Are DVDs dead?

DVD on sale at 50% off at London Drugs

 

The DVD section at London Drugs

There is something to be said for owning a physical product and being able to touch it, read the credits etc. (Perhaps one of the reasons that vinyl has made such a comeback.) 

But these days most films are available via one of the many streaming services. And that seems to have led to a decline in the demand for DVDs. But I find this odd. 

As anyone who uses a streaming service will have observed, it is not uncommon for films to drift in and out of availability. Old films are suddenly available, and viewers are also faced with the "Leaving Soon" warning for more recent releases.

If you want to be able to watch a film, you really need to own it in a physical format. So, if you want to flesh out your film library, and be able to watch those titles in the future, this clearance sale at London Drugs may be worth a visit.

Luckily it was released on the 13th

Yesterday, I saw this back-lit sign on a DVDPlay dispenser at my local Safeway.

I have two problems with this sign. The first problem is that the sign is promoting a film that was released four months earlier. Not really a current release that is likely to attract a lot of attention from prospective customers.

The other problem is that the date is listed at "12-13", which must mean December 13th. But if the movie had been released a week earlier the date would have been listed at "12-6" which could mean either December 6th, or June 12th.

But the biggest problem with the DVDPlay machines has nothing to do with the date. In all of the hundreds of times that I've been to this Safeway, I've never seen anyone using the machine. Might explain why the movies are a bit out of date.