How long will your Blu-rays and DVDs last? I found out
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Our Experts There's a contingent of people out there stubbornly clinging to physical media, and I get it. As expensive as it is to collect Blu-rays and DVDs, going that route means you're no longer chained to monthly subscriptions. In many cases, you can't even count on streaming libraries providing what you want — titles can vanish without warning, and of course some releases may never appear on streaming in the first place, at least in your home country. Good luck finding a reliable place to stream '80s Hong Kong action movies if you're in the US or Canada. There's an inescapable problem with physical media in the long run: shelf life. While discs might look indestructible unless you snap, crush, or scratch them, the truth is that they'll eventually become unplayable all on their own. Below, I'll explain what you need to know about their longevity, which may be especially important if you like to hunt garage sales and flea markets. Let's just say that you should be ripping discs to an offline movie server if at all possible.
Published: May 18, 2026 12:00 am
Source: Pocket-lint — Read original