Covering the world of streaming media over the last year made me confident it was time to go back to 1999, as I’ve become a proponent of physical media. But instead of watching my DVD copies of “Gladiator,” “Fight Club” and “The Matrix,” I’m enjoying the brilliant Blu-ray version of “Re-Animator,” the 4K release of “Top Gun: Maverick” and the Criterion Collection version of “Parasite.”
There are many reasons to own movies and TV shows that I’ll get to below, but one is incredibly timely. Licensed movies and shows on streaming service libraries are as volatile as it gets, and it turns out digital purchases aren’t actually safe either. For example, we just learned that customers will lose Discovery shows “bought” from Sony’s PlayStation store. Yes, just because you paid to buy something doesn’t mean you own it. Deep in the fine print, there lie rules that you’re paying for a license that can disappear.
If that frustrates you, then join the rest of us in diving into the complicated world of physical media in 2023.
Why am I buying physical media in the streaming era?
While my boss loves to say, “You know, there’s this cloud you can stream movies from,” I love to roll my eyes and say, “That’s not enough.” Yes, I still stream movies online, but that’s not the whole picture, especially if you’re tired of paying too much on streaming services and just want to watch your favorite films without rental fees.
Primarily, my passion for optical media lies in terms of quality. Thanks to the limits of modern home internet, 4K Blu-rays will always look better than versions on Netflix or Prime Video, as the data is all local. You’re not streaming a compressed version, which can be good enough when it’s your only option. I’ve seen the detail with my own eyes, as I looked closely at the all-too-important clouds of Jordan Peele’s “Nope” and the webbing in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies.
Also, unlike with digital purchases, buying on disc means you own a movie or show. Additionally, some movies just can’t be found on streaming services or even as digital purchase or rental. For example, David Cronenberg’s massively controversial film “Crash” wasn’t available in any form online at the time of publication. I’m told it goes in and out of availability. For reasons like this — and essentially the preservation of cinema and TV — ownership of optical media is valid and in some cases necessary.
What kind of Blu-ray player do you need?
Video game consoles can suffice
The PS5 with disc drive is an excellent console and a decent 4K Blu-ray player (and this one comes with one of our favorite games for free).
The Xbox Series X is an even better friend to optical media, as it can actually play audio CDs too.
The easy answer for some, especially those just jumping into physical media, comes from the hardware they may already own. The Xbox Series X and the disc-based PlayStation 5 play 4K Blu-rays, and the new modular and slimmer PS5 has a 4K drive you can connect to watch the UHD discs.
These consoles are perfectly decent 4K disc players (though the PS5’s disc drive can’t even play audio CDs), and they will be good enough for most, with strong and crisp picture quality. In terms of older consoles, the PS4 and select Xbox One consoles can play 1080p Blu-rays, while the Xbox One X plays 4K Blu-rays.
Unfortunately, those who know a little bit about high dynamic range (HDR) standards, you might quickly see there’s something wrong with these consoles’ physical media support.
Why I spent $450 on a 4K Blu-ray player
This is a 4K Blu-ray player worth investing in, with reliable playback and excellent picture quality. And while streaming is in its name, don’t expect it to have all the apps. It has Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube.
Neither console supports Dolby Vision, a high-end HDR standard that offers improved contrast for stronger colors and deeper blacks. That’s pretty annoying if you bought an OLED TV for just those kinds of visual perks. It’s also a pretty glaring flaw, especially when the Xbox Series S and X offer Dolby Vision for streaming apps and games. Heck, even the Xbox One included Dolby Vision for streaming. But for optical media? The Xbox Series X and PS5 whiff and leave you with substandard contrast, which was an annoying thing to learn when I bought the consoles expecting excellence in 4K disc playback.
After becoming frustrated with the price points of 4K Blu-ray players with Dolby Vision, I tried the Sony UBP-X700M, which I got for around $200 from Best Buy at the time. Unfortunately, it had a reliability issue where certain pristine discs would always skip and hiccup. I’ve heard this is a “your mileage may vary” situation, as some units are just lemons, according to various forum posts. But when I had that unit replaced, the second model also had that issue. So I gave up and went back to my consoles.
Then I learned about the Panasonic DP-UB820, which I spent $450 on this past Prime Day. Normally about $500, and currently on sale for $439 at Amazon, this 4K Blu-ray player has earned raves from many critics, and I’ll add my voice to the mix. It’s produced excellent audio and video quality so far, making me confident that I spent my money properly.
The only drawbacks are that it’s a little utilitarian: Its remote and interface are both a bit dated in terms of design, and while this is technically called a “Streaming 4K Blu-ray Player,” it’s light on apps. You get a pretty limited set, with the only major apps including Prime Video, Netflix, DAZN and YouTube.
But I still like it nonetheless, which is why I got on the horn with Bill Voss, who works at Panasonic and is the business development manager at Technics. When I asked him what made the DP-UB820 such a successful product — it’s been a popular pick for over five years now — he didn’t give the details of any secret sauce of sorts. Instead, he credited Panasonic’s history as a founding member of the DVD Consortium (which developed the format) and shared technology and wisdom from around the entire company, as well as Panasonic’s long history with HDMI. When asked if there was some brilliance with the lenses inside the UB820, Voss said it’s all about “how you integrate it.”
Physical media, according to his colleague Dan Unger, who works in communications at Panasonic, is definitely experiencing something of a revival. Unger told CNN that the company has seen a renewed interest in its optical media players over the “last couple of years.” And while this could be attributed to collectable limited-edition releases (such as Steelbooks), I’d argue that the reasons I listed above are just as compelling.
Everything else about physical media you need to know before investing
Optical media is a valued and important part of my enjoyment of movies and TV. It does not replace streaming but augments it. Every now and again, I will buy a digital movie or show when the sale price is so low that I couldn’t say no (the Don Corleone rule) or if I want to support a movie (such as The Venture Bros. finale “Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart”) the only way I can.
I’ve also found that 4K Blu-ray discs can be a bit easy to harm. Jeff Rauseo of the Films at Home YouTube channel has explained that 4K discs are much more fragile than their predecessors. These discs are the same shape and size as prior formats, which means more data is packed in. So you need to be careful when you move discs around, touching them only from the inner circle and outer rim. No fingerprints, no scratching, no nothing. Be gentle, avoid as much contact with the back (not the label side) of the disc as you can. I’m even gentle when putting it into my player.
Also, big-box retailers are acting like physical media is dying. Best Buy will stop selling optical media in early 2024, and Target is seemingly abandoning ship too.
Bottom line: 4K Blu-rays aren’t for everyone, but I believe
We’re living in a moment where HBO series “Westworld” is only on free ad-supported streaming services such as Tubi, and movies such as Ron Howard’s “Cocoon” and David Lynch’s Nic Cage film “Wild at Heart” just can’t be found anywhere. Before I can say “make it make sense,” let me just say I get that some people don’t need to. Movies can be ephemeral, I get it. But for those who want to rewatch their personal favorites, you can’t beat physical media ownership.
Whether you need a console or a stand-alone 4K Blu-ray player will likely depend on if you care about Dolby Vision or not. If so, I recommend you get a standalone player such as the Panasonic I mentioned above. It has the greatest endorsement I can give: I paid for it with my own money.