this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2023
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Technology

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 10 months ago (2 children)

The funny thing is we're rapidly approaching the point where there's more digital content than any single human could consume in a lifetime. Including content from before copyright. So the main thing streaming services offer you is convenience and up-to-date media. But if you're just trying to entertain yourself 30-year-old 40-year-old 50-year-old 60-year-old 70-year-old content can be just as engrossing. You just get emotionally invested in it.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I've found a DVD rental place close to me with quite a collection. Honestly thinking about just unsubscribing from all streaming and going all in on DVD rental. I watched one recently for the first time ... you forget how consistently good the qualilty is compared to streaming (YMMV). But, in true hipster fashion, being more deliberate about what I watch, more openly exploratory, making more of an event of it, all seems attractive. If streaming were actually convenient, fine, but with the way things are now ... they can go to hell.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'd need Blu-ray at least tbh.

But yeah lately I've been buying 4k Blu-rays for movie night

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Plus you get commentary and behind the scenes and such, not sure why most of the streaming services don't offer that.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

Yep ... I forgot to mention that. Overall, when I watched a DVD for the first time in ages, it was somewhat eye opening ... like we've truly gone backwards on what the home viewing experience can be apart from the somewhat minor convenience of being not needing to store the DVDs at home.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (4 children)

this is a rose tinted glass tbh. maybe if you’re watching a dvd on an iphone screen, but DVDs were limited to 720p, and a bad one too. You need modern bluerays to really get up to par with HD streaming services.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 months ago (1 children)

DVDs are 480p, 720p wasn't introduced until the Blu-ray/HD DVD wars

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

There was also the forgotten format, D-VHS which was a specialized VHS tape tape which the recordings could be at 720p or 1080i resolutions. Or the same resolution as DVD but at a higher bitrate so there are less noticeable digital compression artifacts than DVD. The introduction of HD-DVD and Blu-ray disc formats kept the D-VHS format from ever becoming widely adopted.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Don't get me started with the unskippable intro screens.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

One of the many things that drove me away from physical media to streaming. Big companies were always pulling the "you will watch what I want you to see" approach. It's also what killed cable and satellite.

That being said, I've found myself checking out more and more DVDs from the library simply because it's reliable, and I find it enjoyable in a way. I don't really care about HD quality or whatever -- DVD quality is fine.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I have a good DVD collection I've amassed by buying them second hand in thrift stores, and for titles I really want to own.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Yep, Get those for like 2 bucks at goodwill. Hell, even entire box sets.

Almost got the entire collectors edition band of brothers box set for 2 bucks at goodwill once.. only reason I didnt is cause it was missing like 3 of the disks, and I didnt want to spend the rest of my life trying to hunt those 3 down.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

480p. If you have a component, dvi or hdmi connection from the dvd player.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

The place has plenty of Blu-Rays too ... I'm grouping them in with DVD for convenience ... also you shouldn't presume the quality of my internet and streaming subscriptions or even my TV.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If you can go to a source of older content it often comes pre-filtered for the better stuff too, so you don't have to wade through a ton of rubbish to find the occasional gem like you do with the new stuff.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Can you point out some resources for that?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Criterion Collection

Or

Janus Films

Both offer the best films of all time.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Very cool! Thank you!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Reviews from sites like IMDb and rotten tomatoes. As a movie or series is older, or finished, the general audience has had plenty of time to review it and if it’s fondly remembered, then it might get mentioned on here or other social platforms.

The issue with new content is that it can be amazing at first and then they release the last two episodes and ruin pretty much the entire series, eg. Game of thrones, and more recently, secret invasion.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Secret invasion really shocked me in its brutality in unceremoniously taking out loved characters.

But thanks for elaborating. :)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's worth checking whether your local library subscribes to Kanopy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Will do, thanks.