Over the past decade, streaming services have run supreme, training consumers to think they can watch what they want when they want. Even if a film or show you want to watch isn’t available on one streaming service, it is likely available on another or to purchase as a digital copy.

Unfortunately, streaming services have been showing their teeth for a while, and I’m starting to worry.

After HBO Max yanked 68 more titles from its streaming service, removing some of the movies made for the streaming service entirely from the public’s access, the return to physical media seems more crucial than ever.

You technically don’t own anything if it is on a streaming service like Netflix, Amazon, or iTunes, even if you purchase it. 

I learned this the hard way when I watched Amélie on Apple TV, purchased it for $14.99, and the movie was gone. The movie was gone when I looked for the film on other streaming services. It was almost like it never existed. 

Streaming is not ownership

The truth is that I didn’t own the film. I held the rights to stream the movie as long as the streaming service had the rights. 

When you purchase a film on a streaming service, you buy the rights to watch that video as long as the license is suitable. Theoretically, the service could block access to movies you’ve already purchased. That means that if Disney, for example, decides it doesn’t want Amazon to sell its films anymore, the company can have Amazon turn off Disney movies. 

Streaming services don’t buy the rights to own something. Programmers sign contracts with streaming services that allow them to show The Lord of the Rings or every single episode of The Office for a set amount of time that is unknown to viewers. When that time expires, the contract might be renewed, or it might not be. The viewer has no power in what stays and what goes, ultimately giving streamers more and more control over what content is and isn’t accessible.

I find that concerning since films and TV shows can be taken away from the culture.

This has been an ongoing issue for years. Digital movies that are purchased often disappear from libraries because of licensing fees or changes in location since films licensed to a platform change depending on the country.

Quality issues

So why spend money on something you don’t own, especially when the quality is vastly different?

In 2016, the enthusiasts at WhatHiFi compared 4K streaming to 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. They found that the 4K streaming experience was more in line with watching a traditional 1080p Blu-ray, which means that Blu-rays had a clear advantage in contrast and color. Ultra HD discs looked far better than either.

What happens is that the viewer must pay to get 4K content on your streaming service of choice, and you also need internet that can handle it. Netflix and Disney+ say that at least 25 megabits per second are required to stream UHD content, and Amazon needs at least 15 Mbps.

Even if your streaming devices are up to speed and your internet is the best possible, information is lost along the way because compression is inevitable. There will always be issues regarding the quality of the content when it is on a streaming platform.

Streaming services also cannot handle the latest and greatest in sound technology. Netflix has an audio bar, vastly different from Hulu’s, which requires the sound mix to be based on the overall volume of the film. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard for measuring audio for streaming.

Blu-rays have Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD Master Audio standards that have been around for years. Blu-rays require sound to be produced for a seven-speaker sound that is rich and highly detailed, while streaming services only offer a five-speaker sound at lower fidelity that isn’t enhanced by your modern surround sound.

The problem with streaming boils down to compression. Although compression has improved dramatically over the years, information still gets lost. The picture and sound data must be processed in a way that allows the information to be sent efficiently over the internet.

Darker scenes tend to fare the worst, and sunsets that are supposed to gently fade into an ombré of color turn into blocky digital stripes. Candle- or fire-lit rooms look chunky and pixelated, taking away the impressive work of a cinematographer.

On the other hand, physical media does not struggle with compression issues and preserve the filmmaker’s work far better than digital media. You are getting better sound and visuals, plus you don’t have to worry about it disappearing on you because you own it. 

Support the filmmakers

During an interview with the YouTube series Hot Ones, Matt Damon explains that physical media was a massive part of the revenue stream in Hollywood. Still, technology has made that “obsolete.” 

“The movies that we used to make, you could afford not to make all of your money when it played in the theater because you knew you had the DVD coming behind the release… it would be like reopening the movie almost,” Damon said. “And when that went away, that changed the type of movies we could make.”

Mid-size movies are struggling to profit because of that massive loss of physical media revenue. There are still a lot of exciting films being made, but they are often seen as box-office failures because they did not make any profit. Some films that come to mind are The Northman, Licorice Pizza, and The Last Duel.

While these are good films, the filmmakers did not make much of a profit off of the movie because streaming residuals are still relatively new.

Censorship

I have also run into a strange issue where movies I have watched repeatedly have been edited by streaming services to fix the context of current times. While I understand why this happens, it is still a form of censorship that takes away from what the filmmaker intended. It’s the viewer’s job to understand the film’s problematic moments so they can understand the context of film history from that time.

This is the central issue with HBO Max removing so many films and shows and Disney editing scenes from cinema to make their content less problematic. Whether or not this was good or harmful, it is still an art being taken away from the culture. 

Physical media adds value

Physical media also offers commentary and behind-the-scenes footage that is great for filmmakers and film enthusiasts to watch and learn the process behind the films we appreciate. Understanding the context and history of the making of a movie can give you more appreciation for the cast and crew and what the intentions of the director, editor, cinematographer, or other crew members were behind a specific choice.

These little details or unheard conversations that are only on physical media tracks add another voice to the conversation about what makes a specific film essential to film history and your taste. Seeing people make a movie connects you to that film and its filmmakers, unlike anything else. 

A premium experience

In all honesty, I’m already paying 14.99 UVi to “purchase” a film on iTunes that isn’t available to stream for free. Spending an extra 5 UVi isn’t going to break the bank for me completely, and I get to keep the film forever while supporting the filmmakers who made the film. 

Although streaming can be cheaper and more convenient, physical media is a more premium experience. The unreliability of connections, the picture and sound hiccups, and the lingering uncertainty of whether or not a film is available are no longer concerns when you have the physical media in your hands. 

Support filmmakers by supporting physical media. We shouldn’t disregard physical media as a whole in favor of streaming. I’m not saying go out and cancel all of your streaming services and only buy DVDs and Blu-rays, but I am saying that you should buy a physical copy of any film you like.