Running my eyes across my shelves of DVDs, 4K Blu-rays, regular Blu-rays, vinyl records and CDs in my physical media library, I get a sense of calm and pride, and that’s before I even pick out something to listen to or watch. I’m not alone, either, because I’ve heard the cries to return to the way things were every time I see a movie leave one streaming service for another, a digital purchase get deleted because of some contract expiring and most importantly of all, every single time a streaming service raises its monthly rate without offering anything extra in exchange.
In six years, I’ve gone from streaming media reporter to the friend who hosts movie nights that are exclusively played off of the titles he owns in physical form. I’m the one getting my albums and movies autographed by the artists that create them. And I’m the one who gets to peruse his own shelves like I’m a kid again at Blockbuster or Hollywood Video. So, if you’ve been looking to take more control of how you watch movies and music, I’ve put together the ultimate guide for how to start, including advice from experts in the field as well as my own decades’ worth of collecting. Here’s everything you need to know to get into physical media, from building your library to getting the right 4K Blu-ray player to play it on and tips for taking care of your collection.
