Hard decision, but going all digital.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

I think you will be alright, like you found out you won't get much for selling your Disc Collection. Just keep the ones that are near and dear to you. I still have many Discs and Back-ups, but went Digital in 2014 and haven't looked back. You can find the Digital Codes at good prices, but they have gone up. Just make sure you can access all the Streaming Providers like Amazon Prime, FN, MA, Vudu, and a lot more to come get ready for Disney+. No I think you will be fine, Collecting Discs are a thing of the past the Future is Streaming!

Have you ever tried reselling a digital purchase, yet alone a collection of them? How much are they worth? Absolutely nothing. Can you donate or give them away after they have been bought/ redeemed? Nope. They have always had ZERO resale value.

You've been peddling this nonsense since 2014 and discs are still here and with a new format besides. I will resist turning this into another physical media vs. digital thread, except to say that both purchase methods have their pros and cons and both are readily available. One purchase method, disc, gives you actual ownership and the other, digital, the mere illusion of it. Disc provides the best in A/V quality; digital provides convenience. Buying the disc gives me the best of both as most include the digital code.

[GaragePoet]

i'm having this same conundrum when it comes to buying music. $10 per CD vs $10/month for ACCESS to music seems like an easy choice, esp given the dozen or so milk crates that i have filled w/ CDs...

but i also just find myself buying a lot fewer movies as i'm getting older. a lot has to do w/ having the AMC A-List subscription, so i'm no longer inclined to get new releases. these days i mostly buy LEs or special editions of older movies.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by GaragePoet

i'm having this same conundrum when it comes to buying music. $10 per CD vs $10/month for ACCESS to music seems like an easy choice, esp given the dozen or so milk crates that i have filled w/ CDs...

but i also just find myself buying a lot fewer movies as i'm getting older. a lot has to do w/ having the AMC A-List subscription, so i'm no longer inclined to get new releases. these days i mostly buy LEs or special editions of older movies.

I prefer a one time cost to buy my content outright as opposed to a recurring cost to access that content. Additionally, I ripped all of my cds to my computer and I can stream them over my home network. I retain the CDs as back-ups.

[GaragePoet]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I prefer a one time cost to buy my content outright as opposed to a recurring cost to access that content. Additionally, I ripped all of my cds to my computer and I can stream them over my home network. I retain the CDs as back-ups.

my moral dilemma comes down to the best way to support the artists, and obviously it's a completely different animal to support a band vs a movie studio... i've not brought myself to make the switch yet, but i had 3 months of YouTube Music for free, and having access to rarities & box sets for which i paid $100+ in some cases did cause me to re-evaluate my spending habits

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by GaragePoet

my moral dilemma comes down to the best way to support the artists, and obviously it's a completely different animal to support a band vs a movie studio... i've not brought myself to make the switch yet, but i had 3 months of YouTube Music for free, and having access to rarities & box sets for which i paid $100+ in some cases did cause me to re-evaluate my spending habits

I see free sources of music streamed via the internet as simply today's answer to the FM radio that I listened to in my youth. Of course, FM radio did not have the ability to select what I wanted to hear on demand; calling in to the radio station with requests was fun, but not always successful. Enjoying FM radio did not require that I pay a recurring internet bill to listen to it.

Now as then, though, for music that I really love I have to have my own tangible copy of it. I will always prefer a one time expenditure for what I want instead of an ongoing cost for access. Paying a $70 per month internet bill so that I can watch cat videos on youtube, and another $16 per month to watch generic uninspired Netflix "originals", really seems a dubious expense sometimes. If I ignored the desire to occasionally stream such silliness I could get by with the internet access that my cell phone service provides. That same $86 could instead buy me a few discs, be they blu-rays or CDs, and at the end of the month I would actually have something to show for the money spent.

[Liquid_Swords]

Originally Posted by recS-12

If you buy digital from the people who bought physical copies, and are just re-selling them...your still supporting physical! Good for you. I hope your able to save up enough to reach your goal to move out of state. I’m currently working on that exact goal myself. Good luck.

