A film fan’s perspective on true ownership, maximum quality, and taking back control of your movie collection in Ottawa.
I have always loved movies and TV shows. While I don’t describe myself as a collector, I have accumulated movies on various physical formats since the 1990s, starting with VHS, then DVD as a student with my first part-time job. A decade later came Blu-ray, and nearly a decade after that, 4K UHD Blu-ray. I had my years in the doldrums as streaming took off, but I probably always bought something on disc each year until 2023, when things shifted into high gear. My wife and I started enjoying looking for movie bargains in Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Toys R Us, Sunrise Records and thrift stores in Ottawa. Not in a crazy way, just when we happened to be in the store or nearby. For a while, Walmart had bargain bin Blu-rays at $5, and some Shoppers still do for $5, $7 or $10.
I was testing Plex on my NAS (network attached storage) device at the time, and that is what really got us back into physical media - we owned a given title on disc, and yet could stream it to any device in the house. It did not have to be only on the TV with the Blu-ray player. No getting up to find the title, get the disc out and put it in the player. We just pressed play. And because it was as easy as any streaming service, it meant we were more likely to watch the higher quality content that we owned. We did and have never looked back.
I focus on Blu-ray and 4K generally. I do have DVDs, mainly of TV shows as it is less common for them to get upgraded releases on Blu-ray. I loved DVD as a format; the jump in quality and features from VHS was incredible. Even as a child, I could see VHS was poor quality and longed for something better. But today, I find it difficult to choose DVD when I have so much to still see on Blu-ray and 4K. For old material that I only have on DVD, it’s often not as bad as I remember. I can still enjoy Columbo and Red Dwarf on DVD, for example. As a technical tip, if it has to be DVD, I prefer UK releases as the PAL format has higher image quality - 576 lines compared to North America’s NTSC with 480 lines.
So a film fan, not a collector. Why? Because I buy the films I like, without feeling a need to acquire complete collections or series, be they of the films themselves or what boutique studios often do with numbered series, encouraging people to collect them all. I just don’t need that.
For example, I love Raiders of the Lost Ark and especially Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but never much liked Temple of Doom, disliked Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and have not seen Dial of Destiny. So I only own the first two mentioned. I love The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but feel nothing for The Hobbit trilogy. I always liked The Fast and the Furious but have no desire to get the subsequent nine films. Of course, you buy what you like and if you are a completionist, that’s fine.
So why physical media and not just streaming? Well, they’re not mutually exclusive and I do stream too. The kids need it! It‘s great for trying movies and shows we’ve not seen before. But for our favourites we’ll return to, or sometimes for important films I feel we should have, it has to be physical. Here are some reasons why.
More choice
Streaming services are notorious for the lack of older films, especially pre-1970s. While each subsequent physical format has had fewer releases than the last, there are still far more titles available across DVD, Blu-ray and 4K than all streaming services. As I get older, I find I am more interested in film history, seeing where genres or styles started, what were the influential films that affected later directors, or finally watching something with a huge reputation and understanding what all the fuss was about.
No monthly subscription fees
Physical releases can be very cheap at a thrift store or expensive from a boutique label. But you only pay once and then own it forever. It has some residual value if you decide to sell it. Some rare titles can become very valuable. With streaming, you are renting access. If you stop paying, you have nothing. And of course, those fees add up when using multiple services and only ever increase in price, especially in recent years. Now ads are becoming more common on paid tiers, even ‘premium’ levels, and more intrusive. Some disc releases have ads that play before the main menu, but never during your film. And with the Crafted Home Tech media service, digitizing the disc removes all ads and warnings so you just get the movie you want.
No censorship
Ok, maybe not none, but it’s pretty rare, far less than streaming, and you can check the version you buy beforehand for any issues. Any cuts or changes are quickly spotted and reported in the right places online. But for the vast majority of releases, they are the versions the creators intended to be seen. Not edited or changed because the movie does not match the studio owner’s current sociopolitical preferences.
And once you have a disc, it will not change, which cannot be said for digital purchases, where you will only get the version they want you to see today.
