Why does physical media seem to be such a bad thing to major studios these days? Are they really losing any money by releasing a catalog title on a format such as blu-ray if no conversation is needed? I understand the costs of converting some popular titles such as "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" might not seem worth the cost since they were not shot on film, but why is it that some titles never seem to be worthy of a physical release beyond their first DVD release. I just don't understand why the studios seem so opposed to releasing smaller cult hits on a high definition format. Warner Archive has the perfect set up in which consumers can order their older catalog titles and they can make them "on demand". Still, even with the praise I will show Warner Archive, there are still plenty of titles the studio seems to turn a blind eye to.
I understand the studios feel the future is digital, but I don't think that future is as rock solid as they seem to think it is. The average person only makes so much money a year. I am a working class person myself. I work hard for my money and I personally like the feeling of having something to show for my money. Also, with a few streaming services available, the decision to pay for Netflix and Hulu (and Amazon Prime) isn't too difficult. Yet, now we also have CBS All Access. We are soon going to be introduced to DC's streaming service and in a few years Disney is throwing their hat into the streaming race. How many choices are consumers going to have to make before streaming becomes as expensive or more expensive than buying the physical copies like they did during the DVD boom of the early 2000's?
I just feel like studios shouldn't be so keen on shutting the door on physical media. As long as film fans like me live, there will always be film collectors. It's in our blood and if the studios lose us, they lose their money. That's just my opinion though. Thank you for reading this post and have a good day!
-Jeffrey S.
