Can We Expect to Have to Replace Our DVDs/Blu-rays?
As anyone who collected VHS movies a few decades ago will tell you, building an impressive collection might be a double-edged sword. You could have created a library you’re proud of, giving each item a prime place to peruse, and explore your love of films in a way that demonstrated your dedication. You’d also have to suffer when your tapes were eventually usurped by DVDs, rendering entire libraries obsolete.
This was an unfortunate reality shared by many collectors in years past, and it raises an important question: what of our DVDs and Blu-rays today? What can we expect from the maximum longevity of these forms of media, and is replacement a real risk that we need to worry about?
Threat of a New Form
When VHS tapes were replaced by DVDs, there was a very good reason why. DVDs were more stable, they lasted longer if looked after well (with a few exceptions), and most importantly, they offered far better quality. The grainy, low-definition output of a VHS was vastly inferior to then-modern alternatives, making new options a better choice for users. DVDs were cheaper to produce, which made them better choices for developers. Both of these advantages still equally apply to Blu-rays.
The simple truth is that, at least right now, there is no valid replacement even on the horizon for collecting existing film media. The quality of Blu-rays is already at such a level that improvements are essentially undetectable to human eyes and ears. Blu-rays are so cheap to produce that there is no real way to build a cheaper system.
In this, films have achieved a form of access which, while not perfect, illustrates a best-possible point for many users that can’t be surpassed. We’ve seen similar positions in other forms of media, too, famously noted by online casino gameplay.
As an alternative to physical casinos, online casinos in United Kingdom near-instantly deliver a huge range of games to mobile and desktop systems. Titles like Premium Blackjack and Penny Roulette offer what is essentially an unbeatable form of delivery for many players and producers. In this way, like DVDs/Blu-Rays, there isn’t really a valid replacement for those who already enjoy them. They’re not the only option, but they serve a specialised place.
Unreliable Alternative Methods
The only major alternative being offered by mainstream producers and media rights holders today comes from streaming and digital purchases. When they work, these methods can be by far the most convenient. As a downside, they’re also extremely unreliable.
Streaming platforms today routinely rotate content, with movies coming and going without any apparent rhyme or reason. Even digital purchases aren’t safe. When you purchase a digital copy, you’re essentially just hoping the company you bought it from won’t change the terms of the sale after the sale, a tactic that is increasingly becoming the status quo.
DVDs and Blu-rays can’t last forever, as degradation comes for even the most well-maintained discs with time. They are still, however, far and away the best option that serious movie collectors have for long-term libraries. They’re unlikely to be replaced, and other methods are too volatile to be valid. Collectors are safe, for now, just as long as you remember to be extra careful to protect what you already have.