2024 is about to be the start of the end of the DVD. People who lived through the 8-tracks, VHS, cassettes, CDs and DVDs, Blu-Rays (they never had a chance), have seen it all leading up to the streaming era. With all the different streaming services we can chose from and the fastest internet speeds we’ve ever seen, it was always a possibility that stores would eventually stop selling the physical copies of movies.
Just look at the gaming industry and what they do – they allow digital downloads if you don’t want to go to GameStop to buy the physical game. But you know what, I’d rather have a physical copy instead of a digital only version. How are you going to trade in that digital game you paid full price for? I still want my $3.50 from GameStop when I trade in a game that’s only three days old!
Best Buy is making the big move to stop selling physical DVDs according to ZDNet, who reported on this big era change in a news report:
“Making this change gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy,” a Best Buy spokesperson said in a statement to Bloomberg.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the company pointed to the changing times and the difference in how people consume video content as the reasons for ending DVD sales.
But it’s sad, man. People growing up today will never know what it was like walking into a Blockbuster to look at all the cool movie titles, pick something out, and watch it at home with their friends and family. We went from an all night experience to sitting on the cough tapping a remote like a brain-dead pixel junkie. The experience is GONE.
The only way to possibly recreate this experience is to stop at the Dollar Tree to pick out snacks, then go back home to watch your streamed movie. But you know how that goes, someone always says “we have snacks at home” and you won’t even leave the couch. Sounds boring. I wish we could bring back the Blockbusters, keep the physical copies of our media, and keep this experience around for the younger generation who’s about to miss out on it. Blockbuster on a Friday night is a nostalgic thing that kids today need to experience. We had West Coast Video with the fancy beaded curtain room – you know what was back there, right! HAHA!!!
The digital era is great in terms of speeds and convenience, but it totally sucks in terms of the overall experience. Taking everything digital is just a step in the most wrong direction we can imagine. What happens if every digital copy of a movie is deleted? Is it gone, just like the Kazaam movie with Sinbad…. oh wait, did that ever happen?