"Collect them All!" The Benefits of Owning Physical Media!

With major outlets and services, such as Best Buy, Walmart, Netflix and Amazon clearing out their Blu Ray and 4K discs inventory, now more than ever is the time to take stock in “stocking up” on physical media.

Why, might you ask? Well, although streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Max, and Amazon Prime Video are the status quo when it comes to quick access and convenience when watching your favorite television shows and Movies, there are a few caveats.

 One is how programs streamed on platforms can come and go meaning that if there's a movie that you placed on your queue for over a few months and decide to watch it only to find out that it's no longer available due to expired licenses.  And in some cases, even if you purchased the digital media from Amazon Prime Video, you may no longer have access.

Then there's streaming media that may be censored or omitted altogether due to outdated stereotypes or content deemed highly offensive in today's social climate.

And say you purchased digital media films and shows and for some reason your internet is down, or the streaming platforms server crashed, what are your options.... oh, I get it.  Play your Blu ray discs, that's if you purchased one which for the most part, includes a free code to obtain the digital version so basically, it’s a win, win situation as you are left with more than one option.

But say you are fed up with increasing prices from Netflix who charges more for 4K content or platforms such as Hulu, Amazon Video, or Tubi that often show sporadic ads during a program, or in the case of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles having very noisy drives when booting a UHD Blu-Ray, your best bet is to get a good Disc reader and rip your movies for MP4 or preferably, MKV conversion.

 With either video container you can not only backup your purchased library legally but create your own streaming server via Plex which seems to be the go-to platform.

Another benefit of owning physical discs is that you can have access to bonus content such as deleted scenes, audio commentary or making of segments.

So, in closing, while digital media has its advantages, owning physical discs without adhering to restrictions is more beneficial.  At least for the time being.