I replaced Netflix with Blu-rays for a week. It was liberating!

Streaming services have changed my attitude towards TV and movies

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

I like Netflix for the most part. It’s far from perfect, but I still consider it good value despite the various (and seemingly endless) price increases in recent years. I also subscribe to Disney+ and Amazon Prime, and use FAST services like Tubi and Pluto.

But I’ve been growing increasingly frustrated with certain aspects of streaming services lately — and those frustrations have actually warped my attitude toward the movies and TV shows I watch.

Not only do I often have trouble deciding What watching, I find myself disengaged and easily distracted (mainly by my phone) when I TO DO find something to wear. I also care less about the artistic elements of what I’m watching. The moving images on my TV screen are mostly just fodder to fill an evening, which is a shame because a lot of work has gone into these films and TV shows and they deserve to be appreciated for their true value.

A mundane task, a eureka moment

Dave Parrack / Foundry

What made me try to review my DVDs and Blu-rays? Well, I’ve been meaning to clear out my collection for a while now, having accumulated quite a few over the years. I wanted to send them to charity shops, with some perhaps even worth selling on eBay. Anyway, I didn’t like them collecting dust.

But when I got around to it, my physical media—sitting there, unloved and untouched for so long—triggered a rush of nostalgia in me before I even touched one of the cases. I spotted several films and TV box sets that I had completely forgotten about, and many others that I had never seen on streaming services. It was a real gold mine.

One more look at my physical media library was enough to encourage me to watch at least a few before getting rid of them. After all, I bought these DVDs and Blu-rays because they were my favorite movies and TV shows in the first place! That’s when I decided: For a week, I would ditch all my streaming apps and stick only to my DVDs and Blu-rays.

Making the most of a smaller selection

Dave Parrack / Foundry

My first realization was that a smaller content library isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, with only a limited number of discs to choose from, I didn’t have a problem with the paradox of choice (i.e. how having an abundance of options can lead to indecision). And the fact that all the options were in front of me at once made it quick and easy to narrow down what I wanted to watch.

What do I take away from this? To start using streaming services differently. Rather than launching an app without knowing what to watch and wasting time browsing, I choose what I want to watch before launching the service (using a tool like JustWatch).

Physical media engaged me more

Dave Parrack / Foundry

Once I decided what to watch – in this case, V for Vendetta starring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman – all I had to do was load it onto my PS5. The PS5 is actually the only device in my living room capable of playing DVDs and Blu-rays.

Surprisingly enough, I enjoyed the physical act of removing the Blu-ray from the shelf, opening the case, and inserting the disc into my PS5. It made watching a movie more of an experience than just a mindless background activity. Clicking “Play” on Netflix just doesn’t have the same impact. (Of course, there may be an element of nostalgia here. Someone under 20 may not feel the same way.)

The ripple effect was to make me more engaged and determined to watch (and enjoy) the film I had chosen. This forced me to put my phone aside and actively watch the story instead of having it playing in the background. It definitely helped V for Vendetta is a pleasure to watch, a film full of scenes and lines that I wanted not to miss.

It was a strange shift in my psyche and I don’t know how to explain it. Even when I watched the same content as on a streaming service, my posture as a viewer changed when it was via DVD or Blu-ray. The physical nature of the medium somehow made it more important, as if I had made the effort to pay attention to it.

My appreciation has deepened

Dave Parrack / Foundry

It wasn’t just my engagement it has changed.

Remember the DVD extras? I admit that I had forgotten about them after so many years on streaming services. However, upon opening a few Blu-rays, many extras surfaced on the menu screen, and I dove into some of them after watching their respective films. Additional scenes? Yes please! An exaggerated director’s comment? Yes please! This was all especially great because I was mostly watching beloved movies, so the commentary brought new content and more layers.

It only took me a few days to start appreciating cinema again as an art form, rather than just content to consume in the background without much care or consideration. This has been a big change for me, and I hope it continues even when I return to streaming.

Streaming isn’t going anywhere, but physical media still has its place

Dave Parrack / Foundry

If you only streaming media, whether because it’s more convenient or because you simply don’t own a physical disc, I recommend picking up a DVD or Blu-ray of your favorite movie or TV series and devouring it. (Assuming you have a device capable of reading physical media, or are willing to pick one up as well.)

Of course, streaming isn’t going anywhere – now that my week off from streaming is over, I plan to return to streaming. But I’m happy to have undergone this “detox”. Not only has this changed the way I stream and renewed my love for film, but I plan to keep some of my physical media (instead of abandoning everything like I was originally going to do).

It’s a lot like vinyl records, which have made a comeback thanks to younger generations looking for something beyond digital audio. Maybe it’s time DVDs and Blu-rays got the same treatment.

Further reading: How to Save Big Money on Streaming Services