Any GenXers getting back into physical media?
Posted by newlife_substance847@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 385 comments
If I'm honest, I've never lived in a completely digital world. Sure, I stream my media mostly. I do most of my work using a computer and being online. But I've never fully adopted this idea of a completely digital society where everything existed in the digital realm. Although, that has been on the decline. Starting with the daunting task of recording all my remaining vinyl records, VHS, and cassettes to digital. To the complete dependance of watching TV and listening to "radio" on streaming platforms. It seemed like the end of my physical media days were near (if not nearly extinct).
Then I got hit by a recent storm that knocked out the internet. Not the electricity (my building has a backup generator - so I'm told). Just the internet feed itself that goes into my home. This got me wondering. What do I do with myself now? The devices themselves worked. I still had my phone connection but didn't want to waste my data. I also had the various digital backups to fall back on but then it occurred to me that this really isn't much different than having the physical media itself. The only difference being the time and work that it took to back the physical media up.
I'm considering going back to physical media. CDs, Blu-Ray/DVD, even vinyl records. Most of which is still rather inexpensive to collect. Any other GenX out there doing the same?
Fight_Tyrnny@reddit
Technically yes and no. Last year I migrated my physical stash to a 40 TB Synology NAS and use Zidoo and Plex to stream to my house/theater. I put all this in Cosco bins in storage, I will keep them now that I see youngsters are paying a fortune for CD's. I sold all my CD's long ago but I do have a record player and pick up vinyl on occasion.
Theater Mk. III: https://youtu.be/A6I7w6Nun_c
SadAcanthocephala521@reddit
I've never gotten out of it. while I do stream YT and TV shows. I also collect vinyl records, blu-rays, and old video games.
hairygorilla451@reddit
Never gave it up. Hundreds of cds, dvds, vinyl....
No_Button_1750@reddit
My husband has a very nostalgic connection to records playing on the record player from when he grew up and lived with his grandparents as a child.
For Christmas 2024 I bought him a record player and a couple of records (Glenn Miller) so he could relive the joy he felt back then.
I remember putting on my Mum’s records and dancing around as a child in the 80’s. Oh and the cassette tap deck!! Lionel Ritchie ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’.
Definitely delve into the old ways. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
anyoutlookuser@reddit
I’ve slowly been rebuilding my cds. I rip to a library but keep the physical copy as a backup. I’ve also started stacking dvds again but only the movies I really like or that are hard to find on streams. Awhile back I put together a decent pioneer rack system and followed that with a basic blue ray player. Even before that I cut the cable and put up a good antenna.
Ornery_Banana_6752@reddit
Yes, I still play CDs and get DVDs from the library.
My 21yr old daughter collects CDs and absolutely insisted on an older vehicle that had a CD player
cyberdriven@reddit
I have a lot of books, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and video games.
ElevatorNo4425@reddit
No, we moved in 2024 and got rid of all remaining cds and most dvds , except for box sets .
Ok_Andyl8183@reddit
Never left it
obxtalldude@reddit
Yes but I'm finding I need to convert it to digital files to keep it from degrading.
I need to research the best methods to get all my 4K stuff saved with all the good sound intact.
ediblepet@reddit
With older technologies, the storage media deteriorate and the equipment needed to access the content fail and need repair, back then, and today also.
Many of my CDs have delaminated or oxidized. Many of my cassette tapes demagnetized, or the tape magnetize itself onto adjacent layers, or got moldy. Many of my vynils have scratches or warps. My CD players fail. Where can I have it repaired? How the technician will substitute a faulty lens or laser unit? Cassette players needed maintenance back then, the rubber rollers or the head would worn out and had to be substituted back then. Vynil players fail and need repair, and also need needles, and nowadays they were expensive back then and still are, except for the cheap low quality ones made wherever.
So many of my books were eaten by bugs, damage by humidity, got brittle pages.
Furthermore, the modern amplifier used today processes the signal digitally, unless you use a valvulated one, and those failed back then, and still do. What I mean, being a cynical but practical genXer but also a lover of analog technology is that the only completely reliable way to store information is having it carved in stone. I have two typewriters, and can't find the ribbons. I love to the old ways, but being a perfect purist is nearly impossible today.
truth-in-the-now@reddit
I’ve hung on to my cd collection just in case and kept my fave dvds/blu-rays. I’ve always preferred reading physical books and have a decent collection, but I now mostly borrow books from my local library or buy second hand copies at op shops. I also search through the many cds available at op shops, looking for films I want to watch or own.
Beliliou74@reddit
I have an external hard drive with movies for days
Fudloe@reddit
I never left. So I don't have to repurchase anything. I get to discover new music every time I hit the bins!
No_Perception_2835@reddit
I’ve always had DVDs and Blu-ray’s. 1979 kid here. The last couple of years I got into buying vinyl.
GoslingIchi@reddit
I never got out of physical media.
Icy-Cardiologist-958@reddit
I still have a shoebox full of minidiscs that I recorded live shows on. Mostly they’re only from Slightly Stoopid shows from almost 30 years ago before they got big and internationally famous. I had some Long Beach Dub Allstars ones, but I went to see them back home and I gave them all to Opie.
lastbeat-331@reddit
Vinyl is expensive now because Gen Z is collecting records. My 20yo spends more on records than on clothes. My daughter prefers CDs but does have her own collection of mostly hand-me-down records.
colormeslowly@reddit
Depending upon your choice of music, thrift stores have plenty of vinyl.
Icy-Cardiologist-958@reddit
Yeah, if you like centuries old classical music, but you do find the occasional diamond in the rough.
scorpionspalfrank@reddit
Never went away from it.
FrozeItOff@reddit
Exactly this. They can pry my physical media from my cold dead hands instead of me chasing changing streaming providers or magically just having stuff disappear from libraries forever.
pdxtee@reddit
I never got rid of all of it. I got upset when my downloaded music disappeared, a device stopped working, or a movie I wanted to watch was no longer on the platform. Now there are 100s of services costing way more than expected & you don’t get to keep the media. Companies have too much control & access to our data.
Internet out & we can still play physical video games, watch movies on DVD or Blue Ray, read physical books, & listen to music on CDs. I prefer paper planning & journaling.
rm78noir@reddit
Never left it. My cd and Blu-ray collections have continued to grow.
ACorania@reddit
Assuming it's just me trying to relax and internet is out but I have power...
jander05@reddit
Totally. I was only interested in streaming services when there was value there. Now there are too many and the content is watered down. Back when everything was on Netflix for 9.99 a month it was a bargain. But now there's all kinds of things I want to watch and cant, without paying for 5 different services, most of which have shallow pools of classic shows and movies.
I'm cancelling all those and buying CD's, Blurays, 4k Blurays. LP's here or there but I like being able to track seek so CD's primarily.
Adventurous-Ant9038@reddit
You can also find a great selection of DVDs and CDs at your local library that are free to check out. Complete seasons and series.
jcsnipes1969@reddit
I still have my childhood vinyl collection. I recently found a thrift store that sells vinyl for $.99 a piece. My collection has grown quite a bit.
WeirdWritings1989@reddit
Nope sold my records,tapes, reel to reel, vhs and dvds…best decision I ever made. I got tired of moving them as I used to move a lot. That was about 12 years ago….all I use now is Apple Music and Amazon Video.
Wrong-Barracuda0U812@reddit
Still have my 1K collection of 12” vinyl I used when I was a club DJ, might just have to dust it off again.
TheHrethgir@reddit
Yes, I'm buying DVDs and Blu-rays at Goodwill and ripping them onto an SSD. So sick of wanting to watch something I've seen before, and it's either moved to a service I don't have, or just plain not available except maybe to rent or "buy" digitally.
praetorian1979@reddit
and the picture and sound quality is so much better with physical media vs streaming!
Tough-Principle-3950@reddit
I never totally left it behind. But for a while I did download some games and a few albums. I still have tapes from the 80’s, cds/games/video discs.
Capital_Push5557@reddit
Never left my friend, never left.
Inkdman73@reddit
Same.
indie_web@reddit
I lost my original humble CD collection from the '80's and '90's to an oil spill in the trunk of my car years ago. Gave all my vinyl to my brother. After maybe a ten year break I rediscovered CDs and have an even more extensive collection of new and used than my original collection.
Ok_Transition7785@reddit
Yes, for one thing, 4K UHD Bluray. Hands down the best quality ever made for movies.
NeverEverMaybe0_0@reddit
Your experience is why I try my best to not use the cloud at all.
Oh-THAT-dude@reddit
This Xer has always been about physical media ever since CDs came out, and later when Blu-rays and BR audio came along.
You can’t own everything you buy, and there’s the risk of a given format going obsolete, but owning gives you control over what you do with [a given product], and give some money back to you if you sell it.
Rice_Post10@reddit
Yep records and CDs!
Sensitive-Rip-8005@reddit
Years ago I ripped all my CDs and put them on external hard drive. It ended up dying and I thought had lost like 400 CDs. I could have sworn I tossed them for some reason during one of my moves since I had them on a hard drive. I was going through my storage closet and found them in a boxes in the back. I was so excited. I got myself a CD /DVD player for cheap. I rip as I go.
filledoux@reddit
Glad i still have cds and dvds, and physical books. Pen to paper journalling, writing letters, learning calligraphy and getting into fountain pens!
ernster96@reddit
I never stopped. I only buy digital when there is no physical copy available.
Chunkyisthebest@reddit
My husband bought a refurbished old school iPod a while back. He goes to the used CD exchange store pretty much every weekend. He’s got about 200 CDs downloaded to his laptop and then loaded onto his iPod.
SMakked@reddit
I collect rarere ordsthats about it. Will buya cd if I see it and know it's hard to get. But I download alllmy music. Fuck paying to stream it
ertyertamos@reddit
I’ve never gone away from it.
1DietCokedUpChick@reddit
Nah, I like the instant gratification.
GeeDub1974@reddit
I been looking on FB marketplace for CD’s. I miss how much better they sound as compared to streaming Apple Music. I’m also looking for a mini disc player with tos link. Digital audio sounds amazing and miss not owning any of my media. So yes, slowly but surely I’ll be building back my music library. I probably won’t get vinyl because I know I’m gonna go over board with turn tables, diamond tips and tube amps lol
SleepWithRockStars@reddit
I've always been into physical music, but I just subscribed to a record store album club for the first time in...decades. Fun!
Jbilly021@reddit
Oh yeah, still have a cd player in my car. I’ve been using it a lot lately. Been buying some new and used stuff, along with my old collection I never let go of, since vinyl prices have escalated. Loving it!
Norfolkinchanceinh__@reddit
I've been restoring cassette & 8-track players lately.
I recently pulled out my old cassette collection and found some old mix tapes. I tried to create a playlist on Spotify and found that 1 of the songs isn't available digitally. C
Ckn-bns-jns@reddit
No, I’m trying to get rid of physical possessions at this point.
Reasonable_Bid3311@reddit
I was this way too, but then I realized that streaming and subscriptions were a nefarious game. I suppose it’s all impermanence, but it’s an unnatural one because it’s greedy corporations controlling what we can have and what we can let go of.
Fuzzteam7@reddit
I went over a year and a half without internet. I tapped my giant DVD collection and cds and was happy enough. I also have most of my music on my mp3 player and use my windows 7 laptop to play games daily.
