By Joseph Nichols, Staff Writer 

The benefits of streaming are both apparent and abundant. The ease of pressing a few buttons and slipping into your comfort show after a tiring day is always tantalizing. Streaming platforms have been quite successful in the past decade for their ability to lure you into your favorite shows for just one more watch. 

However, it also needs to be taken into account that in 2024, you are paying more money for less access to movies and shows than ever before. While Netflix began as a less expensive alternative to cable television, paying $15+ a month for each of the streaming services is simply no longer as affordable. Perhaps paradise is lost.

It is not uncommon to pay monthly for a streaming service to access only one or two shows that you enjoy. “The Office” is the foremost example of this — Netflix’s most streamed show during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet left for Peacock in 2021. The streaming model is so successful that people will pay for in Peacock, despite the fact that it is almost entirely supported by only two shows: “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.” 

There’s a reason Max outbid Netflix with $500 million in 2020 to obtain the streaming rights to “Friends.” Streaming services can now be carried by only one hit show or two. Netflix has “Friends,” Hulu has “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Max has “Friends” and Peacock has “The Office.”   

Enter physical media. With the rise in streaming costs, purchasing a physical DVD for your favorite movie or show is far more affordable than paying for a streaming service. Especially if you are someone who coughs up the funds across multiple streaming services to watch just a handful of shows, streaming is no longer affordable. The budget for college students and recent graduates is infamously low; instead of shelling out $80 to Peacock annually for access to “The Office,” purchase the series in DVD form for only $50 at Target.

While $50 is no chump change for college students, big box stores such as Target honestly aren’t even the most affordable method for obtaining physical media. The adventure of searching thrift stores and second-hand bookstores, such as Half Price Books, for your favorite DVDs is always a merry quest with friends. Collecting season-by-season allowed me to purchase “The Office” for under $20, “Rick and Morty” for under $10 and “Arrested Development” for under $5. The thrill of collecting the final season of a series is truly unparalleled. CURSES to the ever-elusive “Breaking Bad” season four!

Aside from the collectability of movies, the tangibility of putting discs in a DVD player and the odyssey in obtaining shows season-by-season, the biggest strength of physical media is that you actually own it. Streaming services only give temporary access, and as seen in the case of “Friends” and “The Office,” they can be on a new platform in a flash. Buying physical media guarantees that you will be able to watch your favorite shows without the threat of big business interference and streaming politics.

While another strength of larger platforms is seemingly its original shows, when was the last have-to-watch Netflix original that fully encompassed the cultural zeitgeist? “Stranger Things” is released with gaps in between seasons that last years and “Squid Game” was released three years ago. 

The quality of original movies and shows that Netflix and its immediate competitors produce is no longer up to the snuff as they were just a few years ago. Additionally, Netflix pricing alone has increased over recent years, with a standard plan pushing $16 a month. Original shows simply aren’t a legitimate justification for streaming services or their rising cost.  

With streaming services becoming increasingly unaffordable and physical media pricing at an all-time low, the moment is ripe to physically acquire all your favorite movies and shows for good. Pro tip: search local thrift stores for a Blu-ray player to purchase. Most go for $5 or less, and that’s really all you need. 

There are plenty of places near and far for physical media, so support local businesses in your own quest for your favorite movies and shows. Paper Street Trading is only a five-minute drive from campus and has an outstanding $1 movie section that always has more than a few steals. Get a change in scenery, explore the city with friends and save money.