really caught on. However, the technology would have the last laugh as it gave way to the invention of DVDs.
DVD (1996-Present)
By late 1996, VHS finally had a rival to contend with after years of ruling the home entertainment market. Everyone loved those clunky, heavy tapes that need rewinding every time and wear out over time, right?
The Laserdisc may not have caught on, but its smaller HD offspring was going to have its revenge. With sharper picture and sound, plus extra content, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) was the future, and VHS was on the way out.
The final new movie was released on VHS in 2006, and the three-decade-old format was officially deceased. The film in question was David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence (2005), just in case you wanted to know.
UMD (2004-2011)
In what history can now see as foreshadowing watching movies on tiny (so tiny) screens, the UMD (Universal Media Disc) was released in 2004. To make their PSP (Playstation Portable) even more appealing, Sony released a wide range of films in the super small UMD format.
The limited storage capacity on the discs and poor picture quality led to low sales, and UMD as a format proved that smaller isn’t always better. While the format officially became defunct in 2011, Region 3 (Southeast Asia, Hong Kong) UMD’s of Adult movies were still being sold as late as 2016.
Blu-ray (2006-Present)
2006 wasn’t just home to the end of VHS; it was also the birth of a new HD format, Blu-ray. Sony’s DVD upgrade wasn’t the only new HD format that year (more on that later), but it has lasted almost two decades for a reason.
A single Blu-ray disc can hold as much data as ten DVDs, so there’s more room on each disc for enhanced audio and picture quality. Blu-ray quickly became the format choice for film lovers with the promise of beloved classics getting fresh makeovers.
Naturally, this was devastating news to people like me who had robust DVD collections.
4K UHD Blu-ray (2016-Present)
If DVD is for the casual moviegoer and Blu-ray is for the film enthusiast, then 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition) Blu-ray was squarely aimed at a niche audience. Arriving on the scene in 2016 (after years of development), UHD was not designed to replace standard Blu-ray but to give the viewer HD options.
In the same way that a Blu-ray disc holds more data than a DVD, UHD discs are a massive upgrade, which neatly takes us up to the present.
Format Wars: Betamax vs JVC’s VHS
The wide range of formats have battled for dominance; one of the most notable was Sony’s Betamax versus JVC’s VHS. The Betamax tapes were bigger than VHS, and the players were more expensive. Betamax was the superior product from a purely technical perspective, but the high specs ultimately caused its downfall.
VHS recorders and tapes were cheaper, and the technology wasn’t proprietary like Betamax’s. That meant other companies could manufacture VHS recorders, as the technology was not protected from replication. Or, to put it another way, it’s why you could buy a generic VHS player from Argos for about £25 in the late 1990s.
Format Wars II: Blu-ray vs HD DVD
Hollywood loves a sequel, and in 2006, two new high-spec rivals emerged and went head-to-head. Sony’s Blu-ray and Toshiba’s HD DVD (High-Density Digital Versatile Disc). Both products hoped to replace DVDs eventually (neither did), and each company went to great lengths to avoid another Betamax vs. VHS battle.
Despite their best efforts to coexist, it came down to two key factors: choice of titles and hardware cost. Blu-ray had a more comprehensive range from Sony (obviously), 20th Century Fox, and Disney (Fox’s future owners). Meanwhile, HD DVD had Universal Pictures, Paramount, and Warner Bros. However, there was only room for one new format.
While there were other factors, this format war swiftly ended when Sony decided to put a Blu-ray drive in their new PlayStation 3. This clever move quickly increased Blu-ray sales massively. On February 19, 2008, Toshiba announced that HD DVD was officially defunct.
The Endurance of DVD & Blu-ray
We’ve come a long way with home entertainment in a (relatively) short time. DVD is almost thirty years old and has endured multiple new formats, most of which are superior, but DVD is still here. The upgraded newer formats compete more with each other than the humble DVD.
There’s no escaping that overall physical media sales are in decline, and the day may come when everything goes online.
I hope that day never arrives, as there is no shortage of reasons why visual Physical Media refuses to (fully) die.
Special Features
Why streaming platforms don’t offer more extra features for their originals remains an eternal mystery. Even a global hit like Stranger Things (2016) has minimal bonus content; where’s the in-depth behind-the-scenes? Thankfully, DVD and Blu-ray still offer loads of exclusive extra features. Commentaries from the filmmakers, deleted scenes, and making of documentaries all help take us deeper into the world they created.
An additional disc of ‘not the movie’ might seem pointless to the casual filmgoer. However, for film fans like myself, it’s essential viewing. From special features, I’ve learned more about filmmaking than I ever did at University.
Here’s a tiny selection of some of my favorite feature-length documentaries available as an extra feature.
- The Beast Within The Making Of Alien (Alien Anthology)
- The Shark’s Still Working (Jaws Remastered Blu-ray)
- Full Tilt Boogie (From Dusk Till Dawn DVD or Blu-ray)
- Making of Memento (Memento: 3 Disc Special Edition)
Picture Quality
For the most part, a Blu-ray or 4K UHD (Ultimate High Definition) will always provide better picture quality than streaming. I’ll avoid going into the technical elements, but let’s just say Blu-ray and 4K discs can hold more data than the average streamer.
