Fewer and fewer movies and TV series are being released in physical format, but streaming platforms do not provide enough for some film buffs, who miss the extras they offered
I am disappointed it feels like physical media is slowly going away though. It’s not only nice to have a physical collection in my opinion, but it directly supports the stuff you like, and you don’t have to deal with the bs that comes with digital “ownership” or the ever changing mess that are streaming services.
Check out bandcamp. It’s for music, but you can stream tracks to give them a listen, and then buying them nets you a straight up file download in an audio format of your choice.
A world where you can both support the creator online, and receive something you get to keep in return, is possible.
Finding a MKV with the audio tracks (english and french) as well as embedded subtitles for the languages I want is often more work than just ripping it myself.
It’s definitely nice to have exactly the copy you want. Plus (and decidedly more on topic) you can rip any extras you want… although the naming scheme is a bit of a headache, that’s the part that really delights me.
That’s all well and good, but physical media is selling less and less as the average person moves to streaming.
Sooner or later, there will be a tipping point where media industry execs just stop selling physical media altogether to deny pirates a source, as the profits no longer outweigh the “downsides”.
Webripping is unlikely to stop for as long as streaming options exist, but then we’ll be stuck with low quality bitrates as enshittification ensures every penny is pinched when it comes to bandwidth.
High quality drm-free file downloads, available online, officially, would be ideal.
The return of the Disney vaults… I admit I’m concerned, but I’ve watched so much soulless bullshit at quality levels that do nothing but make the flaws easier to see… it’s not as much of a concern as it used to be.
We’re whitnessing a spasm, it’ll pass.
Good content comes from people that give actual fucks about what they are creating. They will always want you to experience the best version you can.
Haha! Physical media has been “slowly going away” since before UHD existed as a format. Just keep buying whatever format you like and distributors will keep it going. Look at all the catalog titles and niche (often limited special run) titles still being added to UHD.
Discs mean too much hassle. I’d have to rip them all prior to storing the movies on my harddrives. Streaming subscriptions are convenient, but too limited and they don’t offer the best quality. IMHO, a download option is the best of both worlds.
I did say goodbye to almost all DVDs, but I haven’t said goodbye to 4K Blu Ray discs, nor will I.
I am disappointed it feels like physical media is slowly going away though. It’s not only nice to have a physical collection in my opinion, but it directly supports the stuff you like, and you don’t have to deal with the bs that comes with digital “ownership” or the ever changing mess that are streaming services.
Check out bandcamp. It’s for music, but you can stream tracks to give them a listen, and then buying them nets you a straight up file download in an audio format of your choice.
A world where you can both support the creator online, and receive something you get to keep in return, is possible.
I hope we’ll get there for movies one day.
I just want to legally buy a DRM-free movie file containing multiple audio tracks and subtitles that I can slap in my Plex server and call it a day.
For the moment I’m doing it myself using my own Blu-Ray discs ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Good news! You can pirate high quality blueray rips from the internet and since you already own a license to the content it’s not even a crime ;-)
Finding a MKV with the audio tracks (english and french) as well as embedded subtitles for the languages I want is often more work than just ripping it myself.
It’s definitely nice to have exactly the copy you want. Plus (and decidedly more on topic) you can rip any extras you want… although the naming scheme is a bit of a headache, that’s the part that really delights me.
That’s all well and good, but physical media is selling less and less as the average person moves to streaming.
Sooner or later, there will be a tipping point where media industry execs just stop selling physical media altogether to deny pirates a source, as the profits no longer outweigh the “downsides”.
Webripping is unlikely to stop for as long as streaming options exist, but then we’ll be stuck with low quality bitrates as enshittification ensures every penny is pinched when it comes to bandwidth.
High quality drm-free file downloads, available online, officially, would be ideal.
The return of the Disney vaults… I admit I’m concerned, but I’ve watched so much soulless bullshit at quality levels that do nothing but make the flaws easier to see… it’s not as much of a concern as it used to be. We’re whitnessing a spasm, it’ll pass. Good content comes from people that give actual fucks about what they are creating. They will always want you to experience the best version you can.
Haha! Physical media has been “slowly going away” since before UHD existed as a format. Just keep buying whatever format you like and distributors will keep it going. Look at all the catalog titles and niche (often limited special run) titles still being added to UHD.
You don’t have to deal with digital ownership bullshit with existing physical media because some people broke the DRM.
The worst development for end users would be a normalization of physical media and new or (“updated”) physical formats and players.
With brand new DRM and more tightly controlled playback devices.
Discs mean too much hassle. I’d have to rip them all prior to storing the movies on my harddrives. Streaming subscriptions are convenient, but too limited and they don’t offer the best quality. IMHO, a download option is the best of both worlds.
Bandcamp but for movies and TV would be amazing.
With the role physical storage plays today, maybe consumer tape drives are a niche to be filled. Hard drives and optical discs die.