Nostalgia is a fierce emotion; it grabs on tight to objects that mean more to us during specific moments in our lives. Our parents look back fondly on boomboxes and cassette tapes the same way we fondly look back at the iPod Shuffle and the Nintendo Wii. These things all had their time in the spotlight but were quickly replaced by newer technology. However, one form of media from the past that many people — including myself — refuse to give up is physical media, specifically DVDs. 

In this new digital-dominated landscape, DVDs seem like a thing of the past. However, there is still a place for physical media in the film industry; consumers just have to make room for it again. But why is physical media so important? And why should you — the average person who probably hasn’t touched a DVD in years — care about it? Well, I’m here to tell you why we should make an effort to preserve physical media. 

Physical media has been a cornerstone of the film industry since the 1980s. When the VHS debuted, it changed how people watched movies forever. The concept of enjoying a film from the comfort of your home was mind-blowing. Before, you had no choice but to go to the theater to watch movies, so having the option to watch without venturing out of your home was ground-breaking. Fast forward to today, and watching movies from home has become the norm. Although the advent and growth of streaming services have made this easier, DVDs remain the better option for home movie consumption. 

You may be wondering, “What’s the difference between watching a movie on streaming versus on a DVD?” There are several distinctions between the two that might seem small but make a world of difference. Firstly, the quality of a film on a DVD is better. When you stream a movie on Netflix, you are not watching that movie at its highest quality due to the use of an internet connection. Alternatively, DVD players don’t use the internet to play DVDs, so you will always have the highest quality picture. When you stream a movie, the quality will never compare to watching a movie on a DVD player. 

Secondly, DVDs support filmmakers and the film industry much more than streaming sites. In Matt Damon’s Hot Ones interview, he explains how DVDs were a significant source of revenue for Hollywood. If a film didn’t do well at the box office, filmmakers relied on DVD sales to make up the profit. This way, a film’s success didn’t hinge upon box office numbers and allowed filmmakers to experiment and tell new stories. Now, films go straight to streaming without a DVD release, and this extra source of income is no longer available. As a result, studios are more cautious about what films are made and are taking fewer risks. DVDs helped keep the film industry fresh and alive. 

Thirdly, if a streaming service decides they don’t want to pay the license to keep a movie on its platform, it’s gone forever. DVDs ensure that a creator’s work stays alive indefinitely and isn’t thrown away for tax breaks. These are the reasons why physical media is so important to this industry, and if they cease to exist, the quality of films we watch will steadily decline. Best Buy has already announced they are no longer selling physical media, but we need to ensure they don’t die out. The future of cinema is at stake.

Exploring and finding new movies is a magical part of the cinematic experience. Stumbling upon a random movie that ends up changing your life is a special experience — one that I hold near and dear to my heart. I used to spend my weekends looking through my grandmother’s vast collection of DVDs; it’s how I discovered most of my favorite movies. I hope to see an industry that places more emphasis on the value of physical media in the future. Even if future generations don’t share the same nostalgia for DVDs as I do, maybe they’ll find their favorite movies while sorting through a bundle of discs.

Art by Nicholas Regli