Physical or Digital: How do you buy your pre-recorded media?

[JoeZhang]

^ Isn't that the way Microsoft wants to go (or already has) with apps like Office?

I'm not really bothered about that - I have 0365 home until 2020 for about $60 - which is cheaper than a single copy of office - is for five machines, has tablet apps, unlimited online storage and 60 minutes of skype calls.

At that sort of cost it's not worth thinking about (especially as it is a deductible).

 

[MacLeod]

Physical.

 

[Forbin]

^ Isn't that the way Microsoft wants to go (or already has) with apps like Office?

And Adobe too. Not that I can ever afford Photoshop, but the new version is not only subscription only (as i understand it), but it's also Cloud-based. So you not only aren't allowed to own your own software, you can't even have it entirely on your computer. Plus, being Cloud based (that sounds SO Gerry Anderson!), we can't use it at ALL at my work, because we're a government contractor with a secure network.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Another benefit of physical. Once it goes out of print you can still easily find it used.

Basically it boils down to, physical, I am in control, digital, the distributor is. Which is not acceptable. Plus if I tried to digitize all my music and movies it'd be terabytes of data versus one or two shelves.

Any company that tries to make their product subscription, I will tell them to eff themselves and get the almost as good open source version.

For me, digital is for sampling only.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If iTunes ever did go subscription, I doubt it would replace their existing offerings. There would be both options. I'm not sure I'd try a subscription service, though.

 

[RoJoHen]

^ Isn't that the way Microsoft wants to go (or already has) with apps like Office?

And Adobe too. Not that I can ever afford Photoshop, but the new version is not only subscription only (as i understand it), but it's also Cloud-based. So you not only aren't allowed to own your own software, you can't even have it entirely on your computer. Plus, being Cloud based (that sounds SO Gerry Anderson!), we can't use it at ALL at my work, because we're a government contractor with a secure network.

Yeah, I bought a year subscription to Adobe when then started the new system. I will be not be renewing it because it's way too expensive for how little I use it. I still have an old version of Photoshop that I can use instead.

 

[Kor]

Almost all physical media.

For music, I despise the MP3 format. If FLAC were more widespread, then I might go for that.

I also like the tactile and visual experience of physical media.

And I find that the video quality of blu ray disc playing on a blu ray player is better than an HD video download.

For reading material, I don't mind PDFs, but I generally prefer hardcopies that I can read on real paper instead of on a screen.

Kor

 

[C.E. Evans]

Physical media for everything but music over the last couple of years--and even then, I transfer that to CDs.

 

[Forbin]

^ Isn't that the way Microsoft wants to go (or already has) with apps like Office?

And Adobe too. Not that I can ever afford Photoshop, but the new version is not only subscription only (as i understand it), but it's also Cloud-based. So you not only aren't allowed to own your own software, you can't even have it entirely on your computer. Plus, being Cloud based (that sounds SO Gerry Anderson!), we can't use it at ALL at my work, because we're a government contractor with a secure network.

Yeah, I bought a year subscription to Adobe when then started the new system. I will be not be renewing it because it's way too expensive for how little I use it. I still have an old version of Photoshop that I can use instead.

Right? I need an art program at home, but personal, not business. There's no way in hell I can justify a monthly expense as opposed to buying the upgrade of Corel for $200 every few years.

 

[Random_Spock]

I prefer physical media, and would rather have a shelf library.

This is because I have several hundred gig of films dl'd from Internet Archive, and a similar number of purchased and original 3D assets, all in limbo right now because they're on a hard drive that crashed over a year ago, and that I haven't been able to see if any of the data can be recovered.

That's me too. Not only with DVD's but with video games as well. They take up space, and I only have so much to work with.

Good point about the drive issue too. Once something goes, you'll have to see if there's any way to recover it.

 

[Forbin]

I prefer physical media, and would rather have a shelf library.

This is because I have several hundred gig of films dl'd from Internet Archive, and a similar number of purchased and original 3D assets, all in limbo right now because they're on a hard drive that crashed over a year ago, and that I haven't been able to see if any of the data can be recovered.

That's me too. Not only with DVD's but with video games as well. They take up space, and I only have so much to work with.

Good point about the drive issue too. Once something goes, you'll have to see if there's any way to recover it.

That was my point about "one EMP and it's all gone!" I wasn't talking about nuclear war specifically, I was talking about general things that screw up hard drives.

 

[RoJoHen]

And Adobe too. Not that I can ever afford Photoshop, but the new version is not only subscription only (as i understand it), but it's also Cloud-based. So you not only aren't allowed to own your own software, you can't even have it entirely on your computer. Plus, being Cloud based (that sounds SO Gerry Anderson!), we can't use it at ALL at my work, because we're a government contractor with a secure network.

Yeah, I bought a year subscription to Adobe when then started the new system. I will be not be renewing it because it's way too expensive for how little I use it. I still have an old version of Photoshop that I can use instead.

Right? I need an art program at home, but personal, not business. There's no way in hell I can justify a monthly expense as opposed to buying the upgrade of Corel for $200 every few years.

Yeah, it's pretty irritating. At the time, I was actually doing a lot of graphics stuff for work, but then they hired somebody else who took over all that stuff (which is fine; I barely had time for it anyway). So now I have this monthly payment for something I never use.

 

[Kemaiku]

I prefer physical media, and would rather have a shelf library.

This is because I have several hundred gig of films dl'd from Internet Archive, and a similar number of purchased and original 3D assets, all in limbo right now because they're on a hard drive that crashed over a year ago, and that I haven't been able to see if any of the data can be recovered.

That's me too. Not only with DVD's but with video games as well. They take up space, and I only have so much to work with.


Good point about the drive issue too. Once something goes, you'll have to see if there's any way to recover it.

That was my point about "one EMP and it's all gone!" I wasn't talking about nuclear war specifically, I was talking about general things that screw up hard drives.

Cloud storage and account backups, these things have existed for years and are only becoming more common, and backup harddrives are cheaper and easier to find than ever.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

I prefer physical, myself.

 

[Forbin]

Of course I have a backup drive - and a data drive in my PC separate from the PC's C drive, so if the C dies, my data is intact. But sorry, I'm just not putting my personal files on an offsite server or the cloud.

 

[SPCTRE]

Who has time to go to a store? Who wants to interact with humans?

The all-digital future is now.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Of course I have a backup drive - and a data drive in my PC separate from the PC's C drive, so if the C dies, my data is intact. But sorry, I'm just not putting my personal files on an offsite server or the cloud.

I have one of those 2 place docks I can plug any SATA HDD's into.

I have my original 3 backup drives, plus the 3 from my former desktop. They get swapped in & out as I need to add to the backup folders (ie: every time I but a new CD and rip it).

 

[Forbin]

Heck, I still have files backed up from my Amiga! Can't DO anything with them...

 

[RAMA]

Bluray is still best overall, but for the most part, 85% of my media is now digital, on the cloud or non-physical. I save physical for my favorite visual feasts.

RAMA

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I buy pretty much everything on ebay these days. I'm not sure a digital copy of a movie can be had for much less $ than an actual blu-ray (or DVD where no blu-ray is available).

Unless, like with the Simpsons, the maker decides to stop making the physical media, I'm sticking with the physical. It's mine, it's in my hands, I do whatever I want with it personal use-wise.