Just_browsing_2@reddit
After I stopped my Netflix subscription, I decided to buy DVD's of movies that I've never seen or want to see again. I have a decent collection for cold Winter weekends. If there's ever another pandemic in our lifetime, I'll have movies to catch up on.
Axereaver@reddit
Back into? What do you mean? Wait.. My house isn't supposed to be filled with all kinds of physical media I've collected over the decades?
chachi1rg@reddit
I’ve been streaming but kept my cassettes, CDs, DVD,s Blu-Rays. I have some VHS and have been collecting vinyl to listen too. I have an old console record player from the 60s and a modern turntable with shelf speakers for modern music. Those speakers gave Bluetooth capability so I’ll sometimes stream music from my phone.
Sinistermarmalade@reddit
I never left
TheMainTony@reddit
When my local used record/dvd store closed (long live DIMPLE RECORDS!!), I prob bought sixty DVDs & Blu's. These are my reasons: 1) I wanted to own the physical 2) it wasn't available on streaming either buy or rent or free 3) it was $1! how do you turn down $1?
I'm prob down to 30, having watched as a one & done or a "why did I buy this?" thing.
The 4k player I bought to play them just mostly collects dust now. I think I last fired it up six or more months ago.
KiltOfDoom@reddit
Dimple?! We're these just a local nor cal thing?
TheMainTony@reddit
Just Sacramento. Arden, Broadway, Roseville, Folsom, Sunrise....and a couple attempts in Davis and Elk Grove. Seven, I think at closing in 2019. Mostly in old Tower locations.
SQWRLLY1@reddit
Yes, I'm slowly rebuilding both a vinyl and CD collection when funds allow. I'm especially trying to snag autographed new release vinyl from favorite artists when possible.
Deadhead_Historian@reddit
Yes. I bought a good CD player with good speakers (not top of the line but not cheap) and am building a nice Grateful Dead CD collection. I can stream full concerts from a few places, but it's nice to just pop in a CD and jam out.
unloosedcoin@reddit
Still got CDs from my 18th birthday. My lounge room still looks like the 90s
Reasonable_Bid3311@reddit
i was 30 in 2000 when technology was rapidly changing, and I loved it! I fully embraced keeping up with new tech. By 2002 I went to only DVDs, and a few years later moved all my CDs to iTunes. I really loved having an iTunes account on my computer. I could watch movies and tv shows and I had my music sorted and I made play lists. What a time. But things slowly started to shift. Somehow companies want it all by subscription. They make obsolete methods of maintaining your own media. I don’t have an answer. I do own a dvd player and an iPhone. I have some music on the iPhone and I own some dvds. I havent figured out the future of my media. I keep thinking it’s a good project for retirement. That makes me realize that everything seems designed to exhaust us and keep us from debating and wondering.
Harlequin80@reddit
There are a whole raft of free pieces of software that let you maintain your own media and are significantly better than any of the paid streaming services.
For video media you have Jellyfin, Plex, Emby & Kodi off the top of my head.
And while those can all play your offline music, Music Assistant will integrate that with any streaming service that you do use as well.
Harlequin80@reddit
I don't understand. You state you backed up all your physical media to digital. Which means it is sitting somewhere in your house as a digital copy. Why would you not just play that? It wouldn't depend on the internet.
And as for new media, you host on your own hardware. In the end all physical media is is a method of storing data. And a harddrive is functionally no different to a CD / BD / DVD, and vinyl is just a functionally worse medium than any of the digital options.
Setting up and running your own server to hold all your different types of media and let you play them on any device is trivial and can be bought off the shelf.
nchemungguy@reddit
We subscribe to a newspaper from a nearby town and I look forward to my evening ritual of reading it. I just wish our hometown newspaper did as good a job.
Baeolophus_bicolor@reddit
Never stopped. Have never had a streaming subscription.
PoetFelon@reddit
I bought a record player and have been collecting vinyls again. To be honest, I haven't listened to any of them. It's mostly a nostalgia thing I guess. But, I've got about 30 records now. I had all of them as a teenager.
Puzzleheaded_Low_619@reddit
Yes, both when it comes to movies and music. Been burned by items disappearing and not trusting that the small artists won't disappear even faster.
Glittering_Remote898@reddit
I never really stopped with physical media, from VHS to blu rays. Im more selective now than I was before, and usually do second-hand over buying new (with rare exceptions). I've stopped caring too much about blu vs. DVD.
All that being said, when I do buy new, I always try to get a format that includes a digital code, and that's how I usually watch the movie. I justify it in my mind in that one is a backup for the other, but in all honesty, my storage system for the physical stuff sucks and I cant always remember if the disc is on the shelf, in the entertainment center, or in a tote under the bed. Just easier to either go to my digital copy or find it streaming somewhere.
And if all that fails, I'll find something else.
pidgeon92@reddit
I’ve begun journaling, and purchasing physical books again. I spend way too much time with a screen.
maximusdm77@reddit
Yes, streaming services have proven to be highly unreliable and increasingly expensive. 4k Blu rays it is
Princessferfs@reddit
I am definitely reducing some of my tech. I’m also using things until they fall apart.
I went back to a regular watch because all of the tech was annoying. If I’m out in the garden I don’t need or want to get a text or call. I don’t want to be available all the time. Leave me alone.
Being in the real physical world is better for my mental health.
22Shattered@reddit
I have Spotify but in the car I only listen to my CDs 💿- it’s so natural… been back to CDs in the car for almost 2 years now and it’s like I never went away. Love the tangibility.
DoctorAvailable6601@reddit
I never got rid of my cds or dvds and still pick up dvds. But dvds are handy when you want to watch something but there's nowhere to stream it from or theres some bullshit $3.99 charge to watch it.
GlobalTapeHead@reddit
I never left. Still have and listen to my CDs and vinyl records. And by the time streaming became popular I already owned 99% of the music I’d ever want to listen to, most of which I have digital copies for my phone and car.
jeetah@reddit
I buy an occasional CD and vinyl album, haven't bought a movie on disc in ages.
Still have nearly every DVD, Bluray and CD that I've ever purchased. I trashed almost all of the CD cases a long time ago before a move, just keeping the insert books. I regretted that for years, still do a little bit.
ActuaryFew6884@reddit
I never left physical media. I still watch and listen to all the stuff I've collected (or more accurately, amassed) over the years. VHS, DVD, cassette, CD,.etc.
FrustratedPassenger@reddit
I get online books at the library. Sometimes I get paper books but not if I can help it. I peruse magazines online from the library. Newspaper is online.
I stream movies, etc. I stream music however I bought the latest Cure vinyl and just bought the Charlie Brown Christmas music on vinyl. I have my husband’s turntable from the 80’s which still works (It’s a Sony sticker still on it).
I’m trying to get rid of stuff and stopped collecting anything really.
Fantastic-Ride-5588@reddit
I treasured my vinyl collection. My son is 35 and he loves all the albums, so I went ahead and gave my collection to him, which he’s expanding even more. I still have CDs, DVDS 📀
PedalingThruParks@reddit
I recently put my cd folder full of 90s music back in my car. If I'm not in the middle of an audiobook, it's nice to just pop in a CD instead of be faced w the endless selection my phone offers. While I love songs from the 90s, I'm remembering how much I love whole albums from the 90s as well. I could prob count on one hand the # of times I've listened to a single REM song on its own, but I feel like I've listened to REM's Automatic for the People hundreds of times.
I've been buying DVDs/movies of my very fav movies and tv shows. I want to be able to rewatch them at will. I've since been able to cancel Netflix once I realized I was only streaming my fav couple of shows. And it's a drag to pay to rent a movie that I know I will rewatch over and over I've had good luck getting great prices for the discs at Thriftbooks. FWIW, I do make digital copies of all my physical media
wieldymouse@reddit
Never stopped with video games.
Scharlach_el_Dandy@reddit
Vinyl has become so popular over past decade or so that now there's quite a premium on their price tags
EnjoyingTheRide-0606@reddit
During my divorce in 2013 we sold 2200+ albums mostly classic rock and many duplicates. It was a collection that had been left behind when a roommate moved out of my spouse’s place in 1997!
Able-Pain-2442@reddit
I have stayed with it . Prefer real cds vs online crap
antisocialoctopus@reddit
I don’t miss the days of flipping through 200 cds to find the one I wanted or vhs tapes taking up tons of space.
When the internet goes out, I go outside or read a physical book or something on my kindle
BrilliantWeb@reddit
At least when I flip through my BD catalog, they don't start auto-playing because I stopped for two seconds.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
I don't miss that either. But when you think about it, with all the streaming options, you're basically doing that anyway. Scrolling through your options. Asking yourself the questions. "What do I want to watch? What am I in the mood for today?" Even worse, you can't make a decision and the algorithm chooses for you.
That being said, the alternative of going outside is always a good choice. Although, it does bring back the old vibes where "being bored" meant going outside by default or being told what to do. Which, again I'm not against. But sometimes (like this time for me, when the weather was bad). Going outside isn't an option.
Dramatic-Elk4181@reddit
For years I bugged my husband to get rid of his boxes of DVDs, CDs and even old VHS and cassette tapes. Welp- he was right. I was wrong. I’m really glad we kept all that stuff.
kmtf75@reddit
I never left physical media. Still collect vinyl and cds
ejabean@reddit
Ripped all my cassettes (300+) to mp3 a decade ago and liquidated. Kept all CDs, all DVDs and never got rid of a single book ive ever gotten in my life... i dont mind reading e-books, but HATE audio books, mostly because i lose focus when listening to other people read, so i never replaced those. Always something to read around here.
grandma-activities@reddit
Never got rid of it! I've been adding to my CD and DVD/BR collections the entire time lol.
ThePhantomDon@reddit
I regret selling off 65% of my DVD and Blu-rays with the idea of upgrading to 4k disc. Now I’m back recollecting everything 10 years later regardless of forgot type. Even VHS and Beta now. We got a DVD set of the Hunter cop series from the 80’s, and the DVD looks and sounds way better than streaming.
Breklin76@reddit
My 11 yr old was curious about vinyl. I scored a free standalone turntable using credit card points and we’re going record shopping this weekend.
housevil@reddit
I have always Preferred Physical media and up until a few years ago I had a large library of cds, DVDs, etc. Everything I had purchased and loved over the last 20 to 30 years. Lost it all in a fire a couple years ago so even though we have Netflix and all the other services, I have slowly been rebuilding my lost library but this time, just focusing on the most treasured titles, instead of trying to replace absolutely everything.
Junkman3@reddit
Been collecting records for about ten years. Recently bought an old car with a tape deck, so I had to buy some cassette tapes! Still have thousands of CDs moldering in the garage.
rottenspice@reddit
Kept a lot of DVD and CDs of favorites but started buying some DVD sets of shows for my kids as we get rid of some streaming services!
Shot_Woodpecker_5025@reddit
Still have all my records and CD’s. Glad I never gave them up
PahzTakesPhotos@reddit
We've never left. My husband has always preferred to buy the movies/music he has and while I do sometimes tease him about it, I get it. We had (still have a few) VHS tapes of all kinds of movies. Then gradually shifted to DVD/BluRay. He now asks me if a movie is streaming or not so he can see if he likes it before he buys the physical copy.
