Has your buying/ viewing/ collecting habits changed over the years?

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

I'd be curious to hear if what people are viewing has changed because of streaming?

For me the physical media is all about watching what you want to see. I'd be tracking discs from countries around the world (hell, when I was living in Finland approx 95% of my purchases were imports). Whereas streaming is more often watching what they're offering to you. That's not always bad, as you end up making discoveries you'd never have done otherwise, and there are some worthy streaming sites that offer genre films and VHS masters of films that never even came out on disc. But still...

[Wernski Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wernski]

Ah man, you guys are making me miss the days of just walking into a Best Buy or similar and having tons of options. These days, having to order everything online, my habits haven't changed too much, but I'm a little more precious about what I'll order online. I consider whether I *need* it, as opposed to impulse buying in shops, where I might get an amusing, but not great movie I remember from the old video store days or whatever. So I'm a little more selective. Otherwise, not much has changed.

It took me a long time, but I finally, in the last year or so, decided to sell every DVD I own that's available on blu (with the very rare exception in the case where the DVD is actually better, like Blair Witch and Rabid Grannies) with an eye towards replacing them with blu (or UHD where possible). Up 'till then, I was just double-dipping on my absolute favorites or blus that had drastic enhancements, i.e. new masters or special editions over barebones. I haven't yet replaced every one, something I figure I'll just slowly do over a long period of time, but I've finally pushed out every DVD that's possible to replace.

As for streaming, to me it's just the new TV or radio. I'll watch whatever - and plenty - but still buy the stuff I love on physical media. If I see a movie streaming I love, it goes on my "to buy" list; usually I won't even finish watching it to the end. What I watch to the end is just all the "meh" mainstream stuff that I previously would've caught on cable or whatever, but never purchased back in the day either.

So I'm not really buying much more or less than I always have... just a tiny bit less because they've taken away my ability to buy stuff locally.

[Dick Ringeisen Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dick Ringeisen]

I'd be curious to hear if what people are viewing has changed because of streaming?

For me the physical media is all about watching what you want to see. I'd be tracking discs from countries around the world (hell, when I was living in Finland approx 95% of my purchases were imports). Whereas streaming is more often watching what they're offering to you. That's not always bad, as you end up making discoveries you'd never have done otherwise, and there are some worthy streaming sites that offer genre films and VHS masters of films that never even came out on disc. But still...

Physical media, tends to be something I plan for, it's like when I go to a movie theatre. It's not often I just pass by a movie theatre, and say, "HEY! I'm going to walk in there, next showing, and see that". The only time I can think of I did that, was walking by a movie theatre, seeing a poster for Deep Rising, thinking about it, and the person I was with was looking, we were leaving the mall, looked to see that it was playing again pretty soon and, we saw Deep Rising. Deep Rising is great fun, i still like that film, it's a good one! Physical media, I tend to plan for. Even when i've been going through a TV series, I'd load the DVD into the player, and watch through it while eating, or whatever, and get back to it later. There have been times I've loaded discs for background noise type of stuff, but even then it would be odd stuff, that did not require lots of attention, such as Unsolved Mysteries or something, before they got their repackaged Stack releases.

Streaming, I browse at times, but I am only recently getting back into watching more movies again, and, it's mostly disc based. If I have to stream it, I will, such as St Maude. To watch St. Maude, it was a $1, dollar, dollah bill, y'all!... with that Epix trial.

Streaming, I've at times searched through things, for movies I have on DVD, that do not have a Blu-ray release. Last year, when I watched the excellent film, "Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo", I had my DVD out, and, there is no Blu-ray release.... Well, i searched, and a streaming site had it in HD, so.... rather than spin my DVD, I streamed that HD release of Deuce Bigalow. Deuce Bigalow is a great example of American filmmaking. I mean, Rob Schneider did an excellent job making sure that woman scooped those snails from the bottom of the tank at the aquarium store, thereby getting her t-shirt and nipples wet. Where the heck is a Blu-ray of this film?!?

[The Silly Swede Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close The Silly Swede]

I'd be curious to hear if what people are viewing has changed because of streaming?

