Owning vs. Streaming
We own About a Boy on DVD and watch it once a year, usually around Thanksgiving. We’ve seen it so many times that we say the lines with the characters. It’s a little Rocky Horror-esque. Last year, we had trouble with the DVD machine, but the Wolvog set us up on his PS4, which doubles as a DVD reader.
This year, I looked to see if any of the streaming services had it so we wouldn’t have to use the PS4, but it was only available to rent or buy.
Reader, we ended up buying the movie again.
I’ve hit a wall where I want to own the things I like and feel resentful that I have to keep streaming services to keep accessing shows that we re-watch. I don’t need to keep everything I see, but I wish there was the option to buy it at the end. I’m also aware the concept of “buying” a digital copy is not the same as owning a physical copy. But it’s still better than a streaming service.
For instance, I would like to own The Crown and One Day from Netflix. But they’re not available for sale. Bummer.
What would you rather own than rent?
2 comments
I suppose some people are perfectly fine with rentals, but I do prefer to own — movies, music, books. You never know when the movie or show you want to watch will suddenly become unavailable. And what’s with all the subscription plans for EVERYTHING?? It’s getting kind of ridiculous. And expensive!
We no longer have a VCR but we do have a DVD player and a collection of DVDs. We don’t watch them very often, but I like knowing they’re there if I feel the urge…!
It seems to me there was a book or article recently that made the point that pretty soon, nobody is going to own anything anymore. Which is kind of a scary thought.
Fortunately, my friend at the library taught me a strategy for this problem. My library system has several seasons of The Crown on DVD. Probably not all, since they seem to be trying to force everyone to streaming.
However, in my prepping mode that I have entered to settle some stuff before Jan 20, 2025, a new DVD player was on the list of things to buy. I have 2 that work OK, but since I own quite a few movies…and get many from the library, I’m not going to lose the ability to play DVDs.