Have you seen that one show on Netflix? Or was it on Amazon Prime? Or maybe Apple TV? No, it was definitely on Hulu! Oh, you don’t have Hulu? I think you can bundle that with Disney+. Oh wait! You’re talking about that other show! That one was on Max last year. Let me see if it’s still there! Oops. Looks like it’s not streaming anywhere anymore.

I’m getting tired of this. And I feel like I’m not alone.

The above Tumblr post was made in January of this year and has since gained over 60,000 likes and another 50,000 reposts. Not to mention the screenshots reposted on other sites gaining even more attention. It is obviously making fun of the ridiculous names so many platforms have. But it also points toward a broad consensus that this whole streaming thing has gone too far.

The Age of Streaming

Streaming services are fine if you just like to watch whatever new release came out last night. And if you have the money to get all ten million different services that are out there. But for any true connoisseur of film and television, it just isn’t working.

When I was in film school, I had an ever growing collection of DVDs that I was ridiculously proud of. It was my personal library. I had all of my favorites plus piles more. A bookshelf in my living room gleamed with their plastic covers. Any time I was sick, I would pull The Princess Bride off the shelf. And any time I was feeling a little down I would put on Pride and Prejudice (2005). And whenever I needed a good laugh, I knew where to find Clue or The Mummy (1999). I am ashamed to say I completely took for granted this ease of access to some of our culture’s most important works of art.

When I moved across the country to LA, suddenly it was extremely inconvenient to have so many movies. So, I downsized. A lot. I kept only my truest favorites. And those stayed in a box for almost two years before I had the money (or space) to get a TV. In that time, I became accustomed to the “convenience” of streaming services. It was just one less thing I had to move and unpack each time my precarious living situation changed.

I didn’t call into question my dependance on streaming services until the unthinkable happened: Netflix stopped streaming Brooklynn Nine-Nine. My comfort show! Gone! Sure it was still out there on a different streaming service. But I didn’t have the cash to drop on another streamer nor the desire to do so. What I did have, was a library card. Fortunately, the Los Angeles County Libraries have an extensive film and TV catalogue. It’s not as convenient as streaming; I have to physically go to the library and pick up anything I rent. Of course, I don’t get to keep it forever either. But if I want to see it again someday, I know where to find it. And I already paid for it with my tax dollars, so I might as well use it!

Amazon Vs. Common Sense

But gripes with streamers aren’t just a matter of personal preferences. At the end of August, Amazon was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that users were falsely lead to believe the films they purchase through Amazon were theirs to keep. In short, when someone “buys” a film on Amazon, they aren’t purchasing a copy of the film. They are purchasing a limited license which can be revoked at Amazon’s leisure. The lawsuit argues that Amazon’s use of the word “buy” is deceptive as it implies perpetual ownership of the bought item. Amazon has argued that it’s microscopic fine print clarifies all of their definitions for big, complicated, legal terms like “buy”.

This is the same case for digital books purchased through Amazon’s Kindle App and for audiobooks on Audible. Even though you paid full price for it, like you would at Walmart or Barnes & Noble, you don’t really own it. You are leasing it.

Digital Media is Dead! Long Live Physical Media!

So, are people really getting back on the physical media bus? Anecdotally, I can say absolutely yes! I have multiple friends who have recently re-invested in their DVD and Blue Ray collections. All citing annoyance with the impermanence of streaming service. I have another friend who collects VHS tapes. He has a whole closet full of them! And yes, he actually watches them. Because it’s not about the quality of the image or sound. It is the simple fact that many films from that era never got a digital or even a DVD release. VHS is the only format where some films exist. With that in mind, you can start to see how investing in a personal, physical media library is so much more than a hobby. It is art preservation.

If you are interested in ditching digital media, I highly recommend buying from shops like Whammy Analog Media in Silver Lake or Cinefile in Sawtelle (If you’re not in the LA area, these guys do online sales too!). I guarantee the experience will be infinitely more fulfilling than scrolling through titles on Amazon or Netflix.

But what about the shows that only exist on streaming?

I remember Netflix’s heyday circa 2015. Back then, the original content produced by the streamer never got a physical release. Those shows would live exclusively on Netflix and never end up on the shelves of a Best Buy or in the discount bin at Walmart. You had to get a Netflix subscription to watch them. But that is no longer the absolute rule, primarily because of increasing demand. Did you know that you can buy a Blue Ray of Wednesday Season 1? Or that you can get a box set with all four seasons of Love Death & Robots? That’s right. They exist! It’s true, only the most popular shows get prompt physical releases. Many smaller shows and films are still in danger of being deleted for tax write offs (more on that here). But the atmosphere is changing. And that change comes directly from us, the consumers, who are demanding something better. Streaming movies and shows might be convenient. But trading permanence for convivence is a mistake I refuse to make again.