When it comes to picking something to watch, it’s no shocker that most of us reach for our favourite streaming service first. The industry continues to boom, with streaming giant Netflix posting significant increases in year-over-year revenue and reporting promising forecasts.

Streaming services continue to increase subscription prices, and libraries seem to be shrinking rather than getting larger as more and more platforms divide the available content licenses.

Quietly in the background, the humble Blu-Ray refuses to die thanks to a loyal fanbase continuing to prop up the physical media market. In researching this article, I found varying reports about whether the market was expected to surge or decline, but it’s clear that there’s still plenty of reasons to opt for physical media.

Both content-watching methods have their merits, so let’s take a look at the key advantages each has to offer.

Streaming Services

1 – Convenience

It might be obvious, but streaming services are way more convenient than most other ways to watch. They put thousands of titles just a button press away, so it’s usually easy to find something to watch.

2 – Flexibility

With most streaming service plans, you can watch on any of your devices – not just your television. While Blu-Rays often come with a digital download, it’s extra hassle to take advantage of it. If you’ve got a primary device away from your living room, streaming services provide a quick way to view your favourite shows on all your devices.

3 – Discovery

A key feature of streaming services is the way they push new titles to your recommended feed. Based on your viewing habits, platforms can provide tailored suggestions of new shows and films for you to watch. That makes it easy to find new favourites in a saturated market.

4 – Travelling

Most people have time to kill while travelling, whether you’re passing time before a flight or winding down in the hotel room. Streaming services are a great option to have on hand when you’re taking some much needed downtime.

5 – Bespoke Content

With increasing original content coming to streaming services, it’s inevitable that some of it doesn’t make it to physical media. Platforms are also increasingly experimenting with interactive content like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and You vs. Wild. Streaming platforms are the only way to watch titles like this.

Blu-Ray

1 – Quality

If you’re after the absolute utmost quality from your media, it’s hard to look past 4K UHD Blu-Ray releases. They have a huge storage capacity and deliver high bitrate video and audio so your shows look and sound their best. They also enable better HDR performance due to reduced compression.

2 – Ownership

Have you ever looked for an old favourite show on a streaming service and found that it’s moved to another platform or disappeared entirely? With Blu-Ray you can watch your favourites any time you want – and licensors can’t take them away from you.

3 – Collection

With a Blu-Ray purchase you get a physical object to look at and hold, putting you in closer contact with your media than we usually experience in today’s world. Collectible versions of Blu-Ray releases also often come with a few extra goodies like art books, figurines, and more. On the disc itself you’ll also often find extra features like audio commentary, deleted scenes, and more.

4 – Access

With a Blu-Ray library, you never have to worry about your internet connection causing buffering or dropouts – you can access your media at any time. In fact, if you’ve got some time to kill while your internet is undergoing maintenance, watching a Blu-Ray might be a great option.

5 – No Ads

Ever had your immersion broken by an interstitial ad on a streaming service? Not the case with Blu-Ray – once you’ve bought it the advertising is over.

What about the cost?

A significant factor for purchasing decisions often comes down to money. Streaming services have been increasing in price in recent years, with most reaching $20 per month for the premium 4K package.

4K Blu-Rays aren’t the cheapest media, but it’s a single up-front cost instead of ongoing monthly payments. Once you’ve built the bulk of your library, it may even turn out cheaper than maintaining multiple streaming subscriptions.

Physical media also gives you the option to buy pre-owned discs that will often come at a huge discount.

The cost analysis will boil down to how often you’re watching new shows, but it could offer an opportunity to carefully curate a collection of favourites and must-haves.

If you’ve got a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X you’ve already got everything you need to watch – though the Xbox does not support Dolby Vision for Blu-Ray media.

Without one of these consoles you’ll need a dedicated player. When looking, make sure it’s a recent model that supports 4K discs and HDR10 support. Panasonic is considered the premium option with the Panasonic DP-UB820 receiving many recommendations from users and the DP-UB450 coming in slightly cheaper but keeping Dolby Vision support.

What about you?

Will you be ditching your subscriptions for discs, or is convenience king? Let us know in the comments.