3 Reasons Why VOD > DVD

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When was the last time you bought a DVD/Blu-ray movie? If you have to think long to come up with an answer, there’s a good chance you’re not alone. Accessibility of video-on-demand through cable and other players has had an impact on DVD sales.

In 2013, digital movie purchases hit a new high with a 47% increase over 2012.” [1]

Streaming video, whether viewed through a digital player like Roku or Chromecast or through a console like Xbox or Sony PlayStation has quickly become the more dominant distribution method.  Why?

Tech Toys – Digital players are affordable. Topping at ~ $40, Chromecast, Roku, Amazon TV Fire Stick, and Android TVhave low costs and are easy enough for Grandma Ethel to use.

Cost – Cost is a tricky thing. Dollar for dollar, the cost difference of a digital film versus a hard copy is minimal. Yet other factors help swings the vote towards digital, including the “little things” like gas to the store to buy the product or shipping costs if ordering a disc online. Of course, if you really wanted to get granular, you could then start accounting for storage space for your digital collection and include the price of an external hard drive to keep a safe second copy of your videos. But if you’re going to go that deep, then you’ll have to account for physical storage costs of bookcases or entertainment centers. You see, it’s just easier to go digital. J

Accessibility – One of the key benefits of digital media is the ability to access it anywhere. Regardless whether you’re on the train or on a plane or in a boat or with a goat, being able to access your VOD content anywhere is a big win. Apps like Amazon (Prime), Netflix or Hulu are perfect for portability — and your own personal cloud on a Seagate Centraleven lets you stream your purchased movies from home to your phone or tablet, from anywhere with a WiFi connection!

There’s also the factor of DVD/digital release dates. Case in point, the digital release of Guardians of the Galaxy was available two weeks prior to the release of the Blu-ray. While the functionality of accessing the special features is arguably a kink that could use some working out, you still have earlier access to the film via digital download than those who want to watch their film via disc – that feels so 20th century.

The battle of VOD vs. DVD isn’t going to end soon. DVD’s will put up a fight before going the way of VHS tape and LaserDisc.  But it’s a great to live in an age where you can watch your favorite films whenever you want to watch them, all at the click of your remote.

2014-12-18T14:49:54+00:00

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