With the increase in streaming services and the quality of the content on those platforms continuing to go up many people are wondering if DVDs are better than streaming or if streaming is better. This question is quite tough and the answer can be difficult as both have their pros and cons and each person’s situation is different. DVDs are easily accessible and you don’t have to have the internet at your house to use them. Not only do streaming services need a good WIFI connection but you the content of each streaming service changes quite regularly so many people have found themselves in the middle of a series only to have the series removed from the platform before they can finish it!
So, are DVDs better than streaming?
Whether DVDs or streaming is better is really a matter of personal opinion. As of 2019, 62% of U.S. adults were subscribed to a streaming platform while DVDs only accounted for 10% of the home video market in 2018. Based on these stats there are more people who prefer to stream than those who choose to buy DVDs. In regards to which is better each one has certain pros and cons to it so ultimately only you can decide which is best for you and your situation.
DVDs and streaming services may be quite different, but they both are for the same purpose, that is for watching movies, TV shows, and enjoying yourself while doing it! In some cases, DVDs are best in comparison to streaming but in other cases, streaming is better than DVDs. Circumstances may be different and for that, we need to look at the pros and cons of DVDs and streaming. They may vary from person to person, place to place and situation to situation as well.
Before we go more in depth about whether DVDs or streaming is better it is important to dive into the details about each of the two options.
What is a DVD?
A DVD is a device that is used to store information in audio or video format. If you are a keen lover of watching movies or TV shows, then you can use a DVD for this purpose as this is a great option for that. DVDs allow the users to get the exact data present inside it and without any barrier. While watching movies or listening to audio from a DVD, you will not have to face any problems with buffering or anything like that as data remains intact inside it.
You can use DVDs on a variety of different things including: on your computer, laptop, DVD player, Blu-Ray player, etc. and enjoy whatever you want to see or listen to. These are some of the benefits of a DVD. You can store DVDs of different movies or shows in your home so that you can enjoy them at any point in time.
What is streaming?
Streaming services are the facility with the help of which users can watch videos directly through the internet. Streaming videos may be of different types, but to access any of the streaming services, you need to have a strong internet connection so that the video which you are watching can run without having to stop or buffer. Poor connection of WIFI or the internet may be a barrier in streaming and will cause a good amount of frustration.
Streaming allows the users to not have to purchase a single physical disc and they won’t ever have any extra fees besides paying for the streaming service monthly and their internet costs. Everything on the streaming platform will be processed via the internet and users only need a device to download the app for the streaming service to get started. In 2008, streaming services were started by Netflix and from then on, it became one of the best sources of entertainment for the users who are using the internet. Streaming services may differ from place to place and person to person. To use streaming service, users should be well aware of how fast their internet is as well as whether they have unlimited data or have to pay extra above a certain amount of usage.
DVD versus streaming
Let’s compare some of the qualities of DVDs with streaming. There are some pros as well as cons of both DVDs and streaming but based on the comparison below you can easily decide which one is better for you and why.
Both DVDs and streaming services are used by a large number of people today and while DVDs have lost their crown of being the leader in entertainment they are still used by millions of people every single year!
Let’s see the following comparison so you can decide whether DVDs or streaming is better.
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DVDs are on hand and ready to be used at a moment's notice. Streaming services may or may not have the show that you want to watch.
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DVDs have to be stored and taken care of. Streaming services require no storage room and no maintenance.
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DVDs are considerably more expensive than a streaming service. If you buy more than 4-5 new DVDs a year than only streaming will save you money.
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DVDs can get scratches and may stop working. Streaming services will work just fine as long as the internet and streaming service’s bills are paid.
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DVDs don’t require an internet connection, whereas streaming service needs a strong internet connection to work properly.
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For DVDs, you pay once and then never have to pay another fee whereas for streaming services, you need to pay monthly and if you stop paying you lose access to all of your shows.
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Streaming services are constantly adding new content at no extra cost. DVDs require you to buy new ones for each new show or movie that you want to watch.
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Streaming services are constantly changing content so you may lose access to a show or movie you love. With DVDs you will never lose access to the show or movie as long as you don’t lose or damage the discs.
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Streaming is as convenient as sitting down on the couch and using your remote. DVDs require you to find the disc put it in and then continue to replace the disc after every few episodes of a show or whenever you want to change the movie.
In light of all the above facts and points, we can easily declare the winner as being… both of them. (I know pretty anticlimactic, right?)
They both have their pros as well as cons and each method is preferred by people because of the situation they are currently in. For example, I went on vacation recently to the mountains of Tennessee. The house that we were renting for the week said that it had internet but the internet that it had was so slow we were unable to use it for anything besides checking emails! We brought our devices so that we could stream movies, TV shows, etc but were unable to use them because the internet was far too slow.
If where you live has internet like this then DVDs are a far better choice for your entertainment than streaming is. If, however, you are in a major city with incredibly fast internet but no storage space in your house or apartment than having a streaming service is probably better for you.
Conclusion
Ultimately only you can decide which option is better for you and for your current situation. If you don’t have internet or have slow internet then you will likely not enjoy the constant buffering that streaming services will have. However, if you have fast internet and enjoy a wide variety of shows and enjoy watching new ones as they are released then a streaming service would probably be good for you.
What happens for many people is that they have a streaming service but then also purchase DVDs for those TV shows or movies that are their absolute favorites. This way you get to combine the pros and cons of each and you won’t be stuck if there is an internet outage or if your favorite movie or show is pulled from a specific streaming platform.
