Physical Media: Going Out With a Bang

26 November 2023

Physical media — particularly CDs and 4K Blu-ray, plus the inexplicably resilient DVD — has been circling the drain for a few years now. The “plan” has been to finally move away from physical media and go exclusively digital for consumer music and movie distribution. Target and Best Buy have announced plans to stop carrying physical media in 2024.

So, that would seem to be the end of the story.

But is it?

Books are still published in physical formats and many books benefit from that option. It simply wouldn’t be the same to replace a large-size, robust coffee table book with an iPad. And, of course, LPs — vinyl — have enjoyed a remarkably healthy resurgence during the past several years. Many manufacturers are offering cool, modern turntables — some models even including Bluetooth for wireless playback on AirPods and other headphones.

And then there’s Christopher Nolan, a filmmaker at the forefront of modern theatrical experiences. But he shoots on film, not digital. The release of Oppenheimer brought renewed interest in theatres with film projectors. Particularly 70 mm film projectors.

Protected Content

In a collision of controversies, Nolan recently made comments about the importance of physical media as a way of protecting access to productions. Those comments were initiated by concerns surrounding studio activities during the past several months.

All of a sudden, it’s in vogue for studios to shell out tens of millions of dollars on productions — even have those productions completed and ready for viewing — only to pull them off release calendars and out of circulation. This at a time when streaming had been seen as a lifeline for movies that might not otherwise be seen.

And so it is Warner Bros. pulled a new $90 million Batgirl movie (featuring Michael Keaton, JK Simmons and Brendan Fraser) in favor of a tax write-off. Word has been mixed as to whether or not the reportedly completed movie was any good.

Disney followed suit by pulling the $106 million Willow series even though it had been streaming on Disney+ for six months. Save on royalties. Get a tax break.

The paying subscribers? The “customers”? They don’t figure into the equation.

Another facet to all this is the censorship being done to decades-old movies in the name of being politically correct, or woke. Movies widely regarded as classics — including Peter Pan and Dumbo — have been restricted from profiles for children under age 7. At least that’s not going so far as editing out the crows from Dumbo, which had been rumored as a move Disney was going to take. Rewriting the past with censorship like that isn’t going to help people understand how we all got where we are now. Honest and fact-based education will.

Things reached a crescendo when Warners tried to snub a $70 million Looney Tunes live-action/animated mashup movie called Coyote vs. Acme, starring John Cena and Will Forte. Despite favorable screenings, it was going to be dumped in favor of yet another tax write-off.

Then the creatives started to rally.

Apparently Warners still doesn’t want to put it on Max, but they’re open to selling the property.

Bad Math

Maybe the bottom line is the bottom line never added up when the studios flocked to streaming platforms as a saving grace during the pandemic.

The numbers — and the baseline logic — never made sense to this recovering accountant.

This latest dust-up coincides with the home release of Oppenheimer and a renewed appreciation for physical media.

What’s happening with Oppenheimer’s 4K release is crazy as demand has far outstripped supply.

The longstanding tradition of limited editions — particularly Best Buy’s exclusive SteelBooks — is winding down, while customers are getting fired up. Best Buy and Walmart exlusives of the title are sold-out nationwide. But even the standard 4K edition is hard to find. So hard, in fact, Amazon is now playing the “demand-based pricing” game. The standard 4K edition lists for $32.99 (Walmart was selling it for only $29.96), but Amazon — not an aftermarket affiliate — is selling the title for $49.99 with extended shipping times since Amazon is also currently out of stock. Keep in mind, Amazon also has a penchant for inflating list prices (publishing incorrect list prices) in order to then put a big red discount percentage next to the price.

That is appalling.

Amazon’s unjustifiable price-gouging with the Oppenheimer 4K release priced at $49.99.

A couple days later, Amazon dropped the price to a competitive $29.96 with fresh inventory, but note the ridiculous explanation of “list price”

Best Buy’s price: $32.99. The 2.7 rating in the above screenshot, by the way, isn’t regarding the movie. It’s customer feedback on Best Buy’s poor inventory management, particularly as it relates to their hard-to-find SteelBook edition of Oppenheimer.

Walmart’s price: $29.96. The 3.7 rating in the above screenshot is, likewise, in response to Walmart’s lack of inventory on release day.

Raiders of the Lost Art

So what’s at stake with the demise of physical media?

Huge drivers behind the change are, of course, technology and the marketplace itself. Back in the day, when movie palaces ruled and theatrical engagements could last a year or more, movie theatres sold movie programs, just like those of a Broadway show. But, as the industry moved to multiplexes and theatrical windows started to shrink with the advent of VHS home video, that practice stopped in the early 1980s.

It’s also reminiscent of the clamor over the demise of vinyl and its large-format album covers in favor of the relatively miniscule CD jewel case. (Partly to combat this and partly to help make CDs more easily fit into LP bins in record stores, CDs were originally packaged in tall cardboard sleeves.)

There is an experiential component to the ownership of physical media. The design, the alternative packaging concepts and the reinforcement of the movie’s essence.

Best Buy’s Oppenheimer SteelBook ($37.99)

Walmart’s Oppenheimer Icon Edition ($34.96)

Best Buy’s awesome Dial of Destiny SteelBook artwork ($41.99)

The artwork for Walmart’s Dial of Destiny package ($34.96) is striking for its lack of accuracy, particularly the train fight image on the back. (But I love it.)

The Fat Lady Sang

The music business is further down the digital road.

Disney botched the release of John Williams’ Grammy-nominated score for Destiny on CD. They turned it into an impromptu limited edition and it’s already out of print, with only the vinyl edition still available. It’s a timewarping turning of the (turn)table. And Milan Records won’t be releasing a physical edition of Martin Phipps’ excellent Napoleon score. Same goes for the spectacular Broadway cast recording of the latest Sweeney Todd revival, this time starring Josh Grobin and Annaleigh Ashford. No physical release; streaming platforms and digital purchases only.

Even all the major gaming platforms — PlayStation, Switch and Xbox — offer digital downloads of games. Some consoles, as with PlayStation 5, offer a digital-only model that doesn’t support playback of physical 4K discs.

While the ease of accessing the theoretically abundant and immediate digital inventory is attractive, there’s still a sense of loss surrounding the phase-out of physical media.

Beyond the disc, there’s the collectibility, resalability and add-ons, such as Walmart’s inclusion of an enamel pin of the Antikythera as part of its Dial of Destiny package.

---