5 Reasons 4K Blu-Rays Are Better Than Streaming (& 5 Reasons They Aren’t)

Since streaming services have become the most popular way to watch content, there are fears that physical copies of film and TV could eventually be left by the wayside. Much like digital novels could have affected book sales, streaming can impact Blu-Ray sales.

There are plenty of benefits to both 4K Blu-Rays and streaming services. However, there are also reasons why the other could be better in the long term. Here are 5 reasons why 4K Blu-Rays are superior to streaming services and 5 reasons why digital platforms are better.

10 4K BLU-RAY: PICTURE QUALITY

The picture quality of a 4K Blu-Ray is some of the best in the industry. With brand new televisions able to reach the same HD heights as the discs themselves, the crispness of the image and the depth of the frames are clear to see on the screen.

While certain streaming services do offer a 4K option, many devices might not be able to cope with such a high resolution. What’s more, by relying on some kind of internet source, this can affect the quality of the image further; something Blu-Ray doesn’t require.

9 STREAMING: SO MUCH CONTENT

The great thing about streaming services is that there is so much content to choose from and it’s available to watch at any time. It is practically physically impossible to own the amount of Blu-Ray discs to match the content that’s available digitally.

That means there can be too much choice, at times. While many streaming series and films make their way to 4K eventually, some will never be put on discs and will forever exist as a digital movie rather than as a Blu-Ray.

8 4K BLU-RAY: TOO MANY STREAMING OPTIONS

It’s difficult to know where to start when picking a streaming service. Perhaps it’s best to find which service offers the classics someone is interested in. Other times it makes more sense to look at the original content that the competition is offering.

There are just too many platforms to keep up with nowadays. With most major companies in the industry trying to launch one, streaming services have become almost overwhelming. 4K discs do not have the same problem.

7 STREAMING: PRICING

The pricing of many streaming platforms is pretty reasonable considering the amount of content available. Although some of the main platforms are slowly starting to increase their fees, others are dropping considerably.

It’s expensive to buy 4K Blu-Rays, especially in comparison to conventional DVDs. Streaming platforms allow audiences to watch a wide range of films and series that they wouldn’t bother spending money on to acquire in physical form, which helps the industry’s indie scene.

6 4K BLU-RAY: SOUND QUALITY

Much like the image, 4K Blu-Rays offer far superior sound. The discs are designed to be played from Blu-Ray players and high definition TVs, which typically have excellent speakers to help enhance the movie viewing experience further.

Streaming can be played using a variety of devices and rarely takes advantage of the same technology as 4K Blu-Rays. Although it can be beneficial to stream through a TV rather than a laptop or mobile device, the sound isn’t comparable to a 4K Blu-Ray disc.

5 STREAMING: PLAY FROM ANY DEVICE

One of the benefits of streaming is watching content anywhere on any device. Every platform has download functions which allow movies or shows to be watched on the go, without the need to have an internet connection at all times.

Nearly every device no longer has a disc drive in order to play even the simplest of DVDs and many don’t actually have Blu-Ray capabilities, let alone 4K. There will never be the issue of not having a device to watch streaming from, compared to physical copies.

4 4K BLU-RAY: DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

There is a caveat to the 4K Blu-Ray products that allow them to compete with streaming services. Many of these discs also come with a digital download code so the owner can watch the movie any time, anywhere, just like online platforms.

This is brilliant as it does not require an internet connection once it has been downloaded and can be a permanent digital movie alongside the physical copy. What’s more, users get the best of both worlds, being able to watch a movie on the go and in high quality at home.

3 STREAMING: TAKES UP NO SPACE

A streaming platform doesn’t take up any physical room in the house. It seems odd to say, but owning a Blu-Ray collection means that space has to be found for all those boxes. Once a collection grows substantially, it can just become too much for one area.

With streaming platforms, there’s an infinite amount of content available without any space being taken up at all. Plus, when a digital download code has been used, that permanently takes up digital space. Downloads from streaming are easier to delete and bring back.

2 4K BLU-RAY: PHYSICAL COPIES

Sometimes you just want to keep a physical copy of your favorite film. Many people take pride in collecting DVDs and Blu-Rays. Furthermore, buying physical copies helps the industry to continue circulating money for film and TV.

With streaming, a film could easily disappear from a platform at any given moment. Once a 4K Blu-Ray film is purchased, it is there for life or until it is sold, guaranteeing it remains part of someone’s collection indefinitely.

1 STREAMING: NEW POSSIBILITIES

Streaming platforms have allowed for the film industry to explore innovative new possibilities. Whether it’s a choose your own adventure style series, or perhaps a company like Netflix producing comic books as well, there’s lots of room to develop these platforms further.

There’s also going to be opportunities in the future to work alongside VR and 360-degree videos, as well as producing content that can be edited once it has been released. There’s plenty of ways that having a digital industry can help film and TV move forward.

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