Poll: Are dvds going the way of the video cassette?

[Dar70]

When I go into stores now, i dont see people buying dvds as they once did. Its been on a steady decline it seems for at least 5 years. With netflix, redbox and online streaming I would think people would just pay for those services instead of storing hundreds of dvds. I have also noticed that movie releases on dvds get cheaper quicker now than they once did. I also notice that not as many peope do dvd threads here as much. I remember people posting like crazy about dvds here. Many here said it was like crack buying dvds.

So Im wondering how many who used to collect dvds have now stopped. What were your reasons? Do you believe dvds are on their way out??


IGNORE the poll I screwed it up and dont know how to edit it. Its been awhile since I have done one.

 

[Hilldill]

I still buy DVDs . Usually I buy the ones that I've seen at the movie theater,( rarely go to the movies anymore) or buy versions of the ones I have on VHS.

 

[DonIago]

I'll continue buying the discs as long as they offer features that other options do not, especially now that I have a Blu Ray player.

 

[6079SmithW]

If there is a movie or tv show that I really like I will buy the dvd off amazon. I don't watch much tv anymore so I watch shows on Hulu first to see if I like them. I have somewhat particular tastes and there are few programs or movies that I enjoy enough to get the dvd, so my personal collection is small. Price is also a controlling factor. I don't want to spend more then $30 on a dvd.

I really hope they continue to make dvds and not have everything be online. There's just a good feeling of having the physical copy available. Plus, I want to watch them on a tv, which has a much larger screen then a computer.

 

[DonIago]

I suspect there may also be some correlation between those satisfied with streaming and those who don't have the tech at home to fully take advantage of the quality Blu Ray has to offer. If you don't know you're missing something of course you're not going to miss it.

 

[LitmusDragon]

It depends on the program but I still watch and buy a bit of DVDs in addition to Blu-rays.

Some stuff will probably never be on Blu-ray and some stuff that IS on Blu-ray doesn't look any better than the DVD version.

 

[Amaris]

I have a blu-ray player and I have a Roku box for Netflix streaming. I have sold most of my DVDs (250 out of 300 that I once had), but fortunately, Netflix instant watch has many of them, so I'm okay with that. I may, on rare occasion, buy a DVD or a blu-ray if it's a movie I want now, but that is so rare anymore, since so few movies are enough for me to want to see in theater, much less buy on DVD or Blu-ray.

 

[ToddPence]

Uh . . . what way would that be? You're talking to a guy who still owns and uses videocassetes.

 

[milo bloom]

VHS lasted what, 30 years? LD even managed to hang on for over 20. That's not exactly chicken scratch.

But yes, DVD is on a decline. I used to buy all kinds of DVDs based on word of mouth or reviews, but I've cut way back and have even begun selling off a lot of "flotsam". We used to take advantage of sales in pawnshops or at Gamestop where they would sell them buy one, get one free, and we'd find ourselves loading up on questionable titles, just because they were so cheap. Now with Netflix, we're able to check out those questionable titles beforehand, and only buy A-list stuff now.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I never bought a lot of videocassettes or DVDs, but when I did it was for something special. Otherwise, I just rented a lot of stuff.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

I still buy DVDs. Quickflix (similar to netflix) is available, but I don't have a credit card, so can't do that. My internet is too slow for streaming, and I'd rather buy the DVD or borrow it from the library, which I do with a lot of DVDs lately.

 

[Shatnertage]

I never really got into buying DVDs--I mostly rent. I got a bunch of toddler ones to bring on trips for my daughter, but we're migrating to getting stuff like that through iTunes, since a phone travels much better than a DVD player. So it's completely possible I've bought my last DVD.

 

[Mr Light]

I have a blu ray player, but I pretty much just buy a blu ray, watch it, sell it, and keep the dvd it comes with. So I'm still pretty much with DVDs.

 

[OsmiumJohnnycake]

I was one of those people who bought DVDs like they were crack from about 1998 - 2007. I still have a huge collection but a lot of it's stored in boxes that I rarely access. I guess I attribute the original collecting to growing up in smaller cities in the 1980s where you really had to hunt around at different rental stores just to find a variety of titles. Sometimes a store would have the box for a movie but the renter never returned it and I'd be aware of the movie's existence but not be able to see it. When I finally saw David Lynch's Eraserhead in the 90s, it was out of print and the only store that had a copy kept it behind the counter and the only way you found out about it is if you were a longtime trusted renter and the person working there knew it might be to your taste.

So with DVDs I was trying to build a library so I would never be without access to films I wanted to see. I blind-bought a ton of films, too. A few years ago streaming and the abundance of obscure movies popping up on the internet for download changed my mindset. There are still movies never released on DVD that are ripped from VHS and are available around the internet, so with those plus my Netflix subscription, I have access to more movies than I can reasonably watch. And I still have DVDs from years ago I own but haven't watched or haven't watched all the special features on.

I do have a bluray player but I only own around 30 titles - films that I know I will watch repeatedly (mostly films I have already seen many times and have not grown tired of).

I still live in a small city and we have fewer rental choices locally than we did in the 80s, but the internet has changed everything. It took a few years for that to really sink into my brain and alter my spending habits, but it finally has.

 

[Holdfast]

I suspect there'll be a gradual shift in people's thinking about entertainment media in all forms, away from physical "permanent" copies towards cloud-based "rental" or streaming models.

As bandwith continues to grow and depth of internet penetration increases, and as the generations turn over, I doubt many people will feel the need to have a physical copy of not just movies, but TV shows, newspapers, books, software, games, etc, etc.

This is already happening, and faster/deeper/more mobile/flexible internet access, together with increasingly capable mobile devices, will only enhance and accelerate this process. It makes sense really (once you can guarantee that speedy/pervasive internet access), being cheaper and more accessible wherever you may be.

Of course, I'm old enough to have the habits of a different generation, as probably do a lot of readers here. But the trend is pretty clear. "Collecting" will be irrelevant, as the entire library will be easily and permanently accessible to anyone with a connection and/or subscription to the serving sources.

 

[Kirkman1987]

I'm still buying dvds, but then I'm a pretty poor student who's still using my 90's TV that has a built in VCR.

I've been very impressed with the HD stuff I've seen at friends or in film class. Last week we projected The Searchers and it was incredible. That said, once I have spare money and make the upgrade, I doubt I'll rebuy the majority of content I have on dvd. In most cases, I don't think the cost will justify it outside of some personal favorites (TOS will be my first upgrade I think).

 

[JRS]

I still buy lots of DVDs
I am watching most of the TV-shows/movies from DVDs these days, much easier and fun when one can choose how much to watch and when.(And most TV-shows work better multiple episode at time, rather than watching one episode per week)
I am planning to update to blu-ray at somepoint..but I must buy a new television first

I rather have my movies as physical media, rather than watching them from my computer via some stream.
Its nice to see the discs and books on my shelf..plus I have memories connected to them, for exsample some are gifts from my girlfriend..and so on

 

[BlobVanDam]

I haven't bothered with Bluray yet, and I still buy a ton of DVDs. People are still buying a lot of DVDs. It will probably only be a couple of years before it starts to even up, but for now DVDs aren't going anywhere.

 

[BigFoot]

I stopped buying DVDs a while ago. I now buy Blu-rays.

 

[Starbreaker]

I'm strictly buying Blu-ray now, but there's still a lot of hate for newer media, so I don't think DVDs are going anywhere anytime soon.