Opinion
Why I prefer to inform myself about films rather than watch them
by Carolin Teufelberger
Where’s my digital movie? A rant from the digitec Community
29.3.2022
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Reader Elias has a problem: his digital film collection is both everywhere and nowhere. This rant isn’t just his way of venting – it’s also a cry for help.
Picture this: you’ve got an idea in mind, but you can’t quite turn it into reality. Sound familiar? I, for my part, was struggling to write an article. I wanted to write an ode to the DVD. Or: why it’s so dang hard to bring any semblance of order into a simple digital library. One that I don’t have to scatter across umpteen streaming accounts.
That was the idea, anyway.
I’d sat down to write the piece many a time. But I was just never happy with the result. Enter Elias, a reader I’m often in contact with. He wrote me an e-mail on the exact same topic – and managed to find the words that escaped me. What can I say? Not much more. I’m turning the mic – err, keyboard – over to Elias. This is his story.
Elias’ afflictions
Sent: Tuesday, 11:13 a.m.
Subject: «About digital film collections …»
Hi Luca,
I need your advice again. Or that of the Community. I’m certainly not the only one with this problem. But let me start from the beginning: I used to own a large DVD and Blu-ray collection. Back then, the world was still in order – albeit expensive. I clung to my DVDs and Blu-rays for a long time. Clung, past tense. After two moves, my collection had become rather small. So, I dove head first into the world of streaming.
I sought advice from you at the time. I wanted to know how to watch Disney+ on my old, anything-but-smart TV. I ended up getting a new 55-inch Samsung TV, Disney+, and an Xbox Series S – though I really only wanted to watch «Mandalorian» ...
As you can imagine, I didn’t just stop at Disney+. My girlfriend and I have become real streaming pros: subscribe to Netflix, watch series, cancel Netflix; subscribe to Sky, watch series, cancel Sky; subscribe to Netflix again, and so on. But the problem at hand is a different one. namely, digital movies I’ve actually purchased.
Alright. I managed to watch the film – it’s a good one, by the way. But this is definitely not a long-term solution. Video on demand dragged me down before I even really got started.
My point is this: yes, the huge selection is nice, but things were so much simpler with DVDs. Sure, the IKEA Kallax shelf in the living room was filled with DVDs. But that looked kind of cool, too. I do miss the old days a bit.
Alright, rant over. But I’m definitely not alone in my struggle. Maybe you or the Community have similar experiences. Or maybe you even have some advice – I’m all ears.
Have a great week!
Cheers, Elias
Your turn!
Thanks for your contribution, Elias. I’d like to now pass the ball to the Community: how can Elias better organise his digital library? Is Plex really the mother of all digital movie and series libraries? What about Kodi? Or is there another, better tip?
The comments section is all yours!
Luca Fontana
Senior Editor
Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.chI write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.
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