If you were a kid of the 1980s, then VHS tapes were a critical part of your childhood. Your family might have even had Betamax players during your younger years. At the time, it seemed like there wouldn’t be a better way to enjoy shows and movies at home.
Then DVDs came out. Although you could still pick up most movies on VHS through the 1990s, the disc-based format became popular because of its higher quality. When televisions could display HD content, then Blu-Ray discs became popular to use.
Are Blu-Ray movies going to be obsolete soon? The answer might surprise you.
Blu-Ray Movies Are Already Obsolete
Unless you live in a rural area without high-speed Internet bandwidth, then there’s an excellent chance that you stream movies and shows at home. You probably rent Blu-Ray discs to play from Redbox since that’s cheaper than a streaming rental, but that may be the extent of your investment into this medium.
That doesn’t mean you should throw away all of your movies because the technology is obsolete. You can still watch VHS movies with your family and have a fantastic time doing it. Upscaling tech on older players creates a picture that is just as crisp as a DVD. You can find the same option available on DVDs.
Blu-Ray players will go through the same process in the coming years. The arrival of 4KTV and UHD streaming means that new options will create similar pictures from your older discs. It won’t be the same as seeing a remastered film, but the entertainment value is still going to be there in your living room.
What Happens if the Power Goes Out?
After a powerful spring storm ripped through Washington State in 2019, many families lost power for more than a week. A portable Blu-Ray player allowed families to watch movies even though the electricity wasn’t flowing.
What about 4G LTE data on cell phones? That wasn’t available to many communities after the storm because the straight-line winds blew at tornado-like speeds. The cell towers received enough damage that it was impossible to send texts, much less stream a movie over the mobile device.
That means there can always be a limited market for movies in the Blu-Ray format if you have a portable player available. Battery-operated devices can work independently in any environment, making them a feasible option for road trips, power outages, or off-the-grid living.
If you take an objective look at the quality of a streaming service to a Blu-Ray disc, then the latter is still better even with today’s technology advances. Physical media sales might be on the decline, but there are also people who still use the DVD service that Netflix once offered in its early days.
Streaming services must rely on digital rights to provide content to consumers. What is available in the store might not be an option online.
Blu-Ray discs might be obsolete technology, but it still has many uses. It won’t go the way of the Betamax any time soon.
