The belief that physical media is dead is a pretty common one these days, and for some formats like VHS that's probably true. However, both vinyl and even cassette tapes have undergone a revival among old and new enthusiasts. So never say never.
It occurred to me recently that Blu-ray, especially UHD Blu-ray, has taken on much of the same role as vinyl, but for movies. The only real difference is that he didn't “die” between them.
From mainstream format to niche hobby
For the first time since VHS became mainstream in the 1980s, some (if not most) households do not have any physical video collection. I suspect that if it weren't for enabling Blu-ray drives on PlayStation 4, 5 and the last two generations of Xbox consoles, most people didn't even have the ability to play DVD, Blu-ray or UHD Blu-ray.
It's sad (to me) but physical media is not the default media for watching movies and TV shows at home. If we assume that someone lives in a part of the world with good broadband Internet access, they are more likely to get your media via streaming. Yes, cable TV is still a thing, but what I'm talking about here is the equivalent of old-school movie rentals or a home collection of on-demand movies.
But while some streaming platforms don't release all their content on Blu-ray (looking at you, Apple), new movie releases are still coming out. Enough people still buy Blu-ray discs to keep the industry going, and there's been a clear shift. It is now a niche hobby for enthusiasts. An ordinary person streams, an enthusiast collects CDs.
Streaming killed convenience, not quality
I always like to show people in person how bad the 4K streaming version of a movie looks next to my Blu-ray or UHD Blu-ray version of the movie. Yes, Even 1080p Blu-ray beats the average 4K stream in quality.
Without a doubt, streaming beats Blu-ray when it comes to convenience and access, but it's nowhere near the same level when it comes to quality. Compression artifacts, muffled audio, squashed blacks, moire, fuzzy fine detail in things like grass or trees, and a host of other compromises plague even the highest quality streaming you can get on major services today. The difference is small. You don't have to be some kind of AV geek to tell.
The Rise of the Collector's Edition
If you care about getting the best version of a movie, then it's best to have it on disc (whichever version is overall the best). So it's not hard to see why people want to collect physical copies movies or shows.
However, one of the things that made me think of Blu-ray as the video equivalent of vinyl was the way the new UHD releases were being marketed. These issues Expensive and it was treated like a luxury purchase with steel cases, physical extras, elaborate packaging, all the right stuff.
Boutique publishers such as Criterion, Arrow, Shout! Factory and the like are having fun doing this and reviewing recent and upcoming releases of films such as Back to the Future in a fancy collector's edition (which I can't afford) cements the impression that, like those expensive new vinyl releases with all the gimmicks, the Blu-ray has morphed into something else. The only difference here is that people will actually play these Blu-rays, unlike some vinyl collectors who don't even listen to records or don't have a player!
Streaming Can't Solve the Persistence Problem
I don't know how long this will last, of course. To have a small but sustainable niche that can support the Blu-ray business, you need to at least keep the overall market size for these additional boutiques the same. While both vinyl and cassette have seen a resurgence thanks in no small part to young people who didn't grow up with them, I don't know how many kids who grew up with streaming and no physical media in the home will become part of that group as adults.
However, physical media like Blu-ray solves a problem that streaming will never solve. Movies and TV shows are important cultural artifacts, and people like me personally consider some titles to be so important that the idea of not having a copy on hand is unthinkable. The Blu-ray on your shelf cannot be delisted, censored, or DRM withdrawn.
Blu-ray's “Death” Is Actually Its Rebirth
I feel like Blu-ray has found new life as a product of passion, a worthy retirement from the medium. I'm grateful that there are enough collectors in the world to keep this market afloat, at least for now.
My long-term hope is that small-scale Blu-ray production remains viable, so that those willing and able to pay can still get hard copies of the films they want to collect, but even if that doesn't happen, we can enjoy this second life of Blu-ray while it lasts.