Yeah. I'm planning on moving too. I want as little as possible now lol

[Liquid_Swords]

Originally Posted by GaragePoet

i'm having this same conundrum when it comes to buying music. $10 per CD vs $10/month for ACCESS to music seems like an easy choice, esp given the dozen or so milk crates that i have filled w/ CDs...

but i also just find myself buying a lot fewer movies as i'm getting older. a lot has to do w/ having the AMC A-List subscription, so i'm no longer inclined to get new releases. these days i mostly buy LEs or special editions of older movies.

Same boat. I've been buying cds since 92. I'm pretty much done. Will keep some that are not available and just selling the rest. Streaming is much easier.

[rui no onna]

My problem with digital services is DRM. The distributor (and you) can lose access to a video. You'll probably get a refund but you still end up losing the movie/show.

I do use digital copies that come with Blu-rays and often stream those in-lieu of getting up to grab the actual disc. However, I like having physical media (and the de-DRM'd rip) as backup. Granted, I only buy titles that have plenty of replay value for me (so maybe 10 or less a year). Just gotta stop double dipping on fancy packaging, though. Should be a lot easier now that Avengers Infinity Saga is over and with GoT season 8 being so sucky, I've already cancelled my preorder for the fancy complete collection.

[blackwidowavenger1964]

Originally Posted by rui no onna

My problem with digital services is DRM. The distributor (and you) can lose access to a video. You'll probably get a refund but you still end up losing the movie/show.

I do use digital copies that come with Blu-rays and often stream those in-lieu of getting up to grab the actual disc. However, I like having physical media (and the de-DRM'd rip) as backup. Granted, I only buy titles that have plenty of replay value for me (so maybe 10 or less a year). Just gotta stop double dipping on fancy packaging, though. Should be a lot easier now that Avengers Infinity Saga is over and with GoT season 8 being so sucky, I've already cancelled my preorder for the fancy complete collection.

I mean yes they can remove titles but the chances of that are very very slim. I've never had a title removed from my library of digital. Also, if a title did get removed, it would most likely just remove from the store, not your inventory. Plus you can download all your titles offline as well.

[shinobipopcorn]

You do you, not going to judge.

My only advice is to hold off on selling everything because you might regret it. Not because you will suddenly have a change of heart with the BD vs digital thing, but because on down the road you might think, "hey I used to own that!" and miss it. I've done that with some things I've sold in the past.

[danny24]

I am staying with both digital and physical and with most new release movies it comes with the digital code. It's fine if your going all digital it does save a ton of space just keep some physical stuff you like because with streaming you will find most movies aren't available yet or at all. I think for you a better idea would be with physical just be very picky with what you purchase in the future. Don't jump on every steelbook, new release, etc if you don't need it. Just buy more digital and less physical both can coexist just fine you don't need to stop entirely just make it a priority to buy less and only must have releases. It's a great time to be a movie collector I have a digital collection and enjoy the quality of physical media and watching movies physically especially with UHD. With physical if you don't want it to add up just buy less and buy more digital.

[cpr3584]

I was you a few months ago. I decided to continue buying physical but be more selective with my purchases. That way if internet is out, movies are pulled or edited, I still have disc copies of my favorite movies. There is no denying that its a lot easier to find a movie with digital. Digital libraries look cooler. Quality is getting better. But it doesn't replace true ownership. You don't own the digital copies

[danny24]

Originally Posted by cpr3584

I was you a few months ago. I decided to continue buying physical but be more selective with my purchases. That way if internet is out, movies are pulled or edited, I still have disc copies of my favorite movies. There is no denying that its a lot easier to find a movie with digital. Digital libraries look cooler. Quality is getting better. But it doesn't replace true ownership. You don't own the digital copies

Very true but also some digital movies are more expensive to buy than the physical release. Going all digital is usually about saving space as discs can become a hassle to organize but your right you don't really own the digital copies the server does your just paying for access to the content you own the right to access it. It can also be pulled at anytime if they so please. With BD, UHD, DVD it's all yours even if they are a pain in the butt to organize and store at times. Nothing beats the physical version same with music nothing like holding that Vinyl album in your hand and playing it. Keeping a balance with both formats is probably for the best as it's good to have access to both.