He built a massive cabinet for our DVD collection that was nearly full when he built it. We have more shelves in other parts of the room with his collection. The doors are shelves as well.
He keeps his CD collection in what I refer to as "the music coffins". He has two of that he built, lined with velvet, latches, handles, and they just happen to look very coffin-like. (they're also in the basement with his N-scale model train stuff).
SlyFrog@reddit
No. I have no idea why I would, anymore than I'd start using a rotary telephone.
I like modern conveniences, and use them if they make my life better.
kellysan1969@reddit
Been collecting all of this since the 70’s and at 58 now I have more physical media than I could consume in three lifetimes. Staying the course because I have so much invested. Makes for expensive home owners insurance and a lot of it especially the vinyl cannot be replaced if it was damaged. Still, have to buy some digital video games because they may not offer a physical copy. I mean not to mention out of production media like Laser Disc and 8 track tapes which I still have and have the equipment to play them.
SFO_Eric@reddit
Never left. Slowed down CD purchasing but never stopped.
cosmoboy@reddit
Yeah, so far just Blu-ray but I'm real tempted to try the world of vinyl.
Choice_Student4910@reddit
Don’t do it. This hobby is crazy expensive, now more than ever.
cosmoboy@reddit
I recently moved in with my girlfriend. She doesn't accept anything but Taylor Swift at any volume above a whisper. It would be a waste anyway, I just grew up with records and have some nostalgia.
kevbayer@reddit
Bought my wife a record player and some albums.
Slowly rebuilding a DVD Collection as I rip them to my Plex server.
Even more slowly getting CDs again. I have a gazillion mp3s of my music collection, but there's a bunch of stuff I never got, and newer stuff I want.
I, personally, won't go back to listening to records or cassettes. I prefer the endless shuffle and portability of my mp3s.
Choice_Student4910@reddit
Started collecting vinyl, cassettes and CDs just before Covid. Also had all the gear.
Gave up on cassettes as the players got wonky (warbly sound, not super easy to fix) so I sold off my cassettes and tape decks.
hardheadedmonkey@reddit
The older I get (57) the less stuff I want. To clarify, stuff that has to be toted or moved somewhere. I uploaded everything I ever owed and did not look back. There's so much more available that I would never have heard without streaming connecting those data points. Sometimes the algorithm works. The fact that I can have media anywhere is the biggest thing. Hiking, boating, chilling - quality is good enough for what him running it through. I used to listen to a clock radio in a beach cabin with no a/c and be ok with it, so....
JamesRUstlerIV@reddit
I never got rid of my CDs or DVDs, and have been getting back into MiniDiscs and cassettes. In fact, I am about to add track titles to a MiniDisc I just created yesterday. One day I'll take the plunge into LPs and 45s as that's what we had when I was growing up.
PacRat48@reddit
A friend of mine has a band and only releases digital. Aside from that, I’m only physical media.
85/15 split CDs/LPs
krebstorm@reddit
I'm late.. I was just flipping the record on my turntable
JurisUrsus@reddit
I don't use them often but I have kept my DVDs, Blu-Rays, and CDs. I still read "analog" books fairly often; I use the Kindle for travel.
A_Tom_McWedgie@reddit
My wife (or Santa Claus) got us a record player for Christmas.
We bored with it in a month.
Albums suck. There’s at best four songs you want to hear - the rest you have to listen to.
Spotify is so much easier and so much better.
I’m sure the audiophiles here will down vote me to the hell we were warned about if we listened to heavy metal, but digital music is far superior, due to the convenience. And I can’t really tell the difference in sound quality, or maybe I just don’t care.
-Granby-@reddit
Same story with me. I kept a few Zappa records just cause Zappa but the record player is not in the basement. I use a Bluetooth amp hooked up to console style passive speakers (12's) and stream from my phone with Spotify. It's totally fine.
typhona@reddit
Amen. I never tried to return to physical media after it all went digital. I still have wound up with a bunch of stuff, jist not stacks and racks of media
IndependentVirtual92@reddit
That's why I only buy records where I enjoy most or all of the songs. Albums don't suck...you probably just don't enjoy music enough to know a good "no-skip" album when you hear it. Keep your spotify you filthy casual.
Sterquilinus-616@reddit
Not going back to physical media... But back to the high seas.
Canceled Netflix when they started that PW sharing BS. Canceled Spotify over Ice, and would now cancel over AI content.
gouge2893@reddit
Look into Plex or Jellyfin as a cheap easy way to host all your movies/tv/music. Yaar!
Sterquilinus-616@reddit
God no. First, Fuck the plex people. Second, plex was never able to get my media correct, and it's file browsing mode didnt browse your files! It still placed the wrong shit there... Renamed all my shit to their rules and still... And then it became some bloated pile of garbage after I left. Ah... and the unimportant meta data shit was over 200gb. I had to move it to an SSD in order for it to not lag on start.
Havent used jellyroll. I use meshnet, part of nord, to access my media from wherever. It's free with the service, and I got some crazy 2 year promo last year. I just use a file manager.
Fuck plex.
gouge2893@reddit
Whatever makes it easy for you to watch is all good.
Jellyfin is open source so more likely to have bug fixes and add actual requested feature.
Just wanted you to know you can use something to watch your media on TVs/Phones/Tablets/whatever.
parocarillo@reddit
Yep, small break between blue ray and 4ks
MrRetrdO@reddit
Back into?? I never left!! Still prefer to buy a movie on physical media
-Granby-@reddit
Only physical media I have are books. More than 1,000 easy and grows each week. I have a few record I didn't want to part with but nothing else. I use Spotify for music or Tubi and the tracker for movies and TV. If my power goes out I have books and an LED book light to last. No big deal
CharleyLH@reddit
I never left. I still order cds and blu-rays, box sets, and reissues.
terrag32256@reddit
I have switched back to physical books and also collect vinyl
bonkersyeti@reddit
I'm about two seconds away from flipping a desk and living out the rest of my days away from anything related to the Internet.
brumac44@reddit
I'm doing my part by driving my friends and family crazy with hand written letters and post cards. I even dusted off my manual typewriter, but I need a new ribbon.
islandbeef@reddit
I have 3 large cases of cassettes in my garage. Waiting for the return of cassette boomboxes.
Snow_Tiger819@reddit
Yes I literally just bought my first blu-ray player a couple of weeks ago and have already been scouring thrift shops for discs. I've found choosing something from a physical collection and just putting the disc in and watching it weirdly satisfying.
boookworm0367@reddit
Our local library has one aisle of movies and one aisle of TV series, of DVD/BLU-RAY. Walking and looking for a movie to borrow brings back Blockbuster vibes.
Snow_Tiger819@reddit
I wonder if ours does... I will have to investigate! (It might be the thing to get my non-book-reading husband to the library!)
boookworm0367@reddit
Our local one is part of a county collective of 10+ libraries. So even if they don't have a particular movie/show you are looking for on the shelf, they can get it transferred in and put on hold for you. Hope you have something similar.
brumac44@reddit
I had to give up analog photography because it was first hard to find someone to develop the film's, then the film itself became hard to get. Glad to see it's making a comeback.
realdlc@reddit
Vinyl and BluRay here. I recently bought a new BluRay player and people at work made fun of me. I don’t care. Video quality is way better than streaming anyway. The classics like Clerks deserve the best.
Mother_Midnight_8819@reddit
The sound on blu-ray, if you have a decent set up, is very noticeably better, as well.
ChadlyWax@reddit
I've been collecting movies for years and I still buy cds!
Ok_Arachnid1089@reddit
I never stopped buying and listening to records. Ever since I was about six
BadAtExisting@reddit
We got away from it? I didn’t get that memo
BassGuy10@reddit
Late GXer here, I never got away from physical media. I ripped all my CDs to a hard drive, but still have them all for backups. I also was given my parents’ records, and I’ve more than doubled the size of the collection over the years, probably close to tripled.
I still listen to streaming for convenience, but at home I often listen to the music I own.
wild-hectare@reddit
I just pre-ordered Speed Racer 4K to add to my collection
dirtybo0ts@reddit
Heavy into vinyl. Kept a selection of 80s and 90s films on DVD that are hard to find on streaming…but honestly, streaming media is one of the few things about tech I like. I collected movies when I was younger and my library was a massive storage issue after a while.
I do get awfully nostalgic when I pull out an old DVD to watch though. And a lot of the time we have “90s weekends” where we don’t touch digital media at all and just watch DVDs and listen to vinyl.
Impossible-Race8239@reddit
The thing about digital media and its ease of access is that it literally carries no weight. Physical media took time to find and it’s been said a million times but you’d sometimes spend hours looking at the artwork, lyrics etc. Those albums, films etc had a real impact on my life because of that. Now I scroll through Netflix or Spotify and watch new films or listen to new artists/albums and just move on to the next. None of it carries any weight in my life. It is, merely and quite literally - to use a horrible modern term - just “content”.
pirate_of_hole@reddit
100%. I said fuck Netflix and Amazon. I spend the same amount on DVDs and derive much more pleasure from it than streaming.
GlassMotor7387@reddit
Physical media for things I care about. If it's an important movie, album, or book I am buying a copy.
kepenach@reddit
Im into vinyl, cds and Bluray
PurelyHim@reddit
I never stopped.
Mother_Midnight_8819@reddit
I recently set up a pretty nice theater room in my living room, and really have gotten in to high quality sound and picture. So I bought an Ulta 4k Blu-Ray player. So, it upscale all of my old collection of dvd and blu-ray collection from back in the day. Now I try only to buy the ultra blu-rays, if I want to owna movie. It really does beat every other media, when it comes to quality.
ThatTomHall@reddit
Movie library on Bluray.
Rebuilding my CD and LP library after I ripped them to MP3s (in the CD-Rot scare)... and then became an audiophile a decade later... I cry.
Correct_Elevator_173@reddit
Physical media is the way.
jvaliga@reddit
I always had physical media. Books, movies, music and games, but fell into the ease of use of digital for a while. At first, I still bought physical movies, but only ones that had digital codes. Then I got away from regular books and went to e-books and streaming music was just so easy. But over the last year and a half two years I started going back to physical media after reading articles about not owning anything that you buy digitally. Any video game that has a disc version I’ll buy it. I started getting into vinyl after many many years and still have my CD collection. I always bought books and Blu-rays of things that I really liked but now I’m starting to buy more DVDs and Blu-rays and physical books again.
WindhamEarl22@reddit
I have. It’s been really fun. I’ve been thinking about opening a rental store/ movie tavern.
HighSeasArchivist@reddit
Not really, but I do have a pretty decent Plex server with a couple thousand movies and 13k TV episodes. Also, I have every CD I've ever own or purchased in FLAC on Plexamp, so that server is the home of every bit of my entertainment.
RedLily08@reddit
I was never duped into streaming/digital. It's a scam. You don't own it. Plus, you rarely get movies that are uncut streaming. I have a great Blu-ray collection that I started years ago. I even have some VHS tapes
7eregrine@reddit
No. I ripped my entire CD collection and gave it away.
My 15 year old is collecting vinyl.
