By Clay Cheatham
As streaming services continued to change their libraries and remove movies and television shows, physical media remained a way for people to hold on to their favorite entertainment. Despite the convenience of streaming, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and VHS tapes continued to find an audience among collectors and people who prefer keeping physical copies of the movies and shows they enjoy.
In Largo, Retro Rat is one local business that continues to serve customers interested in physical media. The store carries a variety of movies, television shows, and video games, allowing customers to browse and purchase titles they can take home and add to their collections. While streaming has made entertainment more accessible, physical media still offers a different experience by letting people own their favorite movies and games. This removes the need to rely on what is available through a streaming service.
Adam Hutton, manager of Retro Rat, noticed continued interest in physical media as collectors looked for alternatives to digital entertainment. Hutton said that the growing number of streaming services and their ever-changing libraries contributed to people returning to physical
media.
One of the biggest reasons people continued to collect physical media is the ability to own their favorite movies, shows, and games. Unlike streaming services, where titles can become unavailable because of licensing agreements and platform decisions, physical copies let consumers keep their entertainment collections without worry.
“With the rise of so many different streaming services and how often they fluctuate content in and out, people are getting sick and tired of that, and they are wanting their movies back,” Hutton said.
The appeal of physical media
Hutton said nostalgia played a role in the lasting interest in collecting. He compared a personal movie collection to having a movie store inside your own home. Instead of spending time scrolling through multiple streaming apps trying to decide what to watch, collectors could look through their own shelves and choose something they already owned.
For Christina Kopita, a physical media collector who owns not only DVDs but also PlayStation 5 games, physical media offers an additional way to access her favorite titles. She enjoys being able to watch a movie whenever she wants, especially when a title isn’t available on streaming services.
While streaming services have provided convenience, physical media has offered additional features that streaming often did not. Special features, deleted scenes, blooper reels, and commentary tracks gave movie fans another reason to purchase physical copies.
“Having a DVD available at home means I don’t have to search through different platforms for hours trying to find something to watch. I also enjoy having physical copies of my favorite games rather than relying solely on a digital license,” Kopita said.
What streaming cannot offer
While streaming services have provided convenience, physical media has offered additional features that streaming often did not. Special features, deleted scenes, blooper reels, and commentary tracks gave movie fans another reason to purchase physical copies.
Hutton said he especially enjoyed the behind-the-scenes content and commentary tracks that allow viewers to learn more about how movies are made.
For movie fans who enjoy learning about the production process, these additional features make
owning a physical copy more appealing. Some DVDs and Blu-rays included features such as interviews with the cast and crew, as well as additional footage showing how a film was made. These additional features also give collectors another reason to revisit movies they have already watched rather than simply streaming them again.
The importance of physical media to filmmakers
While physical media continued to lose popularity as a primary way to watch movies, some filmmakers still saw value in physical releases. Austin Spicer, a film director, founder of Dreamland Studios, and president of the American Film Association, said physical media remained important to the film industry despite the decline in sales.
According to research published by the Media and Consolidation Research Organization (MACRO Lab) at UC San Diego, DVD revenue began declining sharply in 2008. The research found that streaming eventually surpassed box office revenue in 2018 and out-earned peak DVD sales in 2020.
This shift represented a major change in the entertainment industry and how it generated revenue. Although physical media once provided a major source of income for studios, streaming eventually became a larger part of the home entertainment business.
Spicer said DVD sales once generated more than $16 billion annually in the U.S., but by 2024, physical media sales had fallen below $1 billion. He said that the decline represented a significant loss for the film industry.
“That is not just a format going away. That is an entire profit center disappearing from the business,” Spicer said.
From a filmmaker’s perspective, Spicer said physical media releases provide more ownership and control over how audiences experience a movie. Filmmakers can choose the artwork, special features, commentary, and presentation while also selling copies directly to people who want to support their work.
Spicer also emphasized the importance of physical media in preserving independent and lesser-known films. While major studio releases are more likely to receive continued attention, smaller productions face a greater risk of disappearing if streaming services remove them without a physical release.
“The big studio titles will be looked after. The small films are the ones at risk,” Spicer said.
Although Spicer believes that physical media will eventually become more of a collector’s market, he said it will continue to serve an important purpose for filmmakers and movie fans.
“Like vinyl, there will always be people who want to own the real thing,” Spicer said.
Despite the growth of streaming services and the decline in physical media sales, collectors and filmmakers continue to see value in keeping physical copies. While physical media may never return to its former popularity, businesses like Retro Rat still give collectors a place to find movies and games they can call their own. For those who still enjoy browsing shelves, discovering older titles, and building their collections, physical media remains more than just a way to watch a movie. It is a way to hold on to the entertainment they love.
