Do you still buy physical media? Why? (1968, movie, electronic)

[tvdxer]

I buy:

* Blu-Ray discs. Let's face it, a small percentage of internet users have the connection speed to stream a Blu-Ray...if Blu-Ray streaming services existed! So I buy the occasional Blu-Ray, because the picture quality is just out of this world. Much better than streaming, especially when you consider that the 4.5 mbps download I got last night was the best I've seen in two weeks.
* Used CDs. I have a tradition of buying used CDs. In the beginning, I could rarely find the music I liked at Best Buy, so I'd have to go over to Disc-Go-Round.

Now that there's eMusic, Spotify, YouTube, etc., I often go into pawn shops and Disc-Go-Round and buy CDs from the 90s. I like the cover art, to collect the disc, and often it is much cheaper than eMusic - 12 tracks for $3, or even $1 if I'm lucky.

As far as books go, I usually borrow them from the library. I don't have an eReader.

[k350]

Originally Posted by superseiyan

This is more of a poll, and it isn't intended as a criticsm--rather I'm curious whether you're still buying discs (Music, Video Games, Movies) and if so why you are.

For me with all the streaming available for Anime, Music, and services like NEtflix for films, I just find it hard to justify the physical clutter caused by owning discs anymore. Furthermore, I just have a philosophical outlook on life in which "owning" stuff is overrated, I prefer experiencing stuff. For example, I can "experience" a hit song any time and as often as I want because of YouTube. I don't have to "own" the song.....

I do own one Anime Series, a few hip-hop CDs from the 1990s, and the Batman Trilogy (will add Fast & Furious collection soon) but that's only because those for me have unlimited replayability.

For those of you who are still buying how do you approach your physical purchases?

"Furthermore, I just have a philosophical outlook on life in which "owning" stuff is overrated, I prefer experiencing stuff. For example, I can "experience" a hit song any time and as often as I want because of YouTube. I don't have to "own" the song....."

Unless of course you do not have access to the Internet. Many people want to listen to music at times there is not Internet access.

People do not have CDs, DVDs, books, etc to satisfy some feeling of "ownership", they do this because according to their own analysis, owning these things is a better deal for them. For example, i own DVDs, I owned many of them before netflix and streaming movies ever started. I continue to buy them when they become cheap because I feel doing that is a better value than forever subscribing to a movie company, and/or depending on the Internet all of the time.

So while you think owning stuff is "overrated", you depend on people who think it is not. For one, you own a computer and a modem. You also depend on Google owning YouTube servers, Internet providers owning their equipment, music companies owning copyrights, etc; you depend on others, and yourself, owning stuff. So you can cease with the thought that owning stuff is overrated, as you own stuff, and you depend on others to own stuff.

but that's only because those for me have unlimited replayability.

This right here; owning stuff is overrated, unless of course it benefits you, but yet you do not think this applies to no one else?

[Type O Negative]

I'll buy DVDs if I really love the movie and want to keep it...otherwise I stream.

I buy CDs because I dont want any DRM or other crap limiting what I can do with my purchased property.

Books can be downloaded.

[Cida]

Physical media - now that's a term I haven't heard before. This isn't what's covered in your post, but I still buy books. And newspapers for that matter. I think it's a complicated thing having to do with attention and respect.

[Free-R]

I held out for the longest time because CDs and DVDs provided permanent storage. However, over time, I've come to enjoy the efficiency of electronic files over the clutter of the aforementioned. A lot of download services are largely cloud-based, and this is in addition to be able to download the digital file. This helps to eliminate some of the risk in losing a single data file as you can download it again from the cloud player. To take it a step further, if we're going by the length of time you would expect your taste in a given media to last before it loses its patina (you get bored with it or your tastes change), then it's seems acceptable to go ahead with spending a few dollars at a time for some good tunes.

There are many CDs and DVDs that I spent a lot of money acquiring over the years that I can pretty much see myself never listening to or watching again, thereby reducing the extra benefit of permanent storage. To say it a different way, there isn't the risk of loss of a digital file like there used to be when a lot of this technology was new to the market. Particularly if you're ordering from a major company that you expect to be around in 15 years. For music, at least, having a smartphone was a game changer, as it functions as my on-the-go jukebox as well as camera and phone. I guess the only thing is that if you're an audiophile or videophile, you'll get higher quality from a CD or blu ray disc than a compressed digital download.

Books: This is the only difference. I've found that I still have a better experience with a paper book than an ereader, although my ereader is a first generation model.

[superseiyan]

Originally Posted by budgetlord

Books: This is the only difference. I've found that I still have a better experience with a paper book than an ereader, although my ereader is a first generation model.

I just finished grad school, I was never able to really study my articles and books electronically--for that I still did good old hard copy with markups, highlighting and note taking. Other than that I read just eBooks or used books on Amazon--but I get rid of the used books on Amazon as soon as I finish them.

[pandaundercover]

We're physical media geeks. (My husband and I). We have a lot of shows on DVD, but we typically stick to buying the series of comedies we like to re-watch often. We do have a lot of movies, which was getting outrageous, so I put them all in one of those DVD/CD Binders. Less clutter as far as those goes. Still have a full bookcase of TV shows though.

We do have CDs, mostly from our teens that we keep in CD Binders. I think we have literally only bought 8 new CDs in the past 6 years. We listen to teh same music over and over, mostly. The new stuff is just ridiculous.

We also have 3 shelves full of books. Would be 4 shelves, but I'm selling 2 boxes worth on ebay. :-(

[julian17033]

I purchase used DVD's off of Amazon and have built up quite a collection.
I will also purchase vintage vinyl records of 80's alternative and older jazz and classical pieces.

Approx 3 months ago our local newspaper had a deal, two years of Wed, Sat, Sun delivery for 10.00.
I really like the coupons that I receive with them so it's more than paid off multiple times of the already bottom basement subscription price.

I absolutely love You Tube and am on that site numerous times a day.
I have approx 3000 videos saved on my account.

You Tube could charge a subscription and I would subscribe immediately they just have to keep the uploads of songs or other media on the site despite whether or not the person that uploaded them has terminated their account.

That's the only thing that's annoying about You Tube but usually there are so many duplicates of songs and other media there if and when something you saved is no longer available you simply find another upload of it.

[BramH]

I buy games and cd's just cause I like to have them physically, the actual cover etc, to put in my closet or something ^^

[midtown mile girl]

I still buy cd's. I like having a physical backup to a digital file, and sometimes you can't find what you want online. I still buy books and the local newspaper (coupons), plus you never have to charge up a paper or a book.
I used to go to Borders and Barnes & Noble and browse the cds and listen to the samples and I discovered a lot of good music like that. I find that harder to do online.