411592@reddit
I still have all mine
Snoo_96358@reddit
When my son was younger and wouldn't go to sleep (I didn't let him have hos phone in bed)...he said he loved listening to music, si I gave him a call ayer amd my giant "binder" of cds and told him to listen to his hearts content. He'd have something g different on each night across various genres. He now loves music, amd so much variety.
toprymin@reddit
The stuff I can’t live without I have hard copies of. It’s still hard to nail down top ten lists. I never should have given up all my CDs.
SergeantChic@reddit
Yes. After Disney+ wiped their Willow series from existence and HBO Max rebranded as just Max because otherwise people might expect good television, and Infinity Train vanished from streaming, I started buying the actual 4K physical releases of movies and shows whenever possible, just in case. Games too, outside of Steam of course. Got back into vinyl as well.
Doozer1970@reddit
I thought the Willow series was ok. Not spectacular, but it might have been worth a rewatch. Is it available anywhere, in any form?
SergeantChic@reddit
I don’t think so, but I haven’t looked. I didn’t really like the series. Whether it’s good or not isn’t really relevant, it just made it clear that digital services can just shuffle a series off into the ether or over to ad supported services like Tubi whenever they want.
notarobot1020@reddit
I’ve been getting dvds from local library
Euphoric_Network_813@reddit
I put my remaining CD collection into a big plastic bag stored in the car console so I can grab one at random and pop it in while on a long drive. 🙂
ExcellentHorror9025@reddit
Not so much with music or movies, although I do have a few select 80s classics on VHS, but I'm a retro gamer almost exclusively and always prefer a physical cartridge over PC emulation.
JonathanTrager@reddit
When it comes to music, I haven’t bought physical for over 20 years (with the exception of a small record collection).
But for movies, I only buy physical. However, I immediately make a 1:1 copy with MakeMKV and add it to my personal digital library. I never watch the physical disc. The convenience of having a personal bit-for-bit library of my blu-ray and 4k discs is the perfect way to enjoy the benefits of purchasing vs streaming.
Nanook212@reddit
Do you use an external al drive, if so, which one? I dabbled a little with MakeMKV but never fully got it working consistently and gave up, but I like this approach
JonathanTrager@reddit
I do use an external drive to store the movies. It’s just a seagate connected to a PC that I use as a server.
For watching, I use AppleTV devices with the Infuse PRO app.
Nanook212@reddit
Thanks! I actually meant what kind of optical drive, I haven’t delved too much into it, but I understand not all are created equal for grabbing the needed video files.
JonathanTrager@reddit
Oh, sorry. Yeah, for ripping with MakeMKV I use two drives. A normal external blu-ray drive for regular blu-rays and then for 4k discs I have to use a different drive - I use the Verbatim 43888 ultra HD 4k external drive. At the time I bought that one, it was the one that worked out of the box and didn’t need flashed. I don’t think that’s the case any more.
Nanook212@reddit
Thanks!!
Careless_Ocelot_4485@reddit
Everyone thought we were crazy for holding on to our CDs 20 years ago when everyone was switching over to iPods. We kept them in the garage for about 15 years and dug them out when it looked like streaming meant renting music, not actually owning it. I hit up secondhand stores for used CDs and pick up stuff that I wanted. Back in the day for a couple of books. Can’t beat that.
Ok-Rock2345@reddit
While I still have my album, CD, cassette, DVD collection, I don't have a turntable or a cassette player anymore. I can play the CDs and DVDs though.
However if there is a song I like I will get the MP3. Currently I have over 200 files. Not trusting any company with my music or movies. As for reading I have a library card and read physical books.
I like to own my entertainment media. Always have.
Ok_Mention_3308@reddit
Got 3 Jesus & Mary Chain cds a few months ago. Never gonna give them up 😁
KyotiKill@reddit
I was all physical due to very limited internet access out here until my house fire recently. I wish I still had it, had a curated movie, TV shows, video games, music, etc collection. It wasn't huge, but it was mine. Now I just don't have the want to go through all that again. Wish I just still had it.
Responsible_Fan4737@reddit
I never fully left. Still bought my favorite albums on CD and 99% of video games are physical. I don't buy movies physical anymore. I canceled Amazon music a while back and shifted back to buying more CDs.
electrictatco@reddit
Never got out of collecting records. I always buy one when i go to a concert. Best way to support bands too.
ytrywhenyoucanfry@reddit
No but I'm making a new fortune selling tapes and CDs on eBay.
VinceP312@reddit
After moving a billion times, I shed more and more things over time. And don't have much else than Xbox games prior to digital sales.
I have no plans to start acruing more stuff to make room for any time soon.
FleetAdmiralCrunch@reddit
I had saved all my albums from the 70s and 80s. My uncle borrowed all my Sinatra albums and never returned them, and my brother took the rest. So I think they’re still out there, just not handy at the moment.
CuppieWanKenobi@reddit
I never left physical media. I still buy CDs, and the occasional movie.
But, I rip the disc, upload it to my NAS, and access that thru Plex. All of the discs live in boxes in the basement storage room.
Ok_Industry3016@reddit
Only if if it's National Geographic, giggity.
middle_age_zombie@reddit
We still had some remnants of our DVD collection and we never got rid of our CDs, just stopped using them. Now I am collecting the books I love that I only own on kindle, using the library more, or asking for DVDs for Christmas. My mom has an extensive collection of DVDs, she never really stopped, and that is my main inheritance if I outlive her.
Doozer1970@reddit
I have a rather large collection of DVDs and Blu-rays. Most of them from thrift stores and garage sales. I am never getting rid of them. My son will get them when I'm gone. He is a big fan of physical media too, and is building a collection of vinyl.
NeilNotArmstrong@reddit
I buy and sell on eBay and I started buying all the 90’s rock/rap/pop I can find. Sells real fast to people thinking the same thing. And I’ve managed to rebuild a lot of my old collection
Independent_Tough_81@reddit
I still have and buy DVDs and CDs, I don't trust digital only, read the entire Licensing Agreement, even when you "buy" it, you don't OWN it, like physical media, and they can change it or make it disappear, at will...
Pattycakes1966@reddit
I still have my dvds and cds and books.
Hefewiezen1@reddit
I cheated. I never left physical media.
len43@reddit
I picked up vinyl collecting last year and I love it. I was a bit too young to collect them myself as a kid but my parents had a huge collection they constantly played. It's a fun hobby but I wish the prices hadn't skyrocketed. I'm happy when I see an under $20 album now.
My wife also wanted to donate all our CDs (probably near 500 together) because it was all on Spotify and took so much space. I told her let me rip them first. After I did that, I made a deal to toss the jewel cases but keep the liner notes and CDs and I got rid of all the bulk. Now, some 10-15 years later or whatever, we are realizing that spotify/youtube music etc isn't complete and some local/not popular stuff is just not online anymore.
Migamix@reddit
I still have 90% of my vynal, I was a DJ in the late 80s. They ALL got messed up after storage post Katrina. Cleaning them was a bitch.
RedEvil7@reddit
I never left🤷♂️ Welcome back though🙂
Most_Maintenance5549@reddit
I buy vinyl records. I have hundreds of DVDs, but stopped buying them a while ago. I have digitized all the DVDs, because they do degrade. I will still buy my favorite top tier movies on blue ray or 4k. They do look and sound better.
I buy vinyl records, largely because there’s too much choice in digital and I skip around constantly. So the record makes me listen to the record. It does sound good, but that’s only part.
I had many many CDs, but I ripped them all and sold all the CDs a while ago. As far as I’m concerned, I digital file is a digital file, and storing those files on a CD is cumbersome and accomplishes very little, other than the ritual, which I can respect.
But CDs also degrade, so they’ll be gone. My digital files and the high rez ones I have are of a higher quality than most CDs. And I don’t notice the difference anyway. Yeah, so I don’t get the CD buying really.
jaydrian@reddit
I collect vinyl records from a few favorite artists. I buy books from my favorite authors. I have blue ray and DVD's of some of my most favorite movies and albums.
JuJu_Wirehead@reddit
I'm not going back to collecting more stuff to fill up my house. I'm sticking to MP3s and AVIs, I'd rather carry around a 1tb microSD card with tens of thousands of songs than 50 crates of records.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
While I don't disagree that there's ton of space that it takes up. Transporting it is even a worse fate to deal with. A part of me also misses the art of curating a refined collection of media. Even if that means curating samples from a larger collection that you own. You could generally figure out a person by the collection that they keep. What they choose to listen to or watch in the moment.
JuJu_Wirehead@reddit
I listen to everything except Pop Country, Hyperpop, and Gabber.
Migamix@reddit
I've ordered several CDs from overseas in the past year. I pirated them so I could listen now. Then purchased the CD. Amazon apparently doesn't carry anything but pop. I still have 2 funker vogt, 2 Grossstadtgeflüster, and a tyske ludder CD still in wraps next to my desk.
Desperate-Chip1819@reddit
CDs are still rather inexpensive. Vinyl is not. DVD, sure. Even BluRay depending on the movie. But 4k is not cheap to collect either.
Signed, a guy that has been collecting this shit since the 80s and never stopped.
Lothar_28@reddit
Never left it
NervousDogFarts@reddit
My husband and teen daughter are really into physical media (vinyl, CDs, cassettes, books, and DVDs). I have a small collection compared to theirs. The only thing I am strict analog is my paper calendar. I struggle with the phone calendar. LOL
DigItCanU@reddit
I never left. I have around 2k CDs that I still display on a rack, and a couple hundred records. Plus I collect 5.1 and Atmos formats.
kg4cna@reddit
Like others, I've never stopped using physical media. I prefer it. I will buy an album on Amazon from time to time and immediately burn it to a CD. My component rack system sounds much better than any sound bar or bluetooth speaker.
mjh8212@reddit
I had just digital besides my dvd collection. I even had an e reader I love my kindle. I got the kindle cause my eyesight wasn’t the best. I got bifocals and can read physical books again and thrift my books now. Now if the power goes out I have a book light and can just read a book while I wait. I usually leave the tv off until my husband comes home and read most of the day.
kawyckoff@reddit
We’re heading back to physical media. Those of us who never really left it behind will be ahead of the game🥳🤩
Emotional-Pumpkin-35@reddit
I never stopped with using physical media. I never loved VHS cassettes, and while vinyl and cassettes have their charm, they always came with clear drawbacks. However, I think optical disc media is just about perfect. I strongly prefer playing CDs to streaming (I only stream when I have to go to the office), and while I do catch a lot of movies through streaming services, the ones I like best I tend to get on 4K UHD or Blu-Ray.
False-Guard-2238@reddit
Yup. All vinyl now. Love going back to record shops and record shows. Feel like a kid again.
groundhogcow@reddit
I never left.
I buy physical. I will rent digital, and have backed up all my physical to digital copies. If you take my favorite show off your streaming service I still have it. If my hard drive crashes, I still have it.
I have a stack of totes with music and dvd's in case I should need them.
MarchOk5420@reddit
I get The New Yorker in print. Digital is included but I enjoy the physical copy more.
Japhet_Corncrake@reddit
Never stopped.
huck500@reddit
Streaming with local storage. I got rid of all my physical media after ripping it and putting it on my plex server. I'll never go back, it's too convenient.
