Just a few short years ago, the entertainment was dominated by analog and physical media. For the more experienced of our readers, this might have come in the form of VHS and cassette tapes, while younger readers in our audience might still have fond memories of collecting DVDs and boxed video games. In the modern age, however, many these systems have turned from a necessity to an optional ingredient, to collectibles, and even to complete obsolescence.
Taking a step back from the current environment, we want to examine how realistic it might be to ditch the entire premise of physical and analog media. Why is going all digital viable like it never was before, and what advantages could be found by pursuing this avenue?
New and Developing Availability
Changes to the modern state of digital entertainment generally rely on one overarching feature, that of the developing internet. Through its inception, its increasing speeds, and its lowering costs, the internet has offered a means of data transmission far more customizable than anything that came before. Still seeing generational leaps, an avenue that is already a viable replacement for the likes of cable and radio is growing more powerful by the year.
Of course, viability is only worth as much as opportunity, and this is where digital avenues start to shine. Probably the most illustrative example of this has been seen with streaming services like Netflix for TV, but similar digital systems of delivery have also created major leaps for written media, radio, video games, and more.
Source: Pixabay
Convenience, Storage, and Efficiency
For most users, the biggest advantages in making the jump to an all-digital system will come in terms of convenience. Fundamentally this is owed to one of the best elements of the digital landscape being found in its flexibility. Time was, your only choice in watching broadcast television was on the box sitting in your living room or bedroom. With digital solutions, these former systems seem almost criminal in their rigidity.
Take entertainment like online roulette tables, for example. Through digital means, games like Quantum Roulette and Dragon Jackpot are available on devices as wide as PCs, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Essentially, if you have access to a web browser, you can usually engage with these newly evolved forms of interactive media.
For television streaming services or downloadable files, the advantages can go even further. Services like Hulu, Disney Plus, and YouTube not only offer similarly wide avenues of access but can also offer significant benefits for storage and efficiency. For an illustration of this, consider the relative states of permanent film storage.
In a modern four terabyte external hard drive, you could store around 60 movies at 1080p. This would require far less space than with physical boxes, and also offer major advantages in file sorting and navigation. No more putting things back in the right case or, to date ourselves even further, no more having to rewind after you’re done.
For many users, digital already makes up the entirety of their entertainment experiences. Though, it should be noted that while digital is taking over, there’ll always be a call for older systems. Whether through nostalgia, personal collections, or the sake of historical reference, analog will never be killed completely.
Weighing these factors completely, deciding if going completely digital is the right call for you is entirely a personal question. What’s your budget, how much room do you have, and how much do you value a traditional experience? All these elements play a part in your final determination. Remember that there is no wrong choice, you have all the time you want to develop your own style, and we wish you luck.
