At a time when streaming has become the main way to watch movies and TV shows, DVDs and Blu-rays seem to be gradually being relegated to the realm of collectibles. This is a trend that Peter Jackson openly deplores. As a guest at the Cannes Film Festival, where he received an Honorary Palme d’Or, the director of The Lord of the Rings recently expressed his sadness at the gradual disappearance of physical media and everything they represented for movie lovers. Beyond mere nostalgia, his comments raise a crucial question: what are we really losing by abandoning DVDs and Blu-rays in favor of streaming?
Peter Jackson nostalgic for the golden age of DVDs
For an entire generation of fans, the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the 2000s were much more than just a way to watch a movie. They were true collector’s items offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the filmmaking process. Peter Jackson knows this all too well. The extended editions of The Lord of the Rings remain the gold standard for bonus content to this day. Each box set featured several hours of documentaries, interviews, audio commentaries, and behind-the-scenes footage, offering a glimpse behind the scenes with a rare level of detail.
In an interview with IndieWire, the filmmaker particularly laments the loss of this editorial richness: “ We did hours and hours of behind-the-scenes material for The Lord of the Rings DVDs, and so many people have thanked me for doing them. People would watch that stuff over and over again because it inspired them to make films. That’s all gone now, and I think it’s a real shame. . “
For Peter Jackson, this content served as a valuable educational tool. It allowed aspiring directors, technicians, and enthusiasts to gain a practical understanding of how a film is made, from the writing stage through post-production.
A view shared by many in Hollywood
Peter Jackson isn’t the first to sound the alarm. Back in 2022, actor Matt Damon had already expressed concern about the gradual disappearance of the home video market (Matt Damon is worried about the end of DVD and Blu-ray). According to him, DVD and Blu-ray sales used to be an essential source of revenue for financing films, even those not necessarily aiming for global blockbuster status. Success in the home video market often made productions profitable even when their box office results were more modest.
With the rise of streaming platforms, this second commercial life for films has been greatly reduced. As a result, studios are taking fewer risks and placing greater emphasis on franchises and productions with very high commercial potential. Peter Jackson now shares this view. He believes that the industry’s concentration around a few major conglomerates is gradually reducing the number of films produced each year and limiting opportunities for emerging directors.
Blu-ray is still the best way to watch a movie at home
Beyond economic or heritage concerns, the disappearance of physical media also raises the issue of audiovisual quality. Despite advances in streaming, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc remains the gold standard for enjoying a movie in the best possible conditions. While streaming platforms heavily compress video and audio streams to limit bandwidth usage, the disc offers a significantly higher bitrate.
The difference results in a more detailed picture, cleaner gradients, fewer compression artifacts, and better preservation of textures. Dark scenes—which are particularly hard to reproduce—often reveal the limitations of streaming, whereas they retain all their richness on disc. The gap is even more pronounced when it comes to audio. UHD Blu-rays generally offer uncompressed Dolby Atmos or DTS:X tracks, as well as HD formats like Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. In contrast, streaming services use compressed versions that reduce the amount of information transmitted. For owners of a high-performance home theater system, the difference is immediately noticeable, particularly in terms of dynamic range, precision, and immersion.
Owning movies rather than renting them
Physical media also offers an often-overlooked advantage: longevity. When a movie is purchased on Blu-ray or DVD, it truly belongs to its owner. It can be watched at any time, regardless of distribution agreements or platform catalogs. In contrast, titles available via streaming regularly appear and disappear depending on licensing agreements. Some movies even become temporarily unavailable when they leave one service before being picked up by another. For movie lovers, physical discs serve as a form of personal archive, guaranteeing lasting access to the films they enjoy. This also allows them to preserve the original version of the film, without subsequent modifications—such as cut scenes—that sometimes occur when films are re-released on streaming platforms.
Physical media isn’t dead yet
While DVD sales continue to decline, the Ultra HD Blu-ray market shows that there is still genuine demand for premium editions. Many publishers continue to invest in 4K restorations, collector’s box sets, and limited editions aimed at enthusiasts. The success of certain catalog releases—whether film classics or more recent titles—shows that physical media still holds a special place among audiences who value audiovisual quality and the preservation of these works.
Peter Jackson’s remarks ultimately serve as a reminder that DVDs and Blu-rays are not merely technical formats. For more than twenty years, they have helped to preserve film culture, fund part of the creative process, and offer viewers an experience richer than simply watching a movie.
