Quick Summary
The boss of HMV has said that DVD and Blu-ray sales are on the rise again.
Being able to rewatch movies and the recent price hikes by streaming services could be major factors.
With the rise of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and a myriad of other streaming services, you could be forgiven for thinking that the death knell has been ringing for physical media.
But, it seems that disc sales are actually on the rise again, with Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD BDs experience somewhat a resurgence.
The managing director of UK high street retailer HMV, Phil Halliday, has revealed that physical formats are starting to hold their own against streamers: "When streaming first came out I think a lot of people saw it as cheap and with huge breadth of choice, but I'm not sure people see it like that now," he said (via the BBC).
"People are willing to pay for a physical copy of shows or films they know they will rewatch."
His comments seemingly allude to the spate of price hikes that have hit most streaming platforms in recent times. It could also be that viewers are put off my the transitory nature of streaming – with movie favourites appearing on services for short periods of time, before being removed again.
Buying a disc means you'll have the option to watch it again, whenever you like.
This is something Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan also noted to the Washington Post in 2023: "There is a danger these days that if things only exist in the streaming version, they do get taken down. They come and go," he said.
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"The home video version is the thing that can always be there, so people can always access it."
AV purists will also point to the fact that you still get the best picture and audio performance from a 4K Blu-ray. Higher bitrates are possible due to the increased storage capacity – something that cannot be promised when streaming data over the internet.
So, before you dismiss the notion of buying a movie from a store in favour of the convenience of digital, think exactly what it is you want. Lots of others are doing just that.
Maybe there was a reason to keep Blockbuster open, after all.
Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.
Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.
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