Why my hobbies are blurays and CDs in 2024

 

I watch Blu-Rays (4K HDR if available and if you got the setup) because they have MUCH MUCH better quality than streaming service; a 1080p Blu-Ray has better quality than streaming service 4K HDR and helps with the immersion and bringing the theater home (though nothing replaces theatrical experience, but you can get closer).

To put it into comparison, The Batman 4K HDR streaming version is 30GB, while the 1080p Blu-Ray of it is 40GB and the 4K HDR Blu-Ray is 90GB. The Batman was an example, there are instances where the differences would be even more drastic.

The same reason I collect books: It makes me feel good, I like the appeal of a library in my home, and it serves a dual function, unlike other hobbies like collecting art or toys (unless you play with them).

That’s not to mention that many DVDs/Blu-rays that I own are not available on streaming services and the higher picture quality for blu-rays.

The only physical media I gave up collecting was music/CDs. It was just too inconvenient when I relied mostly on music for on the go, not necessarily just to listen at home. Plus, I was able to get a good amount of money for the CDs I owned, so selling them was an easy decision. I will probably never sell my entire collection of movies and books. Nothing beats holding a novel in your hands and feeling the pages. Just like nothing beats holding a physical copy of the movie and enjoying the artwork and liner notes.

Also, I get a good feeling when I line movies up in plans for a marathon. Reminds me of the old days when I would rent a stack of VHS tapes.

It’s also important to me to watch the films as close to the way intended as possible and also impacts your comprehension of things when trying to deep dive into the film (you don’t want your symbolic background to look all pixely and crushed) and Blu-Rays are the way to go. Streaming Services, in order to be stream-able, use very low bitrates and they’re highly compressed with lots of distracting detail loss and no sharpness, so I heavily do advise watching Blu-Rays.