For me the physical media is all about watching what you want to see. I'd be tracking discs from countries around the world (hell, when I was living in Finland approx 95% of my purchases were imports). Whereas streaming is more often watching what they're offering to you. That's not always bad, as you end up making discoveries you'd never have done otherwise, and there are some worthy streaming sites that offer genre films and VHS masters of films that never even came out on disc. But still...

No, I live in third world country* ruled by philistines. I can only stream mainstream and mainstream B movies. For everything else I have to import.

*culturually that is.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I have noticed that over the past 2 years I don't watch dvds/blu rays as often. But that is cause of streaming. Easier to just grab my Roku remote and look for something than go search the shelves and boxes for what I want to see. Hell there has been times I wanted to watch a film I knew I had a physical copy of,but was in the living room and too lazy to go back to my room to find the disc. So found where it was streaming and watched it on there.

See, in a lot of ways I'm the opposite. I'll know something is available on a streaming platform and deliberately seek out the disc if I want to watch it. I find a lot of time I'll look for something to stream, on those rare days I don't have to watch something to review, and it'll take AGES to find something.

This might sound dumb, but I legitimately believe that the cover art of the physical media helps me decide! You don't get that with streaming.

[Dom D Spoon! Find all posts View Profile Close Dom D]

Yeah, not in a good way. When I had a disc player I used to have access to more of the films that interest me. Although buying and renting were different things. Renting sucked. A while back in another thread someone was saying that when you went to a video store you "selected" but when you went streaming you "settled" on one. That to me was just one of those crazy things people say to try to juestify physical media. Video stores were all about settling as they had such limited selections. HOWEVER when I bought online I was defeinitly Selecting my movies. I was fucking curating a collection man! So while my standards weren't high there were at least standards.I have no standards for streaming. I let my base instincts guide my choices on the night.

I get to see a lot less great cult these days. I've lost all access to cult releases until they turn up on cinemageddon. It sucks. Although there is an element to which the vast majority of the really good cult had been released by the time I dropped out of physical. I remember when Blue Underground was largely deserting the scene Lustig saying something along the lines of "well what's left to release? Do we just keep doing more and more obscure Francos?" It's a fair point and it's largely what the cult labels have been forced to do. So most things these days are either rereleases which I already own or an even more obscure Franco. I already own 60 odd Franco movies. Objectively speaking I probably don't need more.

There's also the fact that these days I mostly watch with my girlfriend. She'll very happily watch, say, a good Bava movie but she's probably not going to go trawling through the depths of D'Amatos catalogue with me. Which is fair. Back in the day I'd endure 90 minutes of boredom if there was one amazing scene. I can't expect everyone to be the same.

[Spaghetti Monkey Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Spaghetti Monkey]

See, in a lot of ways I'm the opposite. I'll know something is available on a streaming platform and deliberately seek out the disc if I want to watch it. I find a lot of time I'll look for something to stream, on those rare days I don't have to watch something to review, and it'll take AGES to find something.

This might sound dumb, but I legitimately believe that the cover art of the physical media helps me decide! You don't get that with streaming.

Yeah, we've only even been able to stream for about a year or so. The first time i scrolled through the Prime stuff, i went down a helluva rabbit hole before picking something. Randomly looking for something doesn't work for me, but i do keep a few things in my queue and realistically, i stream mostly when i get on a roll with a Director/Actor and run into something i don't have. Mostly days i already have an idea what i want to watch, but once in a while i end up browsing the spines on my shelves til i find something.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

No, I live in third world country* ruled by philistines. I can only stream mainstream and mainstream B movies. For everything else I have to import.

*culturually that is.

That was my case when I was living in the neighbouring third world country. Streaming in Japan is a bit different. You go to DMM and they have 564 Roman Porno films, most of them films that never got released on DVD. Or Amazon who hosts Toei Junk Channel.



Though recently I don't even have time for Junk Channel since I've got Toei Channel on TV and my Blu-Ray recorder is working overtime...
https://www.toeich.jp/lineup

[James Reed Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close James Reed]

[Dom D Spoon! Find all posts View Profile Close Dom D]

That was my case when I was living in the neighbouring third world country. Streaming in Japan is a bit different. You go to DMM and they have 564 Roman Porno films, most of them films that never got released on DVD. Or Amazon who hosts Toei Junk Channel.