That’s not to say you can’t stream in 4K; AppleTV+, Netflix, Disney+, and many more offer a high-quality format. The overall picture and sound quality may not matter for some viewers. On the other hand, the remastered version of Back To The Future (1985) looks and sounds beautiful.
Availability
I’ve moved house multiple times in recent years and have been without the Internet for weeks at a time. However, I remain endlessly grateful for my collection of too many DVDs and Blu-rays. Aside from an infrequent software update for most Blu-ray players, your collection is free to enjoy without internet dependence. There’s also no time lost to the endless scrolling to find something you might watch. If you own the thing you want to watch, it’s in your hand without delay.
Streaming platforms host thousands of licensed movies and TV shows outside their originals. Each will be on the platform for a set time and eventually disappear altogether. Even a streamer’s original content isn’t free from removal. To save money in the long run, Netflix, Max (HBO), and Disney+ removed thousands of hours of content they made.
Take the case of Disney’s long-awaited Willow (2022) sequel series. The show hit the streamer in late 2022, then mere months later, it was removed indefinitely.
Unavailability
At the other end of the availability spectrum, some TV shows and movies are unavailable on subscription-based platforms. By and large, this is down to licensing. You can rent or buy them digitally, but you might be surprised by the cost.
In many cases, the cost of a DVD is far cheaper. Even more so if you pop into your local charity shop on the off chance their museum of physical media has it in stock. If you’re looking for a copy of Mamma Mia (2008), you are 99% guaranteed to find it in any charity shop.
Owning What You Love
Many years ago, some of my friends envied me because of the sheer number of DVDs and Blu-rays I owned. Now, those same friends look on in horror and routinely state, “You know these are all online.” Well, firstly, Jeff, many of these aren’t online, and that’s just the first point in my 42-point counterargument.
If a movie or TV show resonates with you, odds are you own some form of merchandise from said TV show or film. It could be a T-shirt, a Funko Pop, a soft toy, a tattoo, or some real-world extension of that thing you love. So, owning a physical copy makes it yours to watch forever or until it’s an obsolete format.
Preserving Your Favourite Things
Over the last few years, many TV shows have had episodes removed from their respective online homes. However, some beloved TV shows have been given a shocking ‘remastering’ that no self-respecting fan would watch.
Cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) finally got an HD remastered version in 2016, forever replacing the original broadcast version. I don’t have time or the ability to tether my unbound rage to their shoddy job; basically, it’s unwatchable. However, the original versions are readily available on DVD. You would be surprised how many TV shows have been slightly ruined with a so-called HD remastering.
Extended Cuts
Plenty of movies have directors or extended cuts that have (sometimes) dramatically improved the movie. Mostly, these versions are not readily available on streaming platforms and exist almost exclusively in physical formats.
Lots of films get the extended treatment, but I’m not talking about a comedy that gets five extra minutes of questionable jokes. These longer cuts offer a genuinely different experience from the theatrically released movie.
Here’s a small selection of unmissable extended/alternative cuts that are (mostly) only available on DVD or Blu-ray.
- Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (1991) 16 minutes longer
- Troy (2004) 30 minutes longer
- Lord of the Rings Trilogy Extended Editions (2001-2003) 2.5 hours longer
- Alien 3 (1991) Assembly Cut 30 minutes longer
- Once Upon A Deadpool (2018) PG-13 version of Deadpool 2
- Doctor Sleep (2019) 30 minutes longer
- I Am Legend (2007) Alternative ending
Limited Editions
From blockbuster movies to cult classics, the world of Limited Editions is frequently weird and wild. Each one is uniquely packaged (usually to tie in with an element from the film or TV show), and some are works of art.
Fandom takes many forms, leading me to make some profoundly impractical limited-edition purchases. My most ill-advised (yet excellent) purchase was an Alien (1979-1997) movie box set with the discs encased in an Alien head. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for Limited Editions, and there will always be super fans who’ll have to have it.
Remastered Classics and Forgotten Films
Blu-ray and 4K have also become the film enthusiasts ‘ formats for restored and remastered editions. While some remastered editions are available on DVD, this has shifted to focus on the premium format in recent years.
Many boutique distribution companies exist solely to remaster and re-release old (in many cases forgotten) films. Labels such as Eureka, Second Sight, Arrow, Indicator, and Vintage Classics, are responsible for thousands of lovingly restored cult classics. The fantastic work carried out by these labels gives countless films a second chance.
Boutique labels also excel at limited editions of cult classics, giving smaller movies the blockbuster collectible treatment.
Wrapping Up
In short, DVD & Blu-ray continue because the thing that replaced them (streaming) offers less overall. Considering the wealth of available content and the number of streaming services, that feels impossible. Yet here we are more than a decade into the Digital Age, and physical media is still going. I wouldn’t call it going strong, but it’s far from circling the drain.
Even some streaming services see the value of releasing their originals physically. Admittedly, it’s a tiny portion of their catalog, but the last few years have seen an increase in available titles. The heyday of visual Physical Media generating upwards of $16 billion a year is long gone. The Digital Age is here to stay, but there will always be a place for a DVD or Blu-ray on my shelf.
