The death of DVDs and the decline of ownership in digital age
Physical media sales are still in freefall even as a backlash against streaming grows
Disney has signalled the death knell for physical media by announcing it will no longer be releasing theatrical content on DVDs in Australia.
The move, reported by The Digital Bits, mirrors the decision to stop physical releases in some Asian and Latin American countries, as streaming services increasingly dominate the market.
‘Ease of accessibility meets ownership fears’
It is not hard to understand why distributors are turning away from physical products. According to CNBC, between 2006 – a year after they peaked – and 2019 US DVD sales declined by 86%.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
These days, three-quarters of American households subscribe to at least one video streaming service, “whose revenues now dominate the home market”, said Dan Greene on Vox.
It is a similar story across other media, with music streaming now surpassing even digital sales, and sales of digital video games outpacing their physical counterparts in 2020.
“These dual trends – the rise of purchased and subscription-based non-physical media – are driven by the benefits such consumption provides, chiefly convenience”, as well as “strong portability without physical degradation”, said Greene.
While “the ease of accessibility has made digital and streaming more viable”, said ScreenRant, “there is a fear among viewers that streamers will continue to remove content, making shows and movies completely inaccessible without physical media”.
“Sales of many kinds of physical media, including print and disc formats, are also governed by licenses,” said The New York Times. “But digital platforms allow publishers to more easily and precisely manage content than before.”
Recent high-profile cases have seen certain e-books “retroactively (and irrevocably) altered, highlighting what consumer rights experts say is a convention of digital publishing that customers may never notice or realise they signed up for”, said the paper. “Buying an e-book doesn’t necessarily mean it’s yours.”
‘People are rediscovering the value of physical assets’
With streaming in particular, the consumer never actually owns the product they are “buying”. This loss of ownership combined with nostalgia among older customers and a technological backlash among younger buyers has led to a growing rejection of digital-only media.
“It’s a feeling increasingly shared by consumers and collectors across Canada,” said CBC News. “After years of digitising everything, people are rediscovering the value of physical assets. DVDs, vinyl records and film cameras are all experiencing a renaissance. Even cassette tapes are making a comeback.”
Proponents of physical media point to the ever-growing popularity of vinyl albums, with sales increasing for the 17th straight year last year after nearly dying out completely in the early 2000s.
Kodak, meanwhile, has said that it “cannot keep up with demand” for photographic film, less than a decade after the company filed for bankruptcy.
More widely, said Greene, “these trends are transforming the way we relate to our possessions, and thus to ourselves and the world around us”.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why are meteorologists worried Trump could ruin their forecasts?
Today's Big Question How a conservative push to dismantle a little-known government agency could lead to big headaches for anyone hoping to get a handle on their local weather
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Such wrongdoing encourages foreign corrupt practices'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Can Japan's new prime minister govern effectively?
In The Spotlight A 'popular gadfly' gets the top job
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Live events on streaming platforms could be cable's death blow
Under the Radar Netflix recently signed a massive deal for its first major live sports event
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
FKA Twigs and Jeremy Allen White – the tale of two Calvin Klein ads
Talking Point Her advert was banned by the advertising watchdog while his caused a 'breathless response' after going viral
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The Christmas round robin: return of the much-mocked missive?
Talking Point Young people looking to 'precious tradition' that 'predates social media and exceeds it'
By The Week UK Published
-
Nasty noughties: a cultural reckoning?
Talking Point Has popular culture evolved since the 'cruelty' of the early 2000s?
By Sorcha Bradley Published
-
Huw Edwards and the question of ‘public interest’
Talking Point Privacy law ‘mess’ needs to be cleared up, not by judges, but by Parliament
By The Week Staff Published
-
Concert etiquette: why are people behaving badly?
Talking Point Experts believe incidents at live events are becoming worse in the era of social media
By Rebekah Evans Published
-
Nick Cohen, Phillip Schofield and British media’s own #MeToo reckoning
Talking Point Allegations surrounding former Observer columnist and ITV broadcaster have led to questions about the industry’s processes
By Rebekah Evans Published
-
Should young teenagers be allowed in the metaverse?
Talking Point Children’s rights advocates urge Facebook parent company to block teens over safety concerns
By Harriet Marsden Published