It doesn’t seem that long ago that DVDs were the hottest new technology for watching movies at home, yet today it’s possible to watch nearly anything by streaming it over the internet. While streaming was originally limited to a few services like Netflix, Hulu, and Vudu, now you can search nearly 50 websites for something to watch in your home theater–and many of those require no monthly subscription. Many people are now wondering if it’s more advantageous to go with DVDs or streaming services for their movie libraries.
Factors to consider when you’re deciding between DVDs or streaming services:
Factors to consider when you’re deciding between DVDs or streaming services:- Not all movies are available via streaming services. It hardly seems possible with all the streaming websites on the internet that you could find a movie not available there, but it is. To make it more challenging, the libraries available online or downloadable from for-purchase sites are constantly changing, so a movie you watched online a year ago might not be available now. Unless you run up against this problem frequently, it’s probably not a major obstacle against relying on streaming services. However, you may want to keep a DVD player on hand and purchase a DVD of any movie you simply cannot live without.
- Streamed movies require good bandwidth. Your ability to stream movies at high resolution will depend on your internet speed and wi-fi connectivity. If you don’t have enough bandwidth, often streaming services will try to reduce the file size to prevent buffering, but that means you could lose resolution. Talk with the professionals at AEInteriors to help you understand the capacity for streaming over your home’s internet and what you can do to improve your network. DVDs require no internet connection, so you can watch them on a player while camping in remote areas if you desire. DVDs also have the highest quality since there is no degradation of data like you experience over the internet.
- DVDs take up space. There are so many movies and television programs on DVD now that creating a collection of all your favorites could take up several rooms in your home. Besides, it’s easy for your movies to become lost, stolen, or destroyed. However, as long as you have a copy in good condition, you can be assured you’ll be able to watch it whenever and wherever you want.
- There are costs either way. Some streaming services charge a monthly subscription fee while others feature prices to rent or buy movies and television shows. Depending on how many subscriptions you maintain, how many subscription-included movies you watch, and how frequently you rent your selections, it may be cheaper to simply purchase the DVDs for the movies you want to see. If in doubt, track your viewing habits for a month or two and compare what the costs would have been if you had used streaming services versus paid to buy the physical copies.
- Do you love watching the extras? Most DVDs come with extra features like behind-the-scenes interviews, blooper reels, extended “uncut” versions, etc. If you’re a true movie buff and you like to watch those, you may need to purchase the DVD to get them. However, some for-purchase-and-download sites may include these extras in their video files.
You don’t need to make a choice if you don’t want to.
There’s no reason to choose completely between DVDs or streaming services. It’s quite acceptable to strike a balance between the two. Many people purchase DVDs of their most cherished movies or television shows because they know they will want to watch them many times in the future while they rely on streaming everything else. However, even in these situations, knowing how much time you will spend watching DVDs or streaming services will help you determine how much money you want to invest in your internet services, network setup, and equipment.
We can help you design the perfect home theater for your needs.
If you want to design the perfect home theater experience for your friends and family, talk with our professionals at Accurate Electronic Interiors. We are Southern Oregon’s first choice in home theater and SMART home electronics design and installation. Our teams install quality electronic systems that seamlessly automate your home theater, window coverings, lighting, outlets, surveillance system, and more. Visit our showroom or give us a call to learn more about how we can make your life easier.