No Internet required.
This is a minor point, as always-on Internet is normal and reliable here, but it’s nice to not need it just for watching Gladiator. They didn’t need the Internet in Ancient Rome, after all. Put some movies on a phone or hard drive and you can then enjoy them anywhere, any time.
Superior audio and video quality.
Streaming can look fine, but Blu-ray is simply better. A more solid image, no colour banding, more fine detail. 4K is better still, of course, if you have the player hardware and a big enough screen. For audio, Blu-rays contain lossless tracks, compared to the heavily compressed, lossy tracks on streaming. DVD was lossy too, but that was the 90s, give it a break. It’s like a CD vs MP3. The lossy versions have removed information to save space. You may not always notice, as they use clever psychoacoustic methods, but we know we’re getting a lot more from discs. The audio feels fuller, more rounded. When you have a soundbar or surround setup, that uncompressed audio is what makes your home cinema actually feel cinematic.
True ownership
This is a big one. Once bought, you will not lose your movies. Like a true piece of property, no one can take it away from you. Digital purchases are not the same at all - you are only renting access for as long as the service has that title, and they do remove titles from their catalogues, don’t they, Sony? (500+ titles disappeared from the PlayStation store in September 2026. If you had bought them, there were no refunds, no credits, no apologies).
Of course, you should take care of your discs as you would any other possession. The Crafted Home Tech media service helps here, as putting the movies onto a server for daily use, while keeping the original discs, means they back each other up. You may have a catastrophic server issue (though I recommend backing up all your data to avoid this), but you still have your discs and can rip them again. If you lose or damage a disc, that’s worse, but you can still watch the movie from the server. If both happen at the same time, that’s probably a larger home and family emergency, so let’s not worry too much about a film collection…
Permanent availability
Related to ownership, you are in control of your library, not the streamer. No one can say you can no longer watch a movie because licence agreements expired, or because the title is now considered not politically correct (Crocodile Dundee, Gone with the Wind). No one will edit or censor your copy overnight. No one can ‘upgrade’ it to a DNR’d mess because of changing tastes (Terminator 2). If you have an Internet outage, your media keeps running smoothly. If you want a break from those streaming fees, you still have your library. Stop paying your streaming provider after 10 years, and you will have nothing to show for it. And if you no longer want a title in your library, you can remove it by selling or donating it.
This is also about preservation of the art of the film. Every physical media collection, large or small, preserves the titles it has, as the creators intended them (for the vast majority of releases, and as close as the format allows). Studios can and do remove films and whole TV shows from streaming, to avoid paying royalties, for tax reductions, or other unclear reasons.
Special features
This was a large part of the success of DVD. If you have any interest in how films are made, the extras on most discs are fascinating. Of course, quality and quantity vary, and older releases or special editions tend to be better (remember 2-disc DVD sets? One for the film, one full of extras). Interviews, making-ofs, deleted scenes, trailers, storyboards, effects breakdowns, and more.
My favourite type of extra is the commentary, where the director, producers or actors discuss the making of the film as a separate audio track. Some releases have multiple commentaries. You get the film’s full runtime worth of interesting information first hand from the people who made it, often memories or remarks that are nowhere else. It helps to watch the film for this, as they often refer to what is happening on screen, but it is also possible to listen to the commentary audio only, like a podcast, though it would take a little work to get it off the disc and convert it for your phone to play.
Support the industry
Streaming services, for movies and TV but also music, are notorious for how little they pay the creators for what amounts to the lifeblood of the streaming platforms. Disc releases used to generate vital revenue for mid-budget and independent films.
Physical media, when bought new, which I accept is a bit of a luxury, directly supports the people actually keeping cinema alive.
The best of both worlds
You don't have to choose between the pristine quality of physical media and the convenience of modern streaming. At Crafted Home Tech, we help Ottawa homeowners digitize their physical collections onto secure, private home servers, giving you instant access to your entire movie and TV library on every screen in your house, with zero monthly fees. Learn more: media service.
Ready to build your ultimate private media setup? Book a free consultation with Crafted Home Tech today.
