Just when you feared physical media was going the way of the dinosaur, Sky has announced that its new 'buy and keep' movie purchase store will not only be giving you a digital copy for your digibox, but also a DVD edition through the post.
In a move that's the reverse of several current systems (where you buy a boxed DVD or Blu-ray and get a digital code), Sky is hoping that it can appease people who like an actual box for their shelf with its latest scheme.
There is, however, a rather gaping hole in the strategy right now - what Sky calls a digital edition can only exist in digital form on your actual Sky box - that means you can't download versions to your phone or tablet.
Road ahead
However, director of Sky Store, Nicola Bamford, told TechRadar that such a facility was definitely 'on our roadmap' and confirmed that anyone who buys a movie will not miss out when the facility does come online.
Still, for those people who like to fill their shelves with DVDs this is something of a boon, allowing for almost instant sofa-friendly viewing of the latest titles without missing out on that moment where your friends and family come around and comment on your obvious obsession with Tom Cruise.
The service launches in the coming weeks for those with connected Sky+ HD boxes.
Launch titles include The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, Turbo and The Wolverine with pricing from £7.99 to £13.99.
We asked why Sky went with DVD rather than the newer Blu-ray format and were told that this was due to the user base for each rather than a cost issue.
Obviously the service is fairly flawed for technophiles, offering neither portability nor the best physical format.
But the scheme is not without its merits and for a section of the mainstream this might well appeal.
