This is kind of a compound question. What will be the fate/future of Doctor Who home media going forward? My question stems from thoughts about what happens to Doctor Who outside the UK if Disney+ folds. I keep seeing articles saying that Disney+ isn’t profitable and that its future is in doubt. Also, how do fans who can’t afford streaming (or live somewhere where internet isn’t available) get to watch the show if it doesn’t become available on DVD/Blu-ray. As best I can tell, the 60th Anniversary Specials are only available on home media in UK releases. What happens to Doctor Who, especially outside the UK if its streaming home folds? Everything up through 2022 and the end of Jodie’s era is available on DVD (some of it’s out of print, but available) and at least some on Blu-ray. Post Power of the Doctor, how do they expect fans to collect it? just some thoughts that are rumbling around my head. (For the record, I’m in the USA with decent internet and access to a Disney+ subscription. But as prices go up, I don’t know for how long.)
I would be shocked if they don’t do DVD and Blu-ray releases here. It’s definitelt not abnormal for us to be way behind other the UK for home media releases. I’ve seen some people say that the BBC has confirmed plans to release the 60th specials on home media in the US but don’t have a release date yet, but I can’t find any confirmation of that right now.
As far as the future of Disney+, I’m really not worried about it, but if Disney were to stop Disney+ I assume they would just negotiate a new streaming contract somewhere else.
I just got thinking about this in ernest after looking for a DVD of the Specials on Amazon and not finding anything. Then I checked the wiki and saw in say UK-only. So, I thought I’d get a discussion going.
were gonna have to start burning things onto dvds and illicitly selling them at conventions like they used to do with anime subs 
I really don’t think there’s any worry about Disney+ folding. Disney is a massive company and even if they completely change their thinking towards streaming, they are always going to have a way of getting their content to viewers. Without either streaming / renting / buying digital or physical media, the whole company would shut down.
As for the future of Doctor Who on streaming? It’s very possible it will jump around to different services. That would be annoying, as ideally there should be one home for it. It still baffles me why the BBC don’t just sell access to a version of iPlayer across the world.
I think like @flora_snow00 said, the physical media is coming but it’s delayed.
I’m so grateful I’m in the UK and don’t have to worry too much about access - we have everything all in one place. Sorry non-UK folks!
But for how long given the attacks on the BBC? I fear for its future tbh, & not just as a Doctor Who fan.
I believe RTD said in an interview that one of the reasons for bringing in a streaming partner is also to protect Doctor Who from attacks to the BBC.
Even in a theoretical future where the license fee goes away, the streaming partner is paying lots so they would still have the budget.
What I think is disappointing is how the Blu-ray box sets aren’t made available on DVD. Not everyone has access to a blu-ray player, and not everyone wants to buy a player just to watch some DW extras.
I think that’s just down to how much data are packed onto the discs to be honest, as BDs have something like 5-6 times the storage on them compared to DVDs, so a DVD version of the Collection box sets would be enormous or maybe too expensive to justify for DVDs.
There’s also the issue of DVDs not being able to hold the content in HD (where BDs can), which would mean that the buyers would be getting a substandard upscaling with fewer special features in a more physical space requiring package for what I imagine would be the same price as a BD Collection.
Further, a lot of people do also have BD players who might not realise it. I know someone who has an XBOX One who didn’t know until I told him that it also functions as a DVD/BD player.
Of course, it is a valid concern, but I think as with the new transmission schedule where it uploads at midnight and TX follows in the evening, it’s just how media is going to be going forward.
Yeah, we use our XBOX as a bluray and didn’t immediately realise.
Understandable. I’m not from the UK, so I can’t even use standard blu-ray players with the UK box sets I purchased (and that’s another disappointment, how only the Region B folks got the special box configuration). If they were DVDs, regardless of region, I wouldn’t have to purchase anything special.
I just got the regular US editions of the Collection Blu-ray sets and a basic Blu-ray disc drive that I plug into a USB port on my laptop.