As movies have become available for digital download or subscription-based streaming, the popularity of physical media has understandably dwindled. Best Buy’s recent announcement that it will no longer stock DVDs or Blu-rays provides an undeniable sign of the times. Digital is quicker, easier, and doesn’t require a trip out into the real world.
The digital model isn’t perfect, however, which makes owning Blu-rays (or even old DVDs) appealing here in the download era. Digital content doesn’t stick around forever—and you may well have noticed content turning up and then disappearing on your streaming service of choice. You’re only really renting access to a library that’s constantly shifting. You may find yourself debating whether you want to pay another four dollars to rent a movie that was on Netflix just two weeks ago.
Complex licensing arrangements can change suddenly and across regions. Even digital content that users “own” can get pulled from a platform completely, as has happened with the PlayStation Store. Imagine spending money to own a digital copy of a movie forever—and then finding it’s been taken away from you.
With all of this in mind—and with home internet connections under more strain than ever—perhaps we’ve abandoned physical media a little too prematurely. There’s still something to be said for building up your own collection of high-definition Blu-ray movies, which will always belong to you in perpetuity (and which will still work even when the Wi-Fi has gone down).
Watching Blu-rays on your TV is simple if you have a proper player (which includes the current Xbox and PlayStation consoles). PC playback requires a bit more work. You need to make sure you’ve got the right hardware and the right software in place—and you’ll probably need to spend some money—but we’ll guide you through all the considerations.
How…
Read the full article here