If Video Killed the Radio Star...

Just as video once killed the radio star, it seems the digital world is now preparing to push the DVD off the cliff. Last year digital sales of films and television shows overtook DVD and Blu-ray sales for the first time, subscription services such as Netflix, Apple’s iTunes and Amazon Video are gaining subscribers at a growing pace. This has mirrored an increase in donations of DVDs to FARA shops, so the question is: what to do with the DVD?

The total UK revenue from music, TV shows, films and video games hit a record high of £6.3bn last year, with digital sales and streaming services overtaking sales of physical DVDs and Blu-rays. 2016 saw the number of UK subscribers to Netflix alone rise to six million users, with other services such as Amazon Video steadily on the rise. This has led to the collapse of the DVD, following in the footsteps of the VHS it once replaced. The good news about this is that FARA has received a rising number of DVD donations. In these times of austerity our donation levels have taken a tough hit, but DVD and Blu-ray donations look to continue to rise as the digital world further penetrates the home entertainment industry. So why should you pick up a DVD from your local FARA shop?

In recent years DVDs and Blu-rays have become something of a collector’s item, with avid film fans hoarding hundreds of the discs in their collections. Many argue that owning the physical disk is far more satisfying than online downloads, with the often, beautiful cover art and ability to display your collection. Our FARA shops hold a wide range of DVDs, with everything from cult TV classics and blockbuster hits, to niche, more hard to find films and TV shows. Plus, our thirteen dedicated FARA Kids stores stock a selection of children’s films, TV shows and educational DVDs. With new DVDs costing around £10, and Blu-rays often costing up to £20, shopping at FARA will also save you money when purchasing your next film or boxset. Save yourself the fortune of cinema tickets and have a nice night in in the comfort of your own home.

DVDs, CDs and even floppy disks have also been turned into artwork. The artist Nick Gentry uses these often unwanted materials to produce a dialogue between the analogue and the digital, representing the rapid changes in entertainment technology that have taken place in recent decades. His paintings question the relationship between the created world and reality, his portraits symbolising the fusing of the human and the digital in the contemporary technological age. Maybe your next art project should consist of some DVDs from your local FARA!

We’re witnessing similar trends in music sales, with digital music streaming services, such as Spotify, rapidly overtaking physical CD sales. However, the rapid growth of vinyl seems to be (albeit only slightly) offsetting this trend. This year’s national Record Store Day saw vinyl sales reach record highs, with David Bowie and The Smiths topping the UK vinyl sale charts. In our shops we have had a mass influx of vinyl, with hundreds of records being donated and sold for great prices. Much of the recent growth in vinyl has been put down to its (highly debated) superior sound quality over digital music production. Industry experts seem to suggest we may see a similar trend with ultra HD Blu-ray sales, the discs able to produce a far better picture quality than streaming services due to often weak home broadband strengths.

So, whether you’re a budding artist looking for a new media, an avid film connoisseur or lover of beautiful visual quality, head down to your local FARA shop to snap up DVDs and Blu-rays of classic films, TV box sets and recent blockbuster hits.