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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Comment
Tansy Gardam

In an era of frictionless digital experiences, there’s something magical about obsolete technology

A stack of compact discs
A stack of compact discs. ‘Putting on a CD, LP or DVD requires a physical action and stopping or changing it requires another – you have to commit to your choice.’ Photograph: Grace Cary/Getty Images

There is something magical about browsing someone else’s DVD collection.

Like a bookshelf it reflects the owner’s taste and interests; at least the ones they want visitors to see. But as a dead medium, DVDs make a more abstract statement: a collection suggests an ongoing commitment to physical media – the film equivalent of a record collection – but DVDs have come and gone, superseded in quality and accessibility.

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