Watching movies and TV shows on DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K discs instead of through streaming services and digital downloads solves many problems. Some of them are relatively obvious. For example, you may understand that a title won’t always be available on a given streaming platform. Similarly, even if you’ve purchased a digital download of a given title, that doesn’t guarantee it will remain part of your permanent digital library. With a disc, you can be confident you truly own your movies and shows.

However, there are additional issues associated with streaming and digital downloads that are less apparent. That doesn’t mean they’re any less troublesome or annoying. Luckily, these are also the kinds of inconveniences that physical media is perfectly-suited to address.

An internet outage won’t stop you from watching a disc

If you want to watch a streaming version of a movie or show, or if you want to rent or purchase a digital download of that title, you’ll need a reliable internet connection. For some people, where internet infrastructure is limited, this can significantly restrict their ability to watch what they want, when they want.

Granted, access to reliable internet is fairly common throughout much of the world these days. That doesn’t mean that internet outages can’t happen. When they do, streaming services and digital download platforms become essentially useless. This is just one example of a scenario in which having a physical copy of a movie or show you want to watch ensures you can still enjoy it, regardless of connection problems.

Browsing can be a hassle on a streaming platform

Physical media can streamline and truly personalize the browsing process

Even as the kind of devout fan of physical media who will gladly cite the research-backed reasons why it offers a superior experience over digital media, I need to remember that I embraced the streaming revolution when it first began. Most of us did. If we hadn’t, streaming never would have replaced physical media in the first place.

In our defense, streaming was supposed to offer many benefits that sounded appealing at the time. For example, an algorithm that offers a browsing experience tailored to an individual user’s unique tastes and preferences seemed like the kind of advantage only new technology could offer.

However, many have found that this supposed benefit of digital media and streaming actually detracts from the experience of choosing something to watch. There are several reasons this is the case.

First, a streaming platform can have a large bounty of content from which to choose. While this may technically seem like a good quality, sorting through all that content can be time-consuming, and may result in decision paralysis. Unfortunately, algorithms also seem to be unable to properly “understand” the nuances of a given user’s taste, offering content that might sound like it matches their tastes on paper, but doesn’t actually resonate with them in practice. As a result, the content a user wants to find can get buried.

Physical media can actually simplify the process of browsing a library and selecting something to watch. Although a physical library is almost certainly going to be less extensive than a digital one, that can be a welcome change, as it means you won’t waste as much time trying to decide on what to watch. Sometimes, having fewer options streamlines the process of making a decision.

In addition, with a physical media collection, you can arrange the content however you like, designing a browsing experience that’s truly personalized. Naturally, you can arrange your discs in alphabetical order, but you don’t have to. You could organize your collection by genre, mood, stars, directors, or any other elements or characteristics that help you make the browsing experience genuinely enjoyable.

Physical media can offer more control over how content is presented

Any fan of movies and TV shows likely understand that presentation can make a big difference in the viewing experience. Technical details regarding audio options, video compression, and other such factors will affect what you’re watching and how it affects you.

On top of that, there may be different versions of a single piece of content. For example, there may be several special editions, director’s cuts, and other such versions of a single movie. Often, a streaming service will only offer one option. That option may not be the version you want to watch.

This highlights another way in which physical media solves a common digital media and streaming problem. With physical media, you can buy the version of the show or movie that you want. To varying degrees, physical media also offers you the ability to exercise greater control over the presentation, although the extent to which this is possible will depend on the exact disc you’re playing.

Again, it’s worth noting that these are just some of the less-obvious ways DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K discs solve streaming’s problems. Physical media also offers many clear and obvious benefits, like ensuring full ownership of a title. The truth is, the more you begin to re-embrace watching content on these formats, the more you’ll understand why so many are ditching streaming for discs. That said, you obviously don’t have to choose between the two. Even I’m willing to admit I still find reasons to keep my streaming subscriptions active. I just know I don’t depend on them the same way I depend on my disc collection.