Physical Media Is More Important Now More Than Ever
As streaming's stranglehold loosens and as it becomes clearer that the "Content Culture" fueled by Amazon Prime, Max (formerly HBO Max), Paramount+, and others did more harm than good to art as a whole and to audiences' mindsets, physical media has become a necessity and even a moral right. Besides being a more reliable way of measuring rightly earned residuals for those who work in entertainment than streamers' intentionally vague metrics, physical media is one of the few remaining forms of artistic preservation.
One of the worst things about streaming is the lack of permanence. Any streaming-exclusive could be altered or erased entirely without warning. This can't be done to movies and shows preserved physically. Physical media can help prevent the fates of Crater, I Am Not Okay With This, Infinity Train, Paper Girls, Willow, and countless more canceled streaming-exclusives from befalling other movies and shows. It would also keep them alive long enough for them to find their niches. It should be noted that, for years, this was the accepted norm for movies and series that didn't find immediate success. This was also how cult classics were born. More importantly, physical media would keep artists' works where they should be: out in the open, where they can be easily accessed and purchased by anyone, and where they can keep their creators financially stable.
