DVD Revival: Netflix shut down its physical media business years ago, but nostalgia for the once-popular service still lingers. In fact, one Republican lawmaker is now urging the company to bring back DVD delivery – at least, in some limited capacity.
Netflix mailed its final DVDs in 2023, ending a 25-year run that began with Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as the first disc ever shipped. Now, Staten Island Councilmember Frank Morano wants to bring the red envelopes back.
In a letter to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, Morano acknowledged the niche market DVDs served in recent years. Physical discs, he argued, provided a "lifeline" to cinema for elderly customers and those wary of new technology.
Streaming is a great way to consume films and TV series, but it's not everything, Morano wrote. For people without smart TVs or apps, DVDs offer a simple way to stay connected to entertainment. He also pointed out that some classic titles never made it to streaming platforms and remain exclusive to DVD or other physical formats.
Physical discs also offered a lifeline to consumers with limited internet access, the letter continues. Unlike streaming, DVDs and Blu-ray discs are immune to common online frustrations like buffering or data caps. Netflix's DVD-by-mail service was one of the most accessible forms of entertainment in America – you only needed a mailing address to get a steady supply of films.
Ending the mail service "may have made sense to accountants, but to ordinary people, it felt like the curtain closed on an era that still had a full house applauding," Morano said.
His letter proposes a cost-conscious way to revive the service by streamlining subscriptions around the specific needs of local communities. Morano urges Netflix leadership to reconsider its reliance on algorithms, arguing that human choices – not just data models – should shape how people experience entertainment.
Realistically, Netflix has no obligation to heed Morano's request, and the odds of a DVD revival in 2025 are slim. Still, the nostalgia is understandable. Physical media remains a small but dedicated market, with studios continuing to release new titles on disc.
Personally, part of my budget disappears every month thanks to Amazon's relentless suggestions – usually some fancy steelbook edition or the first Ultra HD release of an obscure horror flick I forgot about years ago.