Watching movies at home is much different today than it was 20 years ago. Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and other streaming services make it easy to view what you want, when you want, and wherever you like. Are outdated DVD collections still crowding up a closet or shelf in your house? You don’t need these delicate discs anymore, but does that mean you should ditch your old DVDs?

Reasons to Keep Your Old DVDs

Although digital media tends to be more convenient in this day and age, there are reasons to retain your old DVDs. One of the downsides to going digital is ownership. When you purchase a digital version of a movie, you are only licensing the content. You do not own it. Film collectors often like to have hard copies of their purchases. Also, some older movies or rare films are difficult to find in digital. Another drawback is sharing. You can lend a friend your DVD to watch, but copying a file for a friend to watch is considered piracy and illegal. Lastly, viewing digital movies requires an internet connection. You are dependent on a good connection and reliable service.

Reasons to Ditch Discs

For starters, technology changes quickly. Many computers today don’t even have disc drives anymore. And playing your old DVDs requires finding outdated equipment that may or may not be in working order. At best, it’s probably dusty. Physically, old DVDs take up space, no matter how you store them. Digital files don’t. The discs themselves are fragile. Purchased eons ago, the old DVDs sitting around your house may already be damaged and lack the original quality.

What to Do with Old DVDs

Save space and make your movie collection more manageable by digitizing your old DVDs. Digital files store easily on a hard drive or in the cloud, and also provide more viewing options, like watching your favorites on a laptop, iPad, or smartphone. Using DVD conversion software to create digital copies is one way to preserve your collection on your own. However, take care not to do this for commercial content or you could be violating copyright laws. Short on time? Contact a media service that offers disc-to-digital conversion.

How Can We Help You?

Contact Disc Hounds at 610-696-8668 with any questions about preserving your old DVDs or CDs. Need a project converted, copied, or printed? We provide high-quality duplication, printing, and media services with quick turnaround times and professional results.