As reported by Consumer Affairs, data shows that the average price of “video discs and other media” reached $44.06 in April 2024, a 29 percent increase compared to last year. That price may only continue to rise as stores like Best Buy and Target turn away from physical media. I guess I started raiding Walmart’s $5 DVD bin at the right time!
Is this because wages and costs have gone up, or is this primarily going to profits for the companies?
It’s classic supply/demand. Back when high end home video like LaserDisc was a niche market, the cost of a movie was like $75 and only sold at boutique shops because so few bought them. More $/unit.
By the time DVD came around it went mass market, so that drove the price down of a movie significantly. But that’s a good thing, cheaper meant more buyers which meant more money. And places like Best Buy are everywhere and sold them.
Now BD/UHD is basically returning to the LaserDisc niche model. Less buyers, everyone’s digital now, so they drive the price per unit back up again. And Best Buy dropping them, they’ll go back to a handful of retailers.
Probably a bit of both, but also think they’re actively trying to dissuade folks from buying physical media.
Everything else has skyrocketed in price. I’m sure that has a lot to do with it.
But a lot of that is greedflation. If profits are rising, prices aren’t going up because costs are going up. Profits would just stay the same. If profits are going up, it’s because of price gouging.