LemurCat04@reddit
I started picking up BluRays of series that may or may not it disappear due to the constant mergers with streaming services. I started because I never got to finish watching the last season of West World and it was cheaper to buy the BluRays used than rent the individual episodes.
MaximumJones@reddit
I never stopped using physical media. If buying is not owning then pirating is not stealing.
JenLiv36@reddit
This is me in my rage of going digital in gaming lol. I get other people have been doing just digital for years but I have stuck to physical gaming.
This year though it has become obvious that I will no longer have that choice. I’m salty and it means I’m buying quarter of the amount of games I normally do(which is normally physical, pre-order full price).
pumkinut@reddit
I never left
CantankerousButtocks@reddit
Nope, even got rid of a collection of downloaded media. Streamable media is the freedom in need from worry about “possessions”. It’s time to go lean, man!
Pretend_Passenger586@reddit
I don’t want any physical media but my 12yo kid does.
fpnewsandpromos@reddit
I only briefly stopped with dvds in the 2010s but now I'm back to dvds. I never gave up cds for music.
Ok_Industry3016@reddit
Yep nothing like the smell of a good book.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
No argument there. But what about other forms of media?
Ok_Industry3016@reddit
I mean audiobooks are cool too.
vholecek@reddit
Yes! My partner and I just got a turntable this year and are slowly picking up vinyl records of our must-have albums
KnightKrawler68@reddit
I physically own every movie and CD I love.
I use digital to supplement the content I like but don’t love.
Impressive-Safety191@reddit
Bingo… plus an extra dvd player for when the one I’m currently using bites the dust.
KnightKrawler68@reddit
I have all my PS consoles I use as DVD/BluRay players 😎
starksfergie@reddit
Yeah, we've got vinyl, dvd, cds, books out the wazoo and while we have slowed down, we certainly haven't stopped and still listen to records once a week too (but yes, we have tried to digitize most of our stuff too, we are a good ways away from being complete) and I do have audiophile friends but we are not audiophiles, I just need to be able to hear it, I don't worry about levels or surround sound or anything, hehe - we used to collect wine, but our age has pared that down quite a bit (only 4 bottles sitting in our very small rack now)
WiseDebt7345@reddit
Never stopped collecting physical media. I am very picky about what I buy and keep, but I always preferred having hard copies of the things I love.
Shoboy_is_my_name@reddit
All of my digital music files are backed up onto numerous storage devices. Every few months I spend about an hour adding whatever’s new since the last backup.
Movies/tv shows, not so much. I have my box sets stored in tubs, digital files backed up like my music, but I don’t really care about tv/movies like I used too.
Talking80s@reddit
Some of us never left.
oflowz@reddit
Not really.
The best thing I could do was put a bunch of mp3s on a usb thumb drive and put in it my car so I don’t have to stream
Revolutionary_Gap150@reddit
My wife and I started collecting vinyl a few years ago. Im not an audiophile or particular about records, speakers, needles etc... but we both really enjoy going crate-digging for an afternoon every couple of months, and teaching our daughter how to use records. Record shopping leads to great conversations, great stories and occasionally meeting a new friend. Its a fun hobby and also works out super handy if the power/internet goes down. This past Winter Solstice holiday, we made a list of 'dream albums' we have always wanted, and instead of buying each other presents, we pooled cash and made a big order at our local record shop to clear that entire list.
thumbtaxx@reddit
Feeling kinda Luddite these days
pickpickss@reddit
After many moves I got tired of porting around my CDs in their cases. So I ripped them all and moved them to a binder, around 2006. They were subsequently sold and I've never gone back to physical media unless it's unusually difficult to find digitally.
I just don't buy into the idea that holding the media makes it better, it just makes it more inconvenient to play as much variety, and I'm a lazy, lazy fucker.
iFuckingLoveBoston@reddit
My fm radio / cd player in my kitchen is on most of the day when I'm home. Still enjoy listening to the Sox vs tv.
TheLastGenXer@reddit
i hate streaming.
subscriptions, nothing i ever want to watch is on any service.
long ago i started copying (my) dvds because they wont scratch or walkaway if kept digitally.
put them all on a drive hooked the to the tv. you never have to get up again.
i do the same with music, but cars after 2020 are ruining this.
their was a period in the 2010s where cds were dirt cheap. but a lot of $2 albums on amazon, good ones too
ChadTitanofalous@reddit
I never stopped buying physical media; however, when I buy a disk, whether CD, DVD, 4k, etc., I rip it to a file server. There's a LibreElec/Kodi box at each TV/stereo as a media player. I keep the discs as a backup.
Lately, I've been buying more vinyl though. Some stuff has just never been released in any digital format.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
That's the most GenX Tech Nerd thing I've read in a long time. Salutations, friend! I approve.
ChadTitanofalous@reddit
Haha! Nice! Grazie!
Dan-68@reddit
LOL! I never left.
vato915@reddit
I want to.
Especially with PS games...
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
Video games. That's an interesting sub-set of physical media. Interesting to hear your take on this. Honestly, I haven't put much thought to it. I have a PS4 that I don't play much because I mostly play on my PC. I've thought about getting a PS5 but now they're mostly digital now. You don't even buy the physical media. You purchase a digital download.
vato915@reddit
I read a headline that Sony is disabling access to purchased/downloaded games if the console doesn't access the internet for 30+ days that has me a little nervous about the games I've purchased on and downloaded from PSN.
I'm a very casual gamer so sometimes I don't fire up my PS4 for weeks at a time. This has prompted me to renew my interest in physical media...
Oldebookworm@reddit
They keep moving my go to shows, so yes, I’m buying dvds again
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
This is one of the aspect of streaming that really has me thinking towards physical media. These platforms control their own libraries. Which, on the surface can look like them pulling or discontinuing a show that you like. It can also look like removing a show (or movie) simply because it may not sit easy on today's viewer. With physical media, I control the content that I watch. If it's potentially offensive to one group. That's okay. It's my media on my devices. So I'm free to watch it as I wish.
Vericatov@reddit
I have a nice 4K Blu-ray movie collection. Looks amazing on my 77 inch OLED with a 7.2 sound system.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
This right here. The enshittification of things has had streaming platforms give us sub-quality media while trying to sell us devices that are meant for high quality playback.
drunkenknitter@reddit
Honestly, no. We're getting ready to move again and the idea of packing all that shit exhausts me. It's been years since I've read a physical book, watched a dvd, or listened to a CD. Meanwhile we've hauled books, dvds, and CDs across multiple states at least 8x. I'm tired, boss. It just takes up space.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
I don't disagree about the transporting a physical media collection and in all honesty, I don't blame you. It's been awhile since I actually did anything with physical media, as well. Which is (in part) what got me thinking about it.
lukesdaddy1968@reddit
I never left.
Successful-Bank-7457@reddit
I never left
Spiritual-Fondant656@reddit
Same. Vinyl all the way
CySnark@reddit
And... Edison Wax Cylinder, Shellac 10" 78 rpm, reel to reel tapes, 8mm film, 33 and 45 rpm records (bulk of my media), 8-track tapes, Cassette, VHS, CDs, 8mm video tape, DVDs and finally downloaded audio files on a local NAS.
Lacking any Betavision, Laserdisc, DAT media.
I'm also slowly converting all of these to digital media as time and equipment permits. Fun Archive project.
elxxup@reddit
Same
MaintenanceCapable83@reddit
hell no, i am trying to purge my house of all the crap my kids will never want when i die.
Downtown_Anteater_38@reddit
The only physical media I use regularly are Nintendo Switch cartridges, though I prefer to buy digitally. On the occasion that I need to buy a tv series or movie on DVD or BluRay I rip it to my computer and store the disc away for safe keeping, I have no desire to go back to having furniture that just exists to hold physical media. I don't own a DVD player or CD player, and I like it that way. Of all the format transitions in my life - vinyl to cassette to CD to digital - digital has been my favorite. I like the wide catalogs of streaming, but I would be okay with going back to locally stored digital, but not to physical
RepresentativeAir735@reddit
I already switched from tapes and lps to CDs...i wasn't going to change again.
BulljiveBots@reddit
I got back into vinyl a little before Covid and into 4K bluray (and back into bluray/dvd/etc) around the same time. And now I'm well on my way to getting rid of all my streamers, including music. I only have Spotify and Hulu left which I'll be canceling soon. I've set up my own Plex server for streaming my own video and music. Used bluray and dvd markets are pretty robust and still pretty cheap (I have a nearby flea market that has tons of all physical media) but the kids are also starting to see the value in owning movies and music and video games and I'm seeing prices slowly rise.
I still have subs for work but outside of work, my goal is get rid of all subscription services.
Tip: libraries typically have pretty great rental selections for movies. Also, get Kanopy streaming through your library if they participate in it. You get an allotment of credits per month to "borrow" and watch movies for free.
blackpony04@reddit
I just bought my first DVD in 20 years (or whenever the PS3 that switched me to Blu-Ray came out) just yesterday from an antique mall. Just this past year I started buying movies again in physical media because I am sick of streaming services adding commercials to everything. I also don't trust Amazon to not eventually screw us and take away our purchased media eventually.
Tora, Tora, Tora was the (unopened) DVD by the way, a film most fitting for our age demographic.
ConstantConfusion123@reddit
I just ordered an ereader but I still prefer physical books. I am starting a small collection, or re-collecting in some cases, my favorite groups' CDs. Unfortunately many people are doing this so it's not always as cheap as you'd expect.
MotoXwolf@reddit
I keep a Portable electric generator, I have a bluetooth speaker for my downloaded music and I still have some vinyl records and a player, plus I have a DVD player, DVDs and have physical Disc copies of some of my Playstation games so I at least have entertainment covered during an outage.
Other than that I am forced into the digital world.
Reynard203@reddit
I am going back to physical books. I went back to school to get a later life degree and I ended up going almost completely to audiobooks because the only time I had to "read" was in the car. Couple that with being so goddamn tired of scrolling, I just want to sit in my chair with a actual dead tree book at night.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
Books are the one area that I really never could get into digitally. I have shelves of them.
JackWylder@reddit
I’m so pissed I got tired of moving my vinyl collection so I gave it away years ago. To rebuild even a portion of it now would cost tens of thousands of dollars. (Guess who’s wife recently got back into collecting vinyl)
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
Getting rid of my extensive vinyl collection has to be my biggest overall mistake. Even after I spent a grueling amount of time digitizing and editing them. I've thought about rebuilding even a portion of what I gave away. It would cost me tens of thousands of dollars and I likely wouldn't even be getting original presses. Just thin acetate reproductions.
brandson__@reddit
As someone with an excessive amount of physical media, having a huge physical collection of anything is initially fun, and then eventually it will be a chore to store, to clean, to sort, etc.
What works a lot better is having perfect digital copies of everything you own on a local server you own and control. That way it doesn't take up much room, and you can access everything on any device you want, not just one with a disc player attached to it. You can even access it remotely if you set it up that way.
The only challenge then becomes having several very large hard drives, and a backup strategy for all that data.
Holding media in your hand feels satisfying when you have a few dozen items. When you have thousands, it's not as fun.
toocleverbyhalf@reddit
A friend of mine runs a Plex server for his personal media collection. It seems to work rather nicely for him.
