Calling someone fragile for using DVD over Blu-ray justified?

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group that advocates for free speech on the Web, notes the AACS's claims that hosting the key on a Web site violates the Digital Millenium Copyright Act were upheld by federal courts in 2000. The case involved an online magazine that published a computer program that unlocked DVD encryption codes. This week's rebellion of Internet users poses a different set of facts that may not fall under the 2000 legal precedent, EFF senior attorney Fred von Lohmann said in a blog posting this week.

"If people treat these discs rather harshly, or stack them, or allow them to rub against each other, this very fragile protective layer can be disturbed, allowing the atmosphere to interact with that aluminum," he says.

They’re recommended, not by an algorithm, but by the person who thought these films were worth keeping. Putting on a DVD, or a CD or LP, requires a physical action and stopping or changing it requires another – you have to commit to your choice.

Optical storage technologies have evolved to support higher data capacity and better multimedia quality. Among them, Blu-ray Disc and Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) are widely used formats that differ in storage capacity, laser technology, and performance.

Posted by msmash on Wednesday February 25, 2026 @02:00PM from the be-kind-rewind dept. DVD and Blu-ray sales have been in freefall for years, but the decline is slowing considerably as Gen Z buyers turn to physical media and drive a measurable uptick at video rental stores and retailers across the U.S.

A survey from Consumer Reports found that nearly half of us are still watching DVDs and Blu-rays, while 15% of those surveyed are still playing and rewinding VHS tapes.

Toshiba, the main company supporting HD DVD, discontinued the format in February 2008, and later released its own Blu-ray Disc player in late 2009. According to Media Research, high-definition software sales in the United States were slower in the first two years than DVD software sales.

Otherwise, there is no difference with playing a standard DVD. Blu-ray cannot be directly watched on portable devices. Blu-ray is fragile to be scratched or broken unless under extremely careful protection.

How fragile are UHD Discs? 4K Ultra HD Players, Hardware and News