Ok, this is