Killrose5611@reddit
This seems to be a trend with my 14 year old kid and his friends.
PerilousRaptor@reddit
I've been thrifting CDs, DVDs, books and select records since COVID. I splurged on a turntable and speaker set up, got a refurbed Sony five platter changer for my CDs and another refurbed DVD player, all on FB MP. I already had several hundred albums and CDs in storage. It's been a lot of fun enjoying them again and adding to the collection. It's been fairly easy finding CDs, DVDs for $1-3. I'm starting to see prices creep up, though. I'm very picky with the vinyl and I now only buy new record releases from up and coming bands I want to support. It blows my mind that people are paying $30-60 for used vinyl in questionable condition, just for the sake of having it. So, yes, I'm a big fan of physical media. I have a 2015 truck that still has a CD player. I love it.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
That's exactly why I'm thinking about it. New media will always be costly but the old stuff is so cheap right now. For what I spend on various subs, I can literally purchase a dozen DVDs, CDs, or even BRDs.
vegan_voorhees@reddit
For movies, I never stopped. Updated from VHS to DVD to (for faves) Blu Ray.
I got rid of a lot of CDs a few years ago - mainly singles - but have kept my beloved iPod, which I still use on the daily.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
Keep in mind that I'm not against future quality. I just went through the process of digitizing my VHS library (a pandemic project). It was daunting because I literally had to run each movie in real time while I recorded on the computer. The quality of those VHS is exactly what you'd expect from a VHS tape. Which is great nostalgia but if I have the choice of a quality (even DVD at 480p) over that VHS. I'm taking the latter. A great example of this is my Top Gun collection. I have the remastered VHS release and it looks aged compared to the digital 1080p widescreen remastered version. When I have the feeling for "the need for speed" you betcha which version I'm going for.
CHILLAS317@reddit
No, physical media is a giant hassle, space taker, and dust collector
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
I don't disagree. But are you also okay with paying hundreds of dollars annually for something that you won't ever actually own?
CHILLAS317@reddit
I never said I didn't own the music, I said I don't collect physical media. If you're saying my library will be gone at the whim of a media company, you are not understanding my collection
1989DiscGolfer@reddit
I started hoarding up records 20 years ago when they were dirt cheap at garage sales and thrift stores. Thousands and thousands. One time I was only one of two bidders at a giant estate sale for a couple thousand records, and he cut out at $5/box. Mainly 1950's-60's jazz, and that haul got me into jazz! Another time a gal I barely remember from HS's husband (I met up with them at my 20-year class reunion years ago) had a friend whose girlfriend was paying for his storage unit...and they just had an acrimonious breakup and "you can take all the records in there for free this weekend or else they're headed to the dump." It took four trips in my Camry and the HS friend's husband's van to deliver them all to my house. Mostly 78's and a ton of them are super cool!! A couple were from 1902, even. They have an announcement at the beginning of them because the artificial sound of a human's voice was still novel and awe-inspiring to people at the time. It's neat to just hold them, and then you drop the needle and LISTEN to a guy who might've been born around the civil war if he's in his forties.
I sold some of the more worthwhile records, and that paid for all the rest PLUS my rig to play them. It's a free hobby with a seemingly unlimited time of enjoyment, so long as I've got electricity!
I haven't brought any records home in years, though, and I hear they're not so dirt cheap anymore. I guess that means my kids can clean up after I die. I ain't doing nothing but listening to them. And there's so many I doubt I'll get to them all!
Moist_Rule9623@reddit
Last year I bought a very old car with a 6 disc cd changer, so not only have I been playing my existing collection much more often, I’ve been finding new (or new to me) music and buying it on CD! Makes me feel like a bit of a relic when I ask at the merch table at a show and find out the band doesn’t even HAVE CDs (apparently the cool kids now only have their music streaming or on vinyl 🙄)
threedogdad@reddit
Yes. 4k bluray. There's no other way to get the best audio and picture. It's also very nice when we lose power and the Internet is down.
pmbpro@reddit
I never went fully digital in everything, so I still have physical media: CDs, DVDs, Print books and magazines, Video games, etc. Yea I digitized some of them as backups in case of damage and on-the-go convenience, but I still even have a DVD player I can use too.
I like the cover artwork and I’d designed such things for a living, so it’s still nice to see it physically/not just on a screen.
I never had streaming subscriptions. I actually hate streaming. If I use anything digital, it was on my local hard drive or my own personal NAS network — basically my personal cloud — that I own. No buffering or internet outage issues (or ridiculous rising prices or needing to set up accounts).
Perplexio76@reddit
I started collecting vinyl in 2019 and I still read books.
But other than that I've kind of surrendered to digital and to streaming.
passim@reddit
I haven't owned a CD in 15+ years. I haven't had a car that would play one in 9?
But a year or so ago I started buying records. It's fun, I buy crazy colored vinyl releases, stuff from when I was younger, etc. I work from home and listening is a lot more deliberate now. It's not cheap but it makes me happy.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
Here's the irony in all this. My daily driver has digital (Bluetooth, Apple/Google Play, etc.). It also has an aux input and a CD player. For this, I generally either stream music or load up music on my phone or tablet using the aux input. I also just purchased an older truck with a stock radio that has a CD (it actually had a CD in it).
CaptainWhiplashCrash@reddit
I hate these phones. I've gone back to physical books. Reading real books is sick dude
Party-on
BrilliantWeb@reddit
I'm rebuilding my collection, but in 4kBD.
We've gotten so used to the enshittification of streaming video, when you see Blu-ray again, or 4k, it's stunning.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
I'm so glad that you mentioned the enshittification of things!!!! This is a HUGE part of why I'm considering this! Most people don't realize that most of their streaming media isn't the best quality. It's "just enough". If you want a true 4k experience with full multi-channel surround sound, it will either cost you a premium or you get the physical media.
External-Dude779@reddit
Streaming is the modern version of VHS. I can't watch a streaming movie anymore. I mean I can, but I just don't want to. TV shows in standard Blu-ray look better too. Most of HBO shows aren't in 4k unfortunately but the Blu-rays are fairly cheap, and with media companies moving away from physical media, there's no guarantee they'll reissue them
tommyalanson@reddit
I’m not buying physical media for a third or fourth time. Nope.
MajYoshi@reddit
I have all my original vinyl, over 1000 cds, 1300 DVDs, one VHS of Buckaroo Banzai as I'm not ever getting rid of that, about six hundred Fantasy and SciFi books, eight crates of comic books, totes full of most retro gaming systems and games, shelves of board and card games (incl my old Dark Tower and Dungeon! games), and only the Fates know how many D&D (incl my originals from the 70s/80s), Battletech, MechWarrior, and Shadow run books I have.
I also have a tote with serial cables, modems, parallel cables and a smattering of adapters. End of days will have BBSes, I'm certain!
Dude, I've spent my decades preparing for when I can just say "fuck it" to everything and go be a hermit in the woods.
I know I can't be the only one that's hoarded all of their media through the decades.
Maybe we should all start a commune in the woods.
D&D on Saturdays, Rock Band afternoons on Sundays, chilling with music and a drink weekdays, reading in the afternoons...
FesterJA@reddit
I "lost" the "license" to one of the digital XMas specials I purchased 6 years ago, did a little digging and found out this was totally legal and above board, that was the last time I bought anything digital and started purchasing nothing but physical media because I knew it was only going to get worse. This will probably be my final year paying for any streaming service between my library and the public libraries near me I should be okay.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
I agree and believe me when I say that I have a massive library of digitally converted media offline. My question is how do you get hold of newer media in physical form (or at all, for that matter). Legally, that is. I know that "there are ways" to get the digital media. But I'm talking about rebuilding with not only old stuff that already exists but even newer stuff that may never be released in physical form?
Delicious-Pie8944@reddit
I kept all of my cds and have them in storage along with my wife’s vinyls. We almost never listen to physical media for music though. For movies and tv, I got rid of about 90% of my DVD collection as streaming peaked in my life, then about a year or two ago I realized that I don’t enjoy not owning certain titles. Then I started seeing some streaming services editing content and some of my favorite shows had episodes banned from streaming (IASIP) so I’ve made an even more concerted effort to build my physical media library. DVDs and blu rays aren’t without cons obviously but I forgot how much I love things like cover and insert art, special features and extra, sometimes even cool menu screens are a smile or have a secret Easter egg. I still have streaming services for my kids and for new content that’s dropping but eventually, if I need to live without streaming, I have years of entertainment on my shelves now.
niff007@reddit
Still got all my records and listen to them. Wife has a vast DVD collection. Got 9 large boxes of cds in the basement but I havent listened to them in ages.
We do stream stuff but we've always kept physical media too and wife is on a tear (I dont blame her) about streaming subscription for movies.
MusicalAutist@reddit
I've started investing in anything that doesn't have a battery in it (that I can't change) and doesn't require a network connection. I rip my movies to my server and use Plex for viewing, etc
I'm done with subscriptions and not owning anything anymore.
FlatSixFun@reddit
Nope. I’ve been digitizing everything I can since the late 90’s. All my music and movies are on redundant NASes. I can play my media from any device in the house or from anywhere in the world.
newlife_substance847@reddit (OP)
That's where most of my stuff is at now but I've noticed in recent years that physical media really dropped off. My rational guess was when Redbox decided to go purely online as a rental service. Also, there's most definitely a despairing divide in the quality of digitized media. Especially video.
raendrop@reddit
I never fully left. Funny how we've gone from dinosaurs to hipsters :-P
HandAccomplished6285@reddit
My kids started collecting vinyl, and I remembered everything I loved about LED Zep IV with a really good over the ears headset. Next thing I know, I’m re-buying, for a lot more money, all of my favorite records from back in the day. And a pair of Sony Studio cans to listen to them with.
No_Maintenance_9608@reddit
I never left. I always want physical media instead of going totally digital or signing up for some many subscription services.
GramercyPlace@reddit
I do both but have just realized how big a difference it is over streaming.
We have a projector in our main room and a 4K tv in our bedroom. The projector we have been using for years is 1080p. So we’d stream some “4K” content in the bedroom and watched some discs on the tv. Both looked decent.
We got spooked at potential supply chain issues with the Iran war and decided now was the time to upgrade to a 4K projector. I should mention our tv is 65” and the projector is on a 13’ wide screen. Not sure the diagonal dimensions but you can get an idea. Now that I’m watching content streamed in 4K vs what I have on uhd disc, it’s night and day. The 4K streamed content looks about like a blu ray but with hdr. The uhd looks like a film print.
We’ve watched several movies on it. Flashdance was one that blew us away. I only saw that on vhs and it was a cinematic experience watching in 4K.
As for just physical media in general, I love it and have almost a hoarder level collection. I worked in video stores in high school and part of college so I have my collection organized by genre and it really takes me back to that time when I go through it all.
Jas62021@reddit
I’ve got my CD and cassette collection. And have some vinyl as well. We’ve also kept our favorite DVDs and have hard copies of books. I’ve started printing photos out as well. Not just keeping them in the cloud
s33dp0d@reddit
I started missing that feeling of “the hunt” to find the cool things. Like finding bands you’ve never heard and only found through the liner notes or books that are 40-50 years old that are cool as fuck. I started really missing that feeling from when i was younger so I started doing that again. There is something so boring and non-personal about only seeing things served to me on the front page of a website and searching through a digital catalog is not the same as touching and picking up a physical items.
