We asked you, What Hi-Fi?'s readers, if movies are better streamed or on a disc – and your responses made one thing clear

With Disney Plus and Netflix rapidly becoming the norm for more and more households, it can seem like discs are being left in the dust as our primary means to watch films at home.

This battle between physical and digital media has been weighing on our minds this Home Cinema Week, so we wanted to hear from our lovely readers to settle the score.

Earlier this week, we asked how you watch your favourite movies and TV shows at home. After three days of reading through and compiling your thoughts, here are the results.

You still collect plenty of discs for their better overall quality

As the responses rolled in, it quickly became apparent that your DVD and Blu-ray collections are not going anywhere.

We put out an Instagram poll to see whether streaming or discs would come out on top, and the results were pretty clear.

Out of 60 responses, 43 of you said that discs were your preferred way to watch. There were 12 readers who preferred streaming, though, and the remaining five were on the fence.

A lot of you seem to want to own your most precious movies in a physical form, too. Gregory Pempleton commented via our website:

“When I buy a disc, I know that it is mine, unlike streaming, where the item can disappear at the whim of the provider.”

This sentiment was echoed by many other responders. Eugène de Goeij commented on our original article:

“I watched Dune on Apple TV (bought it), but I liked it so much I bought the 4K disc. The image is a bit more crisp and there are more subtle details in the sound [...] For me, a good movie will always make me buy the 4K disc.”

But streaming is becoming an easier option

Despite this chorus of support for discs, there were still plenty of fans of streaming.

Mark Greenley said that while he buys 4K Blu-ray discs for those "special" films, streaming services have become more common in his household for daily viewing.

“I like streaming and I am signed up to several platforms. As a family, we watch shows and films,” he said.

Some of you also stream movies due to the better availability. For example, Micky Alexandru pointed out via our website that, “there are movies that can't be found [anywhere] but on streaming services.”

What we think

Even though there is quite the range of opinions when it comes to this head-to-head, we agree with our readers that discs tend to outperform streaming when it comes to sound and picture quality.

Because of this, it makes sense to collect firm favourites in the best quality possible. Plus, holding a disc in your hands and knowing you can watch it whenever you want, without worrying if it will be taken off a service, certainly feels like money well spent.

It would be silly to pretend that streaming hasn't simply become easier to access, though.

With most home cinema kit offering built-in streaming services, the option of clicking a few buttons and having instant access to a library of content is very appealing. Also, streaming gives you the opportunity to cancel your subscription anytime if you feel you don’t use it enough.

Still, it is reassuring to see that buying top-quality discs is important for home cinema fans.

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