Good aticle and in response my take...
I will always want physical media, I have no interest whatsoever in streaming you do not get to hold the item,reverse a cover to display a choice of artwork. proudly display it in a nice collection and of course digital downloads can go forever if a harddrive goes wrong and no backup was undertaken. Unless your home is robbed you'll never lose your disc!
Most films on netflix et al are mainstream or/and low budget shite. They do not cater whatsoever for the old school collector of the VHS days nor the niche cult fans such as us labbers. I doubt highly they ever will.
Physical Media may die out but I doubt it will be anytime soon even years after streaming & downloading launched (Including unsavoury torrent type sites) the physical sales still overpower the digital,thus maybe not by a huge percentage but all the same it shows a decline will be very slow.
Also streaming or downloading relies on a decent internet connection on top of a power cut or duff exchange speed it is also a consideration that many downloads have been compressed much heavier than a disc ever would be losing much of the HD quality of a disc as well as all the extras. and streaming may fresult in numerous pauses or PQ detorioations due to slow down at anypoint of exchange congestion.
I have a friend who owns and runs a small Dvd/Blu Ray shop mainly focusing on Horror & Thriller. Vhs/Blu's and DVDS. He also sells mugs,figures,shirts etc but he also tells me the majority if profit comes from discs! he has a healthy profit margin which rarely falters year on year at a noticable level. He relies on me for advice with my knowledge of what will sell and what won't and often asks me to work there. But due to both my mental and severe physical health that's sadly not an option. I am so happy he has survived through demises of mvc,ourprice,woolies & Blockbusters. but then again they sold "chart titles" not niche or sought after.
Labels like 88,Arrow,Severin,Synapse etc will always profit because they know their audience people of around my age (32) to 60 those who were around in the VHS days where streets were lined up with shops that sold films before the sad demise one by one. Stores on the street may not be of great amount now but online there will never be a shortage of physical media orders from true old school fans Look how fast videodrome sold out! code red titles sell like fire even though they are harder to obtain and the label is run by a baby in a grown mans body who seems to enjoy trying to shoot himself in the foot.
I will NEVER and I mean NEVER swap physical for digital if the day came where physical no longer existed being the stubborn bastard I am then I'd never watch a film I didn't already have!
Long live the good ol days.
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