FlippingPossum@reddit
I still have CDs and DVDs. My cassette deck broke. Sad.
Guttersnipe77@reddit
Really glad I kept the CD/DVD collection. Puppy chewed through my fiberoptic line this weekend. It's getting fixed today, but it was nice revisiting the collection.
ExtremeCod2999@reddit
I did the whole album to cassette to CD to mp3 to streaming most everyone did, but kept my albums and CDs. And backups of my mp3 collection. I was recently streaming at the gym and wanted to listen to some Jon Butcher Axis, found it on Spotify, it kicked in and....what the heck is this? It wasn't any version I had ever heard. I couldn't find any version of his albums or CDs I owned. It was then that I realized that if you don't own the physical media, you really don't have any access to the music. I've been buying large CD collections off FB marketplace for next to nothing. Basically $20 for 100+ CDs whenever I see them. I get lots of duplicates that I sell at our local record shop or resell on FB. But I find a few dozen good discs for my collection. It's a cheap hobby and I meet lots of great people.
badhoopty@reddit
i was hip up until limewire/napster ended. never was interested in streaming, ipods, or digital 'ownership' of anything. if i cant back it up on a cd or use it without an internet connection, im not really interested.
im 53 and still do the playstation thing, and its discouraging to see people just willfully accept console and game companies move everything to digital/cloud based subscriptions.
Fritzo2162@reddit
I've always been into albums. I have a nice turntable and monitor setup, and I learned to play guitar from listening to vinyl (I used to keep a record player on the floor and stop the record with my toe to repeat a riff 😂)
Otherwise I stream everything. I don't need the extra clutter. If I did go back to owning my own media I have a NAS on my home network. I'd probably keep digitized movies/music on it.
thirtyone-charlie@reddit
Starting to get interested. I still have my CDs. I e heard cassettes made a tiny surge but those are long gone. My record collection too. Was stolen when I left home and joined the Army.
clumsystarfish_@reddit
You can pry my physical media from my cold, dead hands
Neolamprologus99@reddit
I never adapted to digital media. 20 years ago I saw it coming and I started stockpiling movie games and cd's like a doomsday prepper. I have an entire room in my house devoted to media. I could open my own Blockbuster.
ledlin99@reddit
Still got my CD collection. Never got rid of them when everything started going digital. I still have the first CD I ever bought for myself, Superunknown by Soundgarden.
Waffuru@reddit
Never left it. I have a sizable library of DVDs, Blu-rays, and CDs. I just like being able to pull something off the shelf and watch/listen to it. I have a portable DVD player that sits by my stationary bike, I watch dvds on it while I ride and it's just nice to be able to do that.
I already have a pretty large collection of DVDs, but I've been visiting a local Goodwill to fill in DVDs of movies that aren't on any streaming services that I want to be able to watch. Some of my best recent finds have been Dogma and Freaked. Freaked was hella rare until pretty recently, and Dogma is due for a rerelease at some point here but had been fairly rare as well. I'm still trying to find me an cheap used copy of Repo Man XD
I've also found that some of my CDs don't seem to be available on Spotify, so being able to just whip out a cd feels good.
Zesty-B230F@reddit
Never left. I have all my CDs. I have a few Blu-ray, but prefer DVD because they're so cheap.
kylanmama@reddit
I have a lot of my old stuff still but fully embraced the digital. Now with the lack of ownership available digitally I'm moving back to physical copies. I'm over everything being a license, lease, rental, or subscription. I think the latest PlayStation announcement has pushed me over the edge. The straw that broke the camels back if you will.
MoveToSafety@reddit
I still have my CDs (sans cases) but never use them. I only think about specific ones that Apple Music can’t get for some reason (e.g. the No Alternative album).
bigmedallas@reddit
Getting Back? Never left! At one point I sold off about 200 CDs and got next to nothing for them. I still have just more than 1200 CDs, maybe 40 Vinyl Records. All of CDs and Records are all ripped and live on a TrueNAS so I can access the originals at home and the ripped versions on the run.
Kitchen-Zebra-4402@reddit
Same. I have enough physical media to keep me entertained throughout retirement.
NikitaKhruiseship@reddit
When I read that The Criterion Collection was releasing Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, I bought a blu-ray player.
Scarab702@reddit
Yes it's a lot to store but I love physical media.
WillBrink@reddit
Nope, I like tech. I couldn't get rid of my LPs fast enough with CDs came out. Once streaming became high quality, CD collection gathers dust. I'm not normally an early adopter of tech, but once it's obvious they have worked out the issues, I'm adopting it. What I will not do is be a beta tester for new tech just to have the new tech. I usually get a phone one gen before latest/greatest, didn't stream music until it was CD quality or above, and so forth.
pagalvin@reddit
I joined a book club a year ago or so and have been reading beautiful hardcover books since then. I love it. I find myself reading more than I have in years before then (more = book, not social media).
EvilDan69@reddit
I have like 5 milk crates worth of albums. The stuff my parents have me is basically the top hits from the 60a, 70s, 80s.
Then I've had people give me a bunch.
ClumbsyVulture@reddit
I gave up on it a long time ago and never looked back. As someone who had tons of physical games, dvds, and cd's, I love the minimalist lifestyle. Less stuff in my house feels better.
Colonel_Autumn_@reddit
I aspire to this level of peace.
ZettaiGeek@reddit
I currently stream most of my entertainment or I am on my PC playing games. I also never got rid of any of my CDs, DVDs, or Blu-Rays. I still buy my music on CDs and movies on Blu-Rays. I am even slowly replacing the DVDs with Blu-Rays when I can. My wife used to ask me why I keep buying movies on Blu-Ray until we had an extended blackout that last for 3 days and she learned. We could hook up the generator, run energy to not just the fridge and freezer but also the the blu-ray player and tv and watch any movie from the collection. No need to stream.
Moonsmom181@reddit
I still have physical media and I’m glad my portable DVD player still works for when the power goes out and I’m not in the mood to read.
Colonel_Autumn_@reddit
Bass Boost? You betcha!
ScreaminEagle2502@reddit
I no longer have any music CDs as I burned them all into MP3 files long ago.
I do have a sizable library of DVDs/Bluray movies. I'd much rather have my movies in that format than sitting somewhere on a streaming service which may not be around in the future.
positivepinetree@reddit
It seems I’ve aged out of watching tv shows and movies. No longer interested in those things. Though I have a Kobo ereader, I mainly read physical books, both bought and checked out from my local library. I’m an avid reader of literary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Reading is my entertainment. For music, I listen to my local classical radio station. I’m big into fountain pens, so I write a lot and always have several notebooks in use. I also own a 1950s Underwood manual typewriter, which I use frequently. I do use technology, like my MacBook and iPhone, but I’ll always be an analog girl.
mtcrick@reddit
I also never fully left it. Where I am, it is fairly rural and we just gently got fiber internet so speeds weren't great. I am also not an e-reader, I prefer real books and really like to read. We still have our CD collection-12 feet worth! And though we have recorded them to digital, still could use them.
aluke000@reddit
I'd be more curious what percentage never left physical media. Why don't you create a poll? I never stopped reading paper books and listening to physical media at home
Oiggamed@reddit
I stream everything. Have stacks of dvds but no player hooked up. Also, no cable tv. I enjoy my streamlined entertainment system.
Elegant-Error-8010@reddit
Never stopped using it. Any movie I buy is either the dvd/digital or bluray/digital combos. That way I have a physical copy, yet still have a digital version to stream if im not home. My games are mostly digital though. At least my PC games. Most of the time it's just easier to buy those frome Steam, etc.
corsa180@reddit
No, I'm trying to declutter and get rid of physical stuff. The only physical media I have around now are board games, which is one of my main hobbies.
On the other hand, my iPad is full of ebooks I've downloaded, my hard drive has all the CDs I collected over the years digitized onto it (but that's not really used, as I subscribe to Apple Music), and I have subscriptions to Apple Music, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime. If the internet goes down, I can still read books, listen to my ripped CDs, and play a board game.
Dry_Ad687@reddit
Never left. I did sell my entire cassette collection though. All those tapes were stretched out.
_Feral_Child@reddit
Never left it my friend
MasterrTed@reddit
I have kept everything
I still add cd and DVD when I see what I want online
I’ve wired headphones and a powered Bluetooth DAC too now
tunaman808@reddit
I collected records in the 80s and early 90s, until it seemed like CDs had banished vinyl forever. I started buying the occasional record in 2008 or so (my friends were all about Record Store Day early on). I really started buying records again in 2021 or so.
My main listening is still done via Spotify, but I buy a fair number of LPs from current artists. I rarely buy LPs from the 80s or 90s.
I've also switched from buying t-shirts at the merch table to vinyl. I have 10,000 t-shirts and don't need a new one... and besides, shirt sizing is all over the place. There's nothing worse than buying an XXL t-shirt and getting home and finding out it's really a M... or worse, an XXXXL.
StrictFinance2177@reddit
Digital can be physical. 100% of my media collection is physical.
b_o_m@reddit
I still have a vast CD collection, a good amount of vinyl, from the 70's onward, half a dozen boxes of cassettes and a couple hundred DVDs and a great "component" stereo system. I even recently added a BluRay player since streaming movies is a drag with our less than stellar Internet connection.
I use Spotify and Netflix/Hulu, but I'm certainly not reliant on any of them. I can't imagine not having physical media. I'm fortunate in that I have two excellent used record stores close to home and while I don't visit them as often as I used to, I'm still buying more CDs and DVDs every year. I also started buying new vinyl when I go to live shows, if the bands have it at their merch tables.
canuckEnoch@reddit
I still buy 10-15 DVDs a year.
I’m rural, and internet can go out for days at a time here. I’m still good for entertainment.
Astronaut6735@reddit
I'm returning to physical books. I have an old Kindle that has served me well over the years, but Amazon is pulling the rug out from under me next month (May 20, 2026). I won't be able to buy new eBooks and download them. If I factory reset it, it won't even be able to log back in to my account. I realized that I only read one book at a time, so being able to read any book at any time isn't useful to me. I have the space to keep physical books. I'm not traveling like I used to, so portability isn't a concern. The advantages of a Kindle don't help me anymore.
ONROSREPUS@reddit
Back into it? I never left it. I am one of those types that waits for things to come back around. lol. Since my wife and I don't have internet, besides out phones, at home we don't stream anything.
damndatassdoh@reddit
I'm online AF, but still buy physical.. better quality, feels good to own/support.
stychentyme@reddit
While I never got into streaming I have been buying digital audio for awhile now. I stopped buying CD's just because of the space issue except for the odd movie soundtrack CD which I enjoy collecting.
However as I get older I find myself regressing more into physical media. When I visit thrift stores I browse the music sections and if I see a CD in good shape I'll pick it up. I found that I missed just browsing music in actual stores back in the day. I also rediscovered how much I like having the physical thing I spent my money on. I'm not sure why, but it's more satisfying than just getting a digital item, or subscribing to a service. I'm looking to buy more DVD's and/or Blu-Rays as well.
