Watching real media again?

[Phileeny]

For years I've ripped my media to HDD, first with DVD with compression via computer to TV, I've used PS3, Dune HD max and various Kodi boxes, but now today I rip my DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K to full ISO on a self built server to a Zidoo player on a 65" screen (big enough for the space) and a great sounding 9.1 system, and mostly I've been happy with this setup apart from a few issues with the player, sometimes the menu doesn't work or the subs don't play right, then the other day I sat down to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind Ultra HD ripped from the 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 4k Blu-ray, and at the start when the two started speaking French the subtitles didn't work, I stopped the film and played around with the subtitles, but couldn't get them to work (later I played the Blu-ray and the subtitles worked), I have a very expensive at the time Panasonic 4k player so I dug out the Close Encounters of the Third Kind Ultra HD 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray and played the film on the Panasonic with no issues and enjoyed the film for the hundredth time.

 

After as I was thinking I enjoyed handling the box and removing the disc to put in the player, by watching my media via the server does it feels cold, I may as well use a streaming service I hope the media isn't deleted,

I still buy physical media so why not use it the way it was intended, Yesterday I took my 4k Blu-ray of Valerian out of it's slip case opened the box took out the disc and put it in the player and watched the film.

Should I start to watch my physical media again and is streaming, even from your own server cold.

 

physical media isn't dead, and is having a comeback, I still own every DVD, Blu-ray and 4K I have bought. 

[Needfuldoer]

28 minutes ago, Phileeny said:

Should I start to watch my physical media again and is streaming, even from your own server cold.

If that's what makes you happy, go for it.

[paddy-stone]

For me personally I can't stand having to deal with the discs etc. Once I rip them to my server, they stay in their cases in storage. I have 3 copies of my most used/favourite movies, not including the physical. So that I don't have to spend my valuable time re-ripping / downloading again. I probably wouldn't be so anal about it if my internet was faster, but at only 60Mb/s it takes a while for a 50GB+ to DL... and even longer if I rip it myself.

Lately I have been more exacting with my choice of movies to own... And I've also been getting more digital movies, rather than physical, so it hasn't been as bad lately. I think it stems from the time when we were still using floppy discs and it took a very long time to do pretty much anything, and having to wait, and wait, and wait... approx 3-4 hours just to install windows 3.11 IIRC, and don't get me started on ms office. So I have computer ADHD, or PTSD if you like from those times in my late teens to mid 20's approx when time seemed to stand still while trying to do anything... I swear that out of an 8 hour day, we spent around 6 hours waiting for stuff to happen... and that's not including 24k internet waiting, just time for programs to load, installations etc etc. Now I just can't wait for my fix 

[aggie113]

Bits are bits.  You either read them from the disc of read them from the disk.  I don't have a great place/way to store my physical media so logistically it makes more sense to just pull up the ISO from my NAS.  My Zidoo player can handle nearly all without issue (I'll check my Close Encounters UHD rip later).  I do find that some times trying to skip the intro videos to get to the main menu can cause playback issues.

[timdine]

An interesting solution I've read about and considered is NFC tags in the cases.  Keep the media out and on display, but use some smart home integrations to scan a hidden tag in the cases to kick off the streaming of an album, or movie.  Seems like a fun way to have a bit of the best of both worlds.