In a streaming era where prices are high and seemingly always on the rise, and quality relies on buffering, subscription tiers, and sourcing, it's as good a time as any to consider investing in physical media. It's more likely than not, if you have a top smart TV, you're not getting the most out of it if you're only streaming titles and not enjoying physical media.
Future-proof your viewing library
Avoid library changes and disappearances
One of the biggest draws of physical media in general and Blu-ray discs in particular is that you're no longer subject to the changes and whims of streaming services and their constantly evolving libraries. With a streaming service, you're going to get new additions regularly to the library, but you're also going to get titles that regularly leave. And you don't know when they're going to come back. You're not really paying for access to specific titles; you're paying for access to an unstable collection.
Licensing agreements, mergers, and other business decisions are going to constantly be putting shareholders first and viewers last. While originals will generally stay with the streamer that created them, other titles may bounce around or find new permanent homes. Meanwhile, some streamers may simply remove titles they own.
Discs maintain fidelity and original form
Avoid changes and edits to your favorite titles
It's not just the fluctuation of titles; fidelity and consistency is an issue, too. There are plenty of examples of streamers removing specific episodes from series or making adjustments and edits to titles once they've hit the streamer; you may be watching a censored version of a title whether you agree with the decision. Similarly, while there may be more than one version of a movie in existence, such as a director's cut in addition to a theatrical release, you may only have access to one or the other.
There is also a question of compression. Titles may be of lesser quality to allow you to stream more efficiently, resulting in color degradation and lower brightness and sharpness. Audio and video quality loss is also not uncommon when streaming. With discs, you can guarantee consistent quality.
Consider a gaming console for versatility
Top consoles offer immersive entertainment
It's worth keeping in mind that the current top-gen gaming consoles in PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X feature built-in Blu-ray players. These 4K options rival the top models you'll find elsewhere, allowing you to play physical media in 4K resolution. You'll want to make sure you opt for the model that features a disc-insert; both Sony and Microsoft also sell models that only welcome digital, downloaded games and lack disc accomodation.
Of course, you'll want to be someone who enjoys high-end gaming as well to go this route. But that there exists an opportunity to play discs, including DVDs, may be worthwhile considering.
Blu-ray players are suited for quality experiences
Optimize your high-end entertainment setup
If you have a high-end TV, one with 4K resolution and top audio and video formats, you're likely better off investing in a compatible Blu-ray player rather than trying to match up all your streaming services. That's because in order to unlock matching quality, you're going to have to invest in the highest subscription tiers available.
For example, unless you buy into Netflix's premium plan, you're not going to access titles in 4K and HDR, essentially wasting your TV's quality features. When it comes to top HDR format, things get trickier, because most streaming services only offer one of HDR10+ or Dolby Vision. The same goes for top audio formats; they're simply not available everywhere.
Lastly, you're still reliant on your Internet connection; streaming without a wired hookup means possible buffering and lagging issues, resulting in lesser quality.
Value to be had in physical media
Blu-ray players and discs are inexpensive
Blu-ray players have been around for some time; they're not as popular as they once were, with so many consumers preferring the convenience of streaming. That means they're relatively cheap, which makes for a good investment.
Blu-ray players will follow similar price drops as smart TVs and other electronics. Look out for sales during shopping holidays and as new products come online.
Blu-ray discs aren't particularly pricing easy, and it's certainly not like you always need to buy new ones. There are plenty of avenues to explore to buy or trade Blu-rays online. Some big box stores offer plenty at low prices, and your local library may even have them available for free to rent.