While I still digitize the CD's so I can play music on my devices, I do want to get an actual CD player again and maybe a whole stereo rack. I had a nice one in the 80's and 90's.
Maybe it's just nostalgia rather than age? I'm not sure.
Dogzillas_Mom@reddit
Sort of. I’m being much more judicious about it.
A few years ago, because of a series of comedic errors and possibly also AI customer service, Amazon and I got a divorce. When I deleted my account (it had been defrauded so it had to die), I lost 20 years worth of kindle purchases, movie downloads, etc. Everything digital that I’d paid for was gone. Now Amazon has locked down certain properties so I can’t even listen to the audiobook for Project Hail Mary (again). (Without an audible account, which was not included in the divorce agreement.
All that to say, I learned the painful and difficult way that you never really “own” anything digital. Unless you download it and put it on a physical medium. I paid to rent access to some pixels for a while.
Now I am not going to recreate my 219 playlists on Spotify on mix tapes. Eventually, I will lose access to all that somehow, for some reason. And I’ll start over on some other platform.
And I am not going out to buy 300 hard copy books because where am I gonna put all that? So I don’t think of buying digital media anymore im just temporarily renting access to it.
Dunnersstunner@reddit
I've done much the same as you. I just recently finished a project ripping all my DVDs to my NAS and set up a Jellyfin server. Likewise my CD collection has been ripped to my NAS so I can stream that too. My car is 19 years old and I have happily burned some MP3 discs for it (protip if you still have a CD head unit: burn your CDs as MP3 data discs and you will fit about 100 songs on there).
I do not subscribe to any streaming media, cloud storage or software services. My only subscription is to my local newspaper.
NPC261939@reddit
I never left it. I've continued to buy albums and Blu rays. I've never cared for the idea of "owning" a digital representation of what I enjoy.
ww_adh77@reddit
I totally am. I have a record player in my living room and a CD player in my hobby room. Sure, I stream Spotify a lot, but I get really annoyed with it when it pulls albums either entirely (Van Lear Rose, My Bloody Valentine, James Bond soundtracks) or partially (Ghostbusters soundtrack, Who's That Girl soundtrack). Even owning digital products isn't enough, as they can vanish from your online library too. : (
calculon68@reddit
This GenXer *never left* physical media. LaserDiscs back in the 90s, 4KUHD Blu-Rays today. Never stopped buying music on CDs either. And never went back to Vinyl. Did dump most of the magnetic tape stuff. (audio cassettes and VHS)
But it's all ripped to digital. MKVs for the videos, FLACs for the music. All uploaded to my Plex server- and I can play it anywhere.
WhatTheHellPod@reddit
Started buying records again a few years ago, upgraded to nice turn table a year or so later and am sitting at around 230 records. Just yesterday I street scored a tape deck and 5 disc CD player, so not I am getting an amp and speakers and just going for it.
What the hell, spend it before you die is my motto.
cchaven1965@reddit
I never stopped physical media or embraced streaming services. I refuse to pay money for something then someone else tell me I can no longer watch, read, or listen to it. If you want to keep access to something it shouldn't be residing on some remote server.
Shack70@reddit
I’m rocking a 160gb iPod and thinking of expanding it to 1tb. Not exactly physical media but it’s offline and curated by me
ronwabo@reddit
I never got rid of mine except cassette tapes and vhs, which is seeing a resurgence of their own now. I still buy cd's, but immediately burn them into the computer. I also buy 4k blu-ray movies regularly.
I was going to go all digital about 6 or 7 years ago, but music streaming doesn't have the rare bonus tracks and b sides to a lot of my old favorites, and digital movies and games can disappear with rights and circumstances. I do get the simplicity and convenience of streaming, that is nice. But I want to actually own what I pay for.
Numbnuts696@reddit
Partner and I never really stopped getting physical media. Have 1000s of CDs and movies and a small library as well.
Plastic-Sentence9429@reddit
Finally got a new turntable after like 25 years. 300 albums just sitting there waiting to be played. I'm really proud of my younger self for taking such good care of them.
takotako577@reddit
I made the mistake of leaving mine at my parents' house, so they are of course long-gone. So painful to think about what I once had is now gone. I've resisted the urge to try to replace everything and focus more on new stuff to help support bands I like, but I am a sucker for any sort of re-release on cool looking colored vinyl. Plus, I'm ashamed to admit, I don't listen to them as much as I should. Even though some stuff does sound superior to digital, but I forgot how annoying it is to have to get up after a few songs and flip the record. Much easier to just queue up a new song from my phone and keep doing whatever it is I'm doing with no interruption.
Plastic-Sentence9429@reddit
Man, that sucks. "My" collection was twice as big because my best friend growing up always kept his records at my house (he was free to come and go, basically a member of the family), and we lived together into our 20s. Then, like 15 years ago, he had a house fire, and they all got destroyed. Pretty much everything is available to stream, but there are still albums that I "know" I have that were actually his and are gone.
9inez@reddit
I’ll eventually part with all physical media in the process of downsizing. I’ll keep certain vinyl that’s worth $ and seek collectors who appreciate them.
It’s fine. I’ve been coveting that stuff since I was a teen roughly 700 vinyl LPs , EPs, special/promotional singles and CDs. It can go in to please others.
I don’t stream random music. I don’t allow robots to spoon feed shit to me. I intentionally listen to my library and I seek out new music intentionally to keep expanding my library on an artist/album basis. I don’t tend to collect individual songs.
F the algorithm!
The only time I’ll queue a streaming “station” might be to for background music at a family gathering type of thing. Then it might be jazz, blues, reggae, Motown, era specific music or something along the lines of Underground Garage.
UnconsciousRabbit@reddit
Yes. Lost the digital license I bought, and fuck these big companies who sell subscriptions. I went through the vinyl collection, the CDs. I scour local thrift stores for old vinyl and buy the occasional new. I don't watch much TV so that's not an issue.
Bright-Form730@reddit
I still have 2 office printer paper boxes full of CDs from decades ago. I’ve been considering purchasing some of my recent bands on CD just to own. I’m sick of subscriptions to music I like that can disappear without notice at anytime.
Additional_Rest7044@reddit
I never stopped buying records.
ixnine@reddit
Never stopped
Rpc_78@reddit
I still have my CD wallets from 25+ years ago. I’m glad I did, I don’t have to pay anything to listen to them. I started buying vinyl from my fav bands to support their album sales, and to have a physical copy too.
Myfreakinglyfe@reddit
Never got rid of my CDs, Vinyl, DVDs, etc. I still listen to them. Just bought a second CD player for my art studio as well.
-Hot-Toddy-@reddit
Getting back to it? I never left! Can't trust streamers to keep any of my favorites & I have a lot of DVDs & Blurays for shows & movies that you can't find anywhere anymore.
brokencappy@reddit
You can pry my complete Looney Tunes DVDs box-set out of my cold, dead fingers.
Shoehorse13@reddit
I built up an analogue system and started collecting records again just before the pandemic and its been a game changer with how I listen to music and the types of music I listen to. Recently broke out about 300 CDs we’ve been toting around for years and its been a blast going through them.
bjelly4@reddit
I never got rid of my CD collection, it's still standing in my living room in the IKEA tower that I bought for them in the 90s. I always pick up used DVDs if I find something I like or want to see if it's cheap because sometimes it's impossible to find these movies/ tv shows on streaming.
Just recently my 22yo daughter mentioned that she didn't know that Purple Rain was a movie. WTF?! So I had to find that. There will always be CD and DVD players to play the physical media, and it's reliable, so I continue to collect. Also my ancient record collection is still with me. I recently got a new turntable which connects to a Bluetooth speaker. So it's a bit modern, but not fully.
Historical_Nail7271@reddit
The only 'analog media' I refuse to part with is my vinyl!!! Everything else I digitized or stream. I've been swedish Death Cleaning.... DVDs, CDs, VHS, Cassettes...... Gone. Too much stuff.
Bleep_Bloop_Derp@reddit
During Covid, I decided to recreate the experience of walking by your friend’s no-good older brother’s room in the early to mid-80’s, the one with the perpetually dark room and odd smell and the haze of smoke, in order to glimpse the rows of arcane forbidden tapes…
MhojoRisin@reddit
I haven't been doing any of this myself, but my GenZ daughter has been acquiring a tape collection. To help her out, we got her a Walkman for Christmas.
xosherlock@reddit
Never stopped buying CDs, and physical movies and console games. I got back into vinyl a couple of years ago.
Even_Significance485@reddit
I honestly miss going to record stores and browsing through all the records and cds and tapes. Just wondering the store for an hour or so. Was always such a treat for me
doombase310@reddit
Ain't got space for physical media. I do like owning my own media in a digital format which gets backed up to the cloud. This has worked out amazing for me. I still stream but I also have my own files in lossless flac format. I don't care to own any movies or tv. Those are generally watch once and delete.
mfk_1974@reddit
The idea is appealing, but I honestly don't want any more 'stuff'. I have so much crap in my own house that I want to sell / give away / throw away, not to mention the 3000sqft house full of stuff that my parents live in that will one day be my responsibility to deal with, and I just can't bring myself to take on something that will add to that.
uselessdemographic@reddit
I hybrid. Records on a turntable still have that magic. If I don't have the vinyl, I have a huge MP3 collection. I ripped all of my DVDs and BluRays to files and serve them at home with Jellyfish. It is like having my own private Netflix. I cut a lot of my streaming down. Just have Netflix and a few month-to-month burners during Premiere League Season for soccer/football.
Cysteine_Chapel64@reddit
Absolutely.
I kept all my CD's and expanded them. I buy digital albums but I buy them and treat them like anything else with backups. Not rent them. I still prefer DVD's and blu-rays although I have streaming and use it for some things since cable was ridiculous and I don't really miss it but there are some things I still want streaming for.
Half Price Books btw is pretty awesome if you're in northern California too.
ORF1Live@reddit
Never gave mine up
gd2bpaid@reddit
Never stopped!
Th1088@reddit
This right here. Stuck with CDs and it's been great. Got plenty of stuff unavailable on streaming. Sucks that a lot of artists are only releasing digital and (expensive) vinyl these days.
Paul-E-L@reddit
Nooooope
I went all digital years ago. Any legacy media I had is long gone and I’m never going back.
Standard-Cockroach64@reddit
Yep... love my albums, especially on WFH days. Also noticed many streaming versions are now rerecording's of the original that sound nothing like the original (first noticed when listening to the streaming version of The Fixx's 'Reach The Beach' album)
redcrow2010@reddit
Yes. Started buying dvds and records again. I still have all my CDs.
No-Hospital559@reddit
I never stopped collecting, I have hundreds of records, thousands of CD's. Most I was able to get for free over the past decade from postings on craigslist or marketplace. Its been harder lately with other people starting to do the same. Anything I decide not to keep I give to my local thrift shop.
Doordasheasthartford@reddit
Yeah I really miss good ole fashion stereo
thedarkforest_theory@reddit
I kept most of the CD’s that my minimum wage high school job paid for and never stopped collecting. Over the years, I will do digital for convenience. Like in the car or traveling. I still prefer physical for dedicated listening sessions. I’m probably 90% CD and 10% vinyl and still don’t really get the vinyl hype. I save it for signed copies and special editions.
Remy0507@reddit
Never got away from it.