Is The DEMISE Of Physical Media REAL.....Or Has It Been Exaggerated?

Ken on the Future of Physical Media

Ken reads and reacts to an article by John Kellenos arguing that reports of Blu-ray’s decline are exaggerated. He agrees that physical media still offers real advantages: reliable ownership, better picture and sound than bandwidth-limited streaming, and the ability to watch when the internet goes down.

He jokes that during a recent outage, his wife had to make up lost work time while he could simply relax with his discs.

Ken’s Return to Collecting

Ken recalls selling about 95% of his DVDs around 2015–16, convinced that streaming had made discs obsolete. He regretted the decision and started collecting again six months later. That renewed interest led him from DVDs to Blu-rays and eventually to 4K.

A Possible Physical-Media Revival

Ken is hopeful about a physical-media revival but wonders whether it’s reaching beyond collectors and movie buffs. He asks why DVDs still outsell 4K, whether 4K might eventually have its own “DVD moment,” and what could come after 4K discs.

He also suggests that easy access to streaming and free or cheap viewing may have made people less willing to pay for movies they love. His preferred solution is balance: streaming is useful for discovering and sampling films, while favorites are worth owning.

Streaming and Physical Media

Reading audience comments, Ken pushes back on the idea that streaming should disappear, saying the two formats can coexist. One commenter recalls buying 4K Blu-rays when theaters closed in 2020; Ken agrees that the pandemic may have helped kick-start another collecting surge.

He wraps up by showing off the physical media around him and reaffirming his enthusiasm for the format.

People Mentioned

• Ken — The MidLevel Media host and commentator.
• John Kellenos — The article’s author, as rendered in the subtitles.