If you’ve been reading my blog for even a small amount of time, you’ll know that my preferred format in general is physical. However, as part of my passion for horror, I ended up subscribing to a streaming service called “Shudder” last year and have been making use of it for horror films that I either can’t get or are too pricey in their physical release. However, an interesting discovery I made recently was that Shudder do actually release some of their exclusive content on DVD/Blu-ray. I was quite stunned and overjoyed but, upon thinking about it further, it reminded me how much content is becoming locked behind streaming. Therefore, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at streaming services, their relationship to DVD/Blu-ray and how I wish that they released their content on home video.
Let’s begin by looking at the history of arguably the most notable of all streaming services, Netflix. Interestingly, Netflix actually started out as a rental service for DVDs. Subscribers originally were able to pick from a catalogue of DVDs which would be sent via a package whose return was already paid for. Once Netflix actually began to produce original content, a smattering of their initial releases eventually found their way to DVD such as House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. However, as time has gone on, we’ve seen less and less of these series make their way over. That’s not even mentioning that hardly any of their original films have made their way over! It would be one thing if this issue merely applied to Netflix but we’ve seen other streaming services such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime take a similar approach.
I understand that these companies are probably thinking. “More exclusive content means more people will subscribe!” and to a certain degree this is true. The reason why many people will pick a particular streaming service may have to do with the content that is only available through that service. However, I’m also very aware that new media attracts more people than older media and that very few people are likely subscribing to services like Netflix in order to watch one of their older shows or movies. I honestly don’t believe that streaming services releasing their older content, perhaps this being shows and films that debuted somewhere between 6-12 months ago, on home media would do any harm. True, there may be some people out there who’d decide that they’d rather buy the DVDs/Blu-rays and not subscribe but I don’t think this would be a problem.
While it’s true that the size of the home video market is declining, it’s still worth billions and a film or show will make more money per sale of a DVD/Blu-ray than per watch from a subscriber. That’s not even taking into account the profitability of collector’s editions or special editions which is even higher. Any loss from the few that don’t end up subscribing will immediately be made up and more from the home video sales to those same people while establishing another source of revenue.
An additional benefit for the consumers that are passionate about the series or film would be the inclusion of extras. I’ve spoken before about my love for commentaries and, with a few exceptions, streaming services don’t offer any commentaries, behind the scenes footage, interviews etc. which I consider to be truly tragic. If I’m invested in the world and characters of the series/film, I’m going to want to find out more about the production, concept art, release etc. and a good DVD/Blu-ray remains the best way to see this type of content.
I haven’t even touched on the preservation aspect of physical media, something that’s been in discussion again since HBO Max began removing films and shows from their service, but I personally don’t see the disadvantages of streaming services releasing DVDs/Blu-rays of their original content and I have to commend Shudder for being one of the few to do this. Let me know your thoughts on why I wish streaming services released their content on home video, what other advantages or disadvantages you can think of, whether you’re aware of other streaming services releasing their content on DVD/Blu-ray and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!