[rui no onna]

Originally Posted by blackwidowavenger1964

I mean yes they can remove titles but the chances of that are very very slim. I've never had a title removed from my library of digital. Also, if a title did get removed, it would most likely just remove from the store, not your inventory. Plus you can download all your titles offline as well.

I've lost access to ebooks before due to stores closing down. Only reason I didn't lose anything was because I made DRM backups immediately after purchasing my ebooks. Heck, Microsoft recently closed down their ebook store so people lost all ebooks purchased via MS (they did get refunds).

You can download titles but more often than not, they require device activation so if you switch devices, you'd need to activate the new device and download a copy specifically for that new device. Problematic if the service shutters its doors. Thankfully, Movies Anywhere helps mitigate that (for studios that support MA) and Vudu, Amazon and iTunes have emerged dominant enough that they're far less likely to shutter VOD services.

Originally Posted by danny24

Very true but also some digital movies are more expensive to buy than the physical release. Going all digital is usually about saving space as discs can become a hassle to organize but your right you don't really own the digital copies the server does your just paying for access to the content you own the right to access it. It can also be pulled at anytime if they so please. With BD, UHD, DVD it's all yours even if they are a pain in the butt to organize and store at times. Nothing beats the physical version same with music nothing like holding that Vinyl album in your hand and playing it. Keeping a balance with both formats is probably for the best as it's good to have access to both.

Lol, I rip my BDs and DVDs and put them on Plex so just as easy to browse as iTunes or Vudu.

If I could remove DRM from videos downloaded from VOD services like I can on ebooks, then I'd buy more digital. As it is, buying favorites on physical media + Netflix/Amazon streaming works for me. Occasional digital buy at $5 or less but with the non-negligible possibility of losing access to my digital movies, I just can't bring myself to spend $10+ per movie.

[InuYashaCrusade]

Originally Posted by Magikor

For whatever it's worth... As much as I enjoy the act of collecting, driving to stores and buying physical media... aside from a handful of things here and there, there is very little that I've ever actually re watched or gotten the urge to re watch. I sometimes wonder if the act of collecting is more enjoyable/addictive than actually watching this stuff.

This is why I've gotten strict with myself on what I buy.

[flyry]

for me it's digital for new movies and physical for older 4k catalog titles on movies i love.

I will stay physical for certain directors like Nolan, Tarantino, Bong Joon-Ho and Vileneuve.

Ironically i just got into vinyl and even have a CD in my amazon cart(granted this one i lost when i replaced my deck like 9 years ago).

when i buy a movie on a newer format, i give the old one away. My dvds are at my mom's and my dad has the blu-rays of movies I have in 4K. (i occasionally sell the blu-rays for $5 a pop on offerup but have since given that up)

[twobelowpar]

Cost and convenience are the main factor I've gone digital. I will always try to retain a physical copy in the best available format for my top favourite films. But other than that, I'm at a stage in my life where digital is just best for me.

[cpr3584]

Originally Posted by flyry

for me it's digital for new movies and physical for older 4k catalog titles on movies i love.

I will stay physical for certain directors like Nolan, Tarantino, Bong Joon-Ho and Vileneuve.

Ironically i just got into vinyl and even have a CD in my amazon cart(granted this one i lost when i replaced my deck like 9 years ago).

when i buy a movie on a newer format, i give the old one away. My dvds are at my mom's and my dad has the blu-rays of movies I have in 4K. (i occasionally sell the blu-rays for $5 a pop on offerup but have since given that up)

Who is Boong Joon Hoo?

