DVDs first hit the scene all the way back in the late 1990s, and, despite now being three decades old and counting, they endure on the market to this very day. I can see why: they’re affordable, approachable, accessible, ubiquitous, and, most of all, time-tested.
Now, on a technical level, DVDs are woefully outdated by 2026 standards. They can only hold 4.7GB of data per disc, they don’t feature a dedicated anti-scratch coating, and they miss out on many of the newer audiovisual features found on Blu-rays and 4K UHD discs.
Nevertheless, I have a soft spot for the DVD optical disc format, perhaps more so than any other physical media standard. Perhaps it’s the iconic menu selection screens of DVDs, or maybe it’s the fond memories of ripping and burning blank discs in the late 2000s.
In any case, I absolutely love my DVDs, and I have no plans to part ways with my collection of discs any time soon. Here are three reasons why I simply refuse to let go of my DVDs, even in today’s convenience-first video streaming era.
I put elbow grease into my DVD collection
A decade of disc collecting
I’ve spent years building up my collection of DVDs, and I’ve put a great deal of effort into finding rare titles, importing discs, and scouring through store shelves. If I were to throw out my DVDs, I’d be throwing out a significant time and money investment, which I’m not prepared to do. I love sifting through my various DVDs, both the ones in disc binders and the ones in their original cases, as well as reminiscing about the days of going to video stores and purchasing brand-new titles.
I’m nostalgic for my DVD collection
Harkening back to the good old days
Speaking of reminiscing, DVD’s hold a very special nostalgic spot in my heart. There’s something about the soft, 480p image quality of the DVD format that I just can’t get enough of, even if it’s technically unimpressive compared to Full HD or UHD. I also love the disc art of DVDs, the larger black boxes they ship in, and the aforementioned menu selection screens that look and feel like a lot of effort was placed into them. Everything about the format feels just right to me, and it scratches a particularly potent itch that its Blu-ray successor simply can’t.
I can still play back my DVD collection
Thanks to backwards compatibility
Perhaps most importantly of all, I don’t feel the need to let go of my DVD collection because it’s still perfectly usable in 2026. Just about every Blu-ray disc and 4K UHD player on the market is backwards compatible with DVDs, and many go a step further with upscaling techniques and the like. Sure, DVDs don’t look as technically impressive as their successor optical disc formats, but they still play back perfectly well (so long as you take measures to prevent disc rot and other issues), and there’s no reason to believe that this status quo will change any time soon.
