Mummy, what is a DVD? The kids of today might not have a clue what a DVD is. However, most of us have fond memories of indulging in box-set marathons on those cold winter nights. But whatever happened to DVDs? Are they still about? Or did they die a silent death?
While DVD rental stores have certainly become obsolete, actual DVDs and their collections are still going strong. Many might argue that ever since Netflix took over the cinematic world, no one really bothers with DVDs. But this can’t be further from the truth. This is the case with many things in the business world. Take the gambling sector. Just because online casinos have increased in popularity and usage, this does not automatically sign the death sentence for brick and mortar casinos – far from it! The latter offers an entirely different experience. Similarly, apart from their potential in collectability value, DVDs carry with them their own charm.
Why People Think DVDs Are Obsolete
Ask yourself when the last time you bought a DVD was. Not in the last couple of years, right? Thanks to the emergence of cost-effective streaming services, smartphones, and illegal torrent sites, the number of people buying DVDs has certainly decreased in recent years.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that DVDs are obsolete per se. Now, ask yourself whether you still have DVDs in your home. The chances are you still have a few choice box sets gathering dust on your shelf.
Despite the fact that people might not be buying DVDs the way they once did, the truth is there are still lots of movies that actually aren’t available online or via streaming services. And there is nothing worse than having your favourite series being removed from Netflix while you are in the middle of a marathon. One thing is for certain, there is something nostalgic about the collectable value of physical DVDs.
How DVDs Are Used Today
So, despite the fact that most people have a streaming service subscription these days, this by no way means they have trashed their precious DVD collection just yet.
In truth, even in the age of online streaming, there are still many ways in which people are still using DVDs. Firstly, some old-fashioned folks still enjoy putting a DVD in a DVD player and watching it on their TV as opposed to on a laptop or smartphone.
Next up, we have the collectors. They might be a rare breed, but there are still people out there who enjoy amassing a collection of their favourite films. They may not even watch them regularly, but they love knowing they have a copy of every old classic movie to hand.
Finally, there are the amateur filmmakers who buy blank DVD discs on which they burn their own family videos or homemade movies. The motivation behind this is that these people enjoy preserving their own work for the sake of posterity and enjoy the act of taking a walk down memory lane from time to time. DVDs provide the perfect tool for these folks to get the job done.
Preempting The Death of The DVD By Protecting Your Movie Collection
The jury is still out when it comes to knowing when DVDs will formally be discontinued. With that being said, it is probably safe to say the death of the DVD is imminent.
Movie buffs and fans of the DVD should preempt this eventuality and take the necessary steps to look after their precious DVD collection from scratches and damage caused by oxidation.
The best way to protect your DVDs is by digitizing the content onto a hard drive or the cloud. This will stop it from ever becoming out of date.
Some basic online research should reveal that there are several good online software programs that can assist in the digitize your DVD content. Be sure to read user reviews to understand which programs are easy to use on your chosen device, be it an iPhone, iPad or Android device.
Concluding Thoughts
In short, even if DVD is no longer the most popular form of media these days, it is still a long way off from becoming totally obsolete. There are still many people out there who prefer to watch DVDs on their big-screen TVs (or they aren’t willing to learn how to connect up their laptops). On top of that, there are those old-school movie buffs who simply enjoy collecting DVDs as a hobby and get genuine joy out of having their DVDs out on display for all to see. Then, of course, DVDs provide a great medium for burning home videos and capturing those precious memories.
Whatever the case, if you are a die-hard DVD fan, it would be smart to take some precautions to preserve your DVD collection. While the DVD may not be dead just yet, the medium is certainly waning in popularity, so come to terms with the reality by embracing change in the best possible ways.