i really do not like people whose response to bad news about the decline of physical media is "well it's a good thing i pirate everything." like they want to pretend to be upset about it but will just openly proclaim that they never would've bought physical media anyways. why do you care? you were never invested in this battle anyways, clearly.
telling companies "i was never going to buy your physical media because i find piracy more convenient" is not the W take that you think it is. like, yes, piracy is good for preservation and i'm not arguing otherwise, but also how does that help the situation at all? how is saying you stole the media you wanted to watch anyways going to convince any of these companies to keep doing physical media? it's just broadcasting to them that they're making the right decision. if physical media dies completely and we're left with all media exclusively being shitty, compressed streaming service crap, it'll kinda partially be on those guys for saying the dumbest opinion possible so loudly. the kinds of people who love the idea of physical media right up until they're asked to buy and support physical media.
"but physical media is expensive" you know what? good.
i think streaming media, the idea of nearly infinite entertainment, has done severe damage to how we perceive the value of media in our culture. it's the exact same problem with music. we used to buy or rent physical media, you'd get a limited supply of it, you'd have to plan around it, look forward to it, make allowances for it. Even if it was just "renting a VHS or two from Blockbuster for the weekend" that was still an event, something to look forward to and it motivated you to really be invested in that media and consider carefully what you chose to spend your money and time watching.
Now all we do is scroll the endless lists of thumbnails streaming services serve up to us. Film and TV as a cheap buffet, all the food lukewarm, none of it really as good or as filling, just mindlessly stuffing your face without much consideration because you want to get your money's worth. I feel the spiritual death of media literacy when I watch my parents or loved one aimlessly scroll like zombies past show after show, movie after movie. Even when they find something to watch, whether they'll ever finish it is a 50/50 proposition. Back when we were renting VHS tapes or buying individual DVDs, the idea of leaving your media half-finished and then never picking it up again would've seemed absurd. You spent $20 on that one film and you're not even going to finish it? You'd either be insane, rich, or both.
Media used to be watched with intent, is what I guess I'm getting at. Having to order, wait for, open up, and put the disc in to watch a new movie or show, or go down to the store and peruse the aisles looking for something that catches your eye, and eagerly taking it home, sitting next to you in its plastic bag with the receipt, is an experience that brings back that intent, that purposeful, considered enjoyment, that we've mostly lost in lieu of convenience at all costs.
it's sort of the same problem as that amazon post i made a little while ago, but for media. the streaming business model has never made money and it will never make money. all of this will collapse one day, and maybe that day will be too late, and physical media will already be dead, and then we'll be in a wasteland, and these people will wonder what happened, they'll wish someone had warned them, and i'll be watching Doctor Who The Complete Seventh Series on blu-ray. it's not that bad guys come on Series 7 is not that bad okay yes Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is dumb as hell but come on guys come o