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Have you ever tried reselling a digital purchase, yet alone a collection of them? How much are they worth? Absolutely nothing. Can you donate or give them away after they have been bought/ redeemed? Nope. They have always had ZERO resale value.

You've been peddling this nonsense since 2014 and discs are still here and with a new format besides. I will resist turning this into another physical media vs. digital thread, except to say that both purchase methods have their pros and cons and both are readily available. One purchase method, disc, gives you actual ownership and the other, digital, the mere illusion of it. Disc provides the best in A/V quality; digital provides convenience. Buying the disc gives me the best of both as most include the digital code.

So then we are in the same boat, you can't sell your Discs because nobody wants them and I can't sell my Digital Collection. With spiraling decline of Disc Sales it's going to be Ancient History to have a Disc Collection. It also looks like 4K UHD will be the last Physical Disc, so your Collection will soon become dated. With 8K on the horizon that content will be Digital, and some Providers upgrade Digital. Like Vudu has upgraded some of my HDX Movies to UHD. So like I said Streaming Digital is the Future!

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by alchav21

So then we are in the same boat, you can't sell your Discs because nobody wants them and I can't sell my Digital Collection. With spiraling decline of Disc Sales it's going to be Ancient History to have a Disc Collection. It also looks like 4K UHD will be the last Physical Disc, so your Collection will soon become dated. With 8K on the horizon that content will be Digital, and some Providers upgrade Digital. Like Vudu has upgraded some of my HDX Movies to UHD. So like I said Streaming Digital is the Future!

I can sell my discs, but I have no desire to do so. Even selling them for a low price is infinitely more than getting nothing at all. I also have the option to regift or donate them. You can't do any of that with your digital collection; they are worth nothing both in theory and in practice. Hell, any one of my slipcovers alone are worth more than your entire digital collection.

My disc collection does not disappear and it does not lessen in quality no matter what becomes of disc sales. I truly own them and their quality surpasses digital. Declining sales is not the same thing as no sales, a concept among many that you can not grasp. More titles are being released on disc year over year, not less, and that is enough evidence to attest to their continued viability. Many niche markets flourish and if that is the fate of discs, I am fine with it.

The masses can have their lower quality streaming and its convenience. I will continue to enjoy the best quality that only disc offers; my content will never be deleted or edited, and I will really have something to show for the money that I spend. I will also get the digital code like the cheap toy prize found in a box of kiddie cereal, which I can keep or sell to the likes of you. You rely on disc customers for most of your cheap digital codes, so you might not want to wish for the demise of discs so quickly.

Digital purchases are not exactly taking the world by storm, either, as most people seem to prefer subscription streaming and its low recurring cost for access to a lot of content. They're not buying; they're renting.

If 4k is the last physical format for movies it will likely be the last for streaming also. Studios are not releasing anything in 8K, so it is pretty much a moot consideration. Few people believe that the studios will ever release anything in 8K. Many people can not even stream in 4K now; streaming beyond that won't be commonplace anytime soon and even if it ever is the necessary internet bandwidth to stream beyond 4K will be much more expensive.

Highly compressed streaming and not really owning anything is your future, but it is not mine. When I buy something, I not only want the best possible quality, I want to really own it. I would never buy something and then trust the seller to both keep the item and to take care of it for me.

The versions that digital providers let you download are as highly compressed, or worse, than the streaming version making them no better to watch. You need their proprietary software to view them also and a lot of hard drive space if you have a collection of any size. Except for the insanely expensive Kaleidescape system, digital downloads are compressed to hell crap that requires the provider's special software to view. No thank you; I'm not clogging up my hard drives for lesser quality and the requirement of using their software for viewing.

If you want to trust all of these digital providers and studios to maintain and never delete, edit, or even censor your content, you go right ahead. If you want to keep paying more and more for high speed internet service and higher data caps just to access your content, you go right ahead. I do not place my trust in such corporations and I will not be held hostage by my internet service provider to access my movies.

Thus concludeth today's ; cookies and punch are served in the adjoining room.