The sale of DVDs and Blu-Rays has dropped in recent years, due to the popularity of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Despite this drop, however, experts believe that the DVD, and especially the Blu-Ray, are not going to go away any time soon as a result of a variety of factors. From cost and variety to access and bonus content, here are some of the pros and cons of streaming and physical movies.

Cost

If a television show is contracted to appear on a specific streaming service, paying for that service is often much cheaper than buying the season on DVD. Often, a show can even appear on its streaming service immediately after airing, making the subscription to the streaming service a money saver. The convenience and lower cost is, to many people, worth it.

Playing Offline

Despite the advantage of streaming when it comes to cost, there are some downsides. The biggest downside to streaming movies and television is that an internet connection is required. With a Blu-Ray, a viewer can receive the same quality viewing experience or better, and not have to worry about losing service halfway through the film. A recent study showed that over ten percent of homes in America do not have access to a high speed internet connection. These homes, therefore, are going to continue to use Blu-Rays. Films purchased online can be burned to a Blu-Ray or DVD (or vice versa), though companies like burnworld.net. This can help address the issue of watching a video without internet access.

Variety

Although there is the issue of the internet connection, streaming services offer another advantage over physical films. When someone pays for a streaming service, they are given access to every video in the catalog. These can include hundreds of films and shows, offering access to all of them for the price of one Blu-Ray. This wide variety also gives viewers the freedom to try out a wide array of films and shows in different genres without paying too much; something that is not available in a Blu-Ray.
Additional Features

However, physical films have another advantage. One of the biggest advantages to a Blu-Ray over a streaming service is that a Blu-Ray has special features for the film. This bonus content is often very popular, and includes deleted scenes, bloopers, commentary, and other behind-the-scenes content. Some streaming services are looking at the possibility of adding this additional content to their services, but for now, it is only available on Blu-Rays and DVDs. This can make the physical film more appealing to collectors, students of film, and other people who enjoy the special features of their films.

There are many advantages to a streaming service. Of course, a streaming service can be less expensive than a Blu-Ray/DVD collection, and include access to more titles. Despite that, there are also multiple advantages to having a physical Blu-Ray in a movie collection. From an increased ability to watch the film to additional features, there are several reasons that the Blu-Ray is not going anywhere. Both mediums are unique and useful in separate ways, and seem to be here to stay.