Whether it's the first battered CD you bought or a 4K Blu-ray of your favourite movie, there’s nothing quite like being able to hold your favourite content in your hands. In the world of home cinema, however, the huge rise of streaming services is making that more of a rarity for an increasing number of us.
While subscribing to streaming platforms can save a bit of money compared with buying a physical copy of what you want to watch, there are several drawbacks.
For starters, 4K Blu-rays offer better overall audio and picture quality due to their higher bitrates and lower compression compared with streaming.
But there’s an equally worrying concern that comes with streaming that only highlights the importance of physical media right now: the ability for your favourite content to disappear in the blink of an eye. And that's been shown perfectly by Netflix's latest decision.
According to What’s On Netflix, the streaming service will be removing a whole host of its original content from the platform. That includes two classic animated TV shows, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts. Both are well loved by audiences, with the former receiving 100 per cent on the Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer for multiple seasons.
The British black comedy show The End of the F...ing World will also be removed from the site. It’s still available (free) on Channel 4 for UK users, but for those in the US you will have to buy individual episodes on Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video.
Of course, there's a strong probability that many of the shows will be passed around to other streamers, but the issue remains that many of these entries are without 4K Blu-ray, or even DVD, releases.
It's also quite a faff having to switch between different streaming services to access your favourite content, especially when there's no physical alternative. On top of that, there are so many platforms on the market, and having a subscription to multiple services can really rack up the cost.
When I find a show or film that really speaks to me, I try to make the effort to buy it in physical form so I know I can watch it at any time, no matter the decisions of studios and streaming services.
And, with talk of Netflix buying Warner Bros possibly further limiting what the streaming service releases on 4K Blu-ray, the importance of physical media has never been clearer.
We can only hope that streaming platforms see this, too.
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