Though recently I don't even have time for Junk Channel since I've got Toei Channel on TV and my Blu-Ray recorder is working overtime...
https://www.toeich.jp/lineup

This is the future! You're living the dream there. Wonder why Toei limits the service to Japan? They'd own all the rights why not make money overseas as well?

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

This is the future! You're living the dream there. Wonder why Toei limits the service to Japan? They'd own all the rights why not make money overseas as well?

I think
1) They'd have to subtitle everything
2) The film industry thinking is still largely stuck in the 80s when you'd have to divide the world into markets and sell to local distributors.
3) Japanese film industry simply isn't very internationally minded.

No. 2 does have its positives too, IMO. I'm not sure if we would ever have gotten the Arrow BDs for example if Toei was streaming worldwide.

[Derrick King Waterfall Puncher Find all posts View Profile Close Derrick King]

Ah man, you guys are making me miss the days of just walking into a Best Buy or similar and having tons of options. These days, having to order everything online, my habits haven't changed too much, but I'm a little more precious about what I'll order online. I consider whether I *need* it, as opposed to impulse buying in shops, where I might get an amusing, but not great movie I remember from the old video store days or whatever. So I'm a little more selective. Otherwise, not much has changed.

This is a good point. Since I don't have any real media stores near me, and Best Buy and everyone else has reduced the number of movies they carry, I rarely blind or impulse buy movies. I went into Best Buy earlier this year and they had, at most, four or five dozen titles. No reason for me to ever step foot into that store again.

See, in a lot of ways I'm the opposite. I'll know something is available on a streaming platform and deliberately seek out the disc if I want to watch it. I find a lot of time I'll look for something to stream, on those rare days I don't have to watch something to review, and it'll take AGES to find something.

I solve this by focusing on the expiring titles on the Criterion Channel, which, when I remove what I own or have seen, usually narrows it down to 30-60 titles every month. The bad one is Tubi, I spend more time adding titles to my watchlist than I do actually watching them.

[Mark Tolch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark Tolch]

This is a good point. Since I don't have any real media stores near me, and Best Buy and everyone else has reduced the number of movies they carry, I rarely blind or impulse buy movies. I went into Best Buy earlier this year and they had, at most, four or five dozen titles. No reason for me to ever step foot into that store again.



I solve this by focusing on the expiring titles on the Criterion Channel, which, when I remove what I own or have seen, usually narrows it down to 30-60 titles every month. The bad one is Tubi, I spend more time adding titles to my watchlist than I do actually watching them.

I also love the "Leaving Soon" section of the Criterion Channel.

[Dom D Spoon! Find all posts View Profile Close Dom D]

I think
2) The film industry thinking is still largely stuck in the 80s when you'd have to divide the world into markets and sell to local distributors.
No. 2 does have its positives too, IMO. I'm not sure if we would ever have gotten the Arrow BDs for example if Toei was streaming worldwide.

I'd happily trade in a couple of blurays for unfettered access to hundreds of obscure films. The stuck in the 80s mindset of the studios is a very real thing I think. It's a point that wasn't raised on the Amazon thread but I think fresh blood from the tech companies moving into the film biz can only be a good thing for this reason.

[Scott Intellectual Carrot Find all posts View Profile Close Scott]

I'd happily trade in a couple of blurays for unfettered access to hundreds of obscure films. The stuck in the 80s mindset of the studios is a very real thing I think. It's a point that wasn't raised on the Amazon thread but I think fresh blood from the tech companies moving into the film biz can only be a good thing for this reason.

When all this first started I thought how great it would be to have a giant repository for everything. Instead the access has divided and sub-divided even further based on right holders, one time deals, music access, packaged deals, and well, mostly greed. Great idea though! But you just knew they'd muck it all up.

When you guys mention the category of titles that say "Leaving Soon", it makes my eye twitch. Is it rights issues? It surely can't be space issues. Why should anything leave unless a company merges or gets bought out. I know I know, it's not that simple. But it should be.