Josh-da-man

The studios love not having to deal with manufacturing and distributing physical media, the audience not being able to actually own things, and having a recurring monthly fee. But, at the same time, the majority of consumers also prefer that model over physical media, too.

Most of the folks I know are content to watch everything on Netflix and Disney+. They don't miss physical media at all. And the younger generation is being raised on the streaming model, so in the next ten years the idea of buying DVDs and blu-rays will be as foreign to them as buying 8-tracks in the late 1980s.

Josh-da-man

This might surprise you, but while most households eventually bought a DVD player, most of them never bothered to upgrade to blu-ray or UHD. The hi-def formats are almost the exclusive domain of movie collectors of A/V geeks.

I think most people eventually upgraded from tape to DVD when Blockbuster and other video rental outlets abandoned the VHS format. From there, they didn't really have much choice if they wanted to rent movies (or even buy the occasional movie). And also, by that time, VHS was obsolete for recording tv because DVRs were ubiquitous by then. There was no incentive for the average person -- who doesn't care about A/V quality and listens to things through the speakers on their tv -- to make the upgrade from DVD to blu-ray.

Coral

If the studios really want to kill off physical media, then they would stop releasing movies on physical media.

What's killing physical media is the consumer's lack of interest in it. Plain and simple.

Tom Pennock

I think the demise is that so many of the general public are not collectors. They watch something one time and are done with it. They are happy with streaming alone. Not building up a collection. This year marks my 60th year as a collector. As a child in 1963 at age eight I began to collect silent 8mm Castle Films. Sixty years later I am still a film collector and have added 16mm prints to my collection as well as laser discs and all the other formats. Film and video. About the only format I am not into collecting is the 35mm format. But then again I have 35mm trailers. I do have though a 35mm IB Technicolor scope print of "Thunderball" that was gifted to me.

Adam Tyner

milo bloom

Hmm, no Xmas bump to speak of.

Josh-da-man

Movies on physical media are falling into same hole that music on physical media.

Most people have abandoned the physical formats for AYCE plans like Spotify. The only people still buying CDs and Vinyl are people who want to collect their music or are, for whatever reason, unable or unwilling to use services like Spotify.

And the upcoming generation will have been raised on streaming, so things like blu-ray and vinyl will be almost completely alien to them when they become adults.

slop101

CD sales (while still abysmal) are actually rising right now.

BuckNaked2k

A fitting end to a hell of a year....a hell of a year.

TheBang

That might have been just a one-year anomaly for 2021 on the heels of an abysmal 2020 (due to the pandemic). Early data from 2022 shows a slight downturn in CD sales (both in revenue and units sold), while vinyl continues to grow. A comprehensive 2022 report should be out in a couple months.

PhantomStranger

CD sales are rising only when you consider total revenue figures - music labels are outrageously pricing CD box sets these days. Basically remaining collectors who must own everything put out by Bob Dylan or the Beach Boys (or any other popular legacy act) on CD are getting squeezed. 5-CD sets which used to go for $40-50 are now being sold over $100 with no discounts. The deluxe Bowie releases are a good example.

I was a music completist until this practice became widespread in 2020. The latest Bootleg Series in Fragments is the first Bob Dylan release I won't purchase. I literally own every single song he ever officially released before Fragments. Music on CD has become an increasingly poor value when released by the major labels.

Alan Smithee

I used to be a completist for several artists but that ended more than 20 years ago. The raising of prices by the labels really soured me on CD buying, and also I got tired of paying around $10 for import singles that just had 5 remixes of the same song. I don't know who is buying all those recently-pressed LPs at premium prices though. They're showing up more in stores but I never see anyone buy them and I don't know anyone who has. I'm all for keeping old formats alive but don't really see the appeal. I'd rather have SACDs or Blu-Ray Audio discs if they would make more of those.

WeeBey

I think there’s going to be a market for analog stuff moving forward because their inherent slow pace, fussy, low fi nature can be attractive to some people looking for a break from staring at screens or using computers. Things like vinyl, notebooks, pens, books, board games, or films cameras aren’t going to be the mainstream way we listen to music, write, read, or play games but there are going to be a lot of people who enjoy them recreationally or as a hobby.

I don’t expect CDs to have the renaissance vinyl has had because it can’t compete in the areas that make vinyl attractive, namely, it’s analogue-ness. The same is true ultimately for DVDs and Blu-ray but I don’t see VCH or LaserDisc coming back. I think people are willing to tolerate or even enjoy low fi distortions in their music whereas they won’t with movies. We are more sensitive to shitty video versus shitty audio. The same goes with video games. I can see a future where the only physical media really available are vinyl, books, and specialty magazines.

Adam Tyner

milo bloom

Went to a different Best Buy the other day (Algonquin, IL) and their physical media section was small of course, but with a twist. Beside the upfront display that most stores still have, the rest were way back in a far corner and not much of it. But a significant portion of the offering was several Criterion titles that I usually never see in Best Buy. It would be nice if they maintained selections like that so we can still find things in stores instead of relying on the internet.

They also had the big Godfather deluxe box set and I was amused to see it was almost the same size and shape a my VHS set of The Godfather saga box set.

BuckNaked2k

I would imagine you'll pay a premium for stocked items like CC. Everyone is dialed-in to the B&N 50% off sales, and Amazon's regular hefty discounts.

slop101

Local Best Buy near my house has literally ZERO physical media. Some games, but zero dvd/blu-ray/4Ks.
The BB by my work still has some blus and whatnot, but the section seems to shrink each time I'm there.

Gizmo

It's pretty clear physical media is done at mot mainstream stores. You'll get a handful of comic book and kids movies and that's it. Rides over.

Don't bother trying to sell them either, they are worthless. Literally worthless. Bundles of 10 QUALITY Disney blu-rays might get $30.

Adam Tyner

WeeBey

Black Adam came out on January 3rd. It didn’t leave a mark at all.

PhantomStranger

Retail for media has clearly evaporated. The only people left buying media are hardcore movie collectors who mostly order off the Net.

morriscroy

No more dump bins?

milo bloom

I still see them at Meijer and even Target has a cardboard shelf with bargain titles, but they don't seem to move many titles out of them.

Alan Smithee

Walmart still has them but they aren’t worth the time to look through anymore. I don’t even buy regular DVDs at dollar stores anymore, and I’m even more discriminating with Blu-rays now since I’m out of shelf space.

Haven’t even gotten around to watching Black Adam on HBOMax yet. I’ll buy it on disc if I really like it but just feel indifferent about it so far. Pre-ordered the new Black Panther in 3D from Japan though. The industry has really blown it as I was excited for every 3D release and now they’ve just about taken those away.

Adam Tyner