A few days ago, Greece was finally blessed with access to the HBO Max platform. At last, I could legally watch the movies and TV series I’ve wanted to see for a long time. However, while I was browsing the catalog, it hit me: I used to buy movies and series on DVD and had a wonderful library. I eventually gave all my DVDs away because I no longer own a DVD player, I don't even have a disc drive in my computers anymore.

The DVD was a "magic disc" that became a major trend around 1996. I distinctly remember watching a review of the DVD release for Batman Forever. It was a massive upgrade from the CD, offering significantly more storage and the ability to hold a movie in high quality. DVDs replaced VHS tapes very quickly for several reasons: the PlayStation 2 included a built-in player, PCs began offering DVD drives (though before CPUs were powerful enough to handle the stream, you needed a dedicated decoding card), and standalone players eventually became very affordable.

If you are younger and weren’t there when DVDs dominated the market, it’s hard to understand just how big the trend was. Blu-ray, the successor format, never reached the same level of universal acceptance. But evolution is inevitable, and the DVD has become history, just like every other medium before it.

Now, in the "age of owning nothing," we have exchanged the beauty of tangible discs for the convenience of streaming online. I enjoy the current state of things, don't get me wrong, but I often feel that we are restricted to watching only what platforms want us to see. I truly miss the "collection" aspect of the past.