SXSW 2025

Long Live Physical Media: Discs in the Streaming Age

Description:

For years, we've been told that streaming would spell the death of physical media. Why buy a Blu-ray when you have thousands of movies at your fingertips? Yet, in the midst of a contracting industry, a vibrant collector market has emerged, fueled by passionate movie lovers who value ownership, special features, and superior audiovisual quality. With the rise of boutique distributors and the 4K UHD format, coupled with news of streaming services removing titles for tax write-downs, physical media is having a moment... and it's clear that reports of its death have be greatly exaggerated.


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Takeaways

  1. Physical media (4K UHD/Blu-ray/DVD) is still a vibrant collector market that is bringing more and younger movie lovers into its fold every year.
  2. Physical media offers what streaming cannot: superior audiovisual quality, bonus features, and the security of truly owning the movies you love.
  3. 4K UHD Blu-rays offer the promise of a "final format" for consumers to own their favorite movies and TV shows, and sales are growing year-over-year.

Speakers


Organizer

Nicholas Kemp, SVP, Marketing & Communications, Kino Lorber Inc


Meta Information:

  • Event: SXSW
  • Format: Fireside Chat
  • Track: Film & TV Industry
  • Track 2
  • Level: Beginner


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