Phoenix DVD Blog

There was a time when walking into a video rental shop on a Friday night felt like a weekly ritual.You’d browse the shelves, study the covers, and maybe even argue with friends over which VHS to take home. Those were the days when film collecting meant something tangible, a wall of big, colourful tape covers that showed your taste and told your story. Then came the DVD. Overnight, VHS became yesterday’s news. The picture was sharper, the sound was cleaner, and you didn’t have to spend five minutes rewinding before dropping it back to the shop. No fines for returning an unwound DVD, that’s for sure. After working hard all week, you were ready to line up the weekends entertainment and pick up those lovely slimline jewel cases.

I’ve been a movie collector since the day I picked up my very first movie, Phenomenon . There was something special about holding that case, peeling off the plastic, and sliding the disc into the player. Back then, I loved receiving movies in the post from Play.com or finding one at the local store (when they still sold them regularly). Very few shops sell discs these days, it seems to be going the way of the Dodo and I for one am sad to see it happen.

For years, Blu-ray has been the gold standard for home cinema. Crisp picture, rich sound, and a much more reliable experience than streaming. But now we’re faced with its successor: the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray . Is it really worth the hype, or is Blu-ray still good enough for most people? The Strength of Standard Blu-ray Blu-ray discs already offer incredible picture and sound quality. Even on a large modern TV, a good Blu-ray can deliver stunning detail, deep blacks, and a powerful audio mix. For the average movie lover, Blu-ray is still a fantastic value. Discs are widely available and much cheaper than their 4K counterparts. While you’re here, I’ve also written Streaming vs Collecting: Why I’ll Always Keep My DVDs & Blu-rays , where I talk about why streaming will never replace the feel of a real collection. The Promise of 4K Ultra HD On paper, 4K Blu-ray should be a major step up: Higher resolution – 3840 × 2160 compared to Blu-ray’s 1920 × 1080. HDR (High Dynamic Rang...

Over the years, I’ve built up a decent collection of DVDs and Blu-rays. Well, Blu Rays mostly these days as I prefer the higher quality sound and picture. Some of them I bought because they were cheap, others because I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. But when I stop and think about it, there are certain boxes a Blu-ray needs to tick before I consider it a must-own . For me, it often comes down to two things: whether it’s an epic or a blockbuster .

I’ve been collecting VHS, DVDs and Blu-rays for years, and at this stage I’ve bought and sold more discs than I can count. Shelves fill up quickly, and eventually you have to make space for new arrivals. That’s where selling comes in. Over time, I’ve tried eBay, Amazon Marketplace, Facebook groups and even a few specialist forums, but one site I keep coming back to is eBid . It’s not the biggest marketplace out there, but for me as a private seller (and regular buyer), it has a certain appeal that keeps me listing and browsing there. If you’re curious how I decide which films actually deserve a place on my shelf, check out  How I Judge Whether a Blu-ray is Worth Owning . Notes: I’m writing this post now as I reactivate my stores once again, and I thought it might be useful to share my experience for anyone considering giving eBid a try. This post contains an affiliate link at the end — if you sign up, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. Why eBid Works for Sell...

I decided to write this post out of sheer frustration with the way user reviews are handled on DVD and Blu-ray sites. Don’t get me wrong, I like being able to check what other buyers think before I hit the checkout button — it’s one of the perks of shopping online. But too often, those reviews leave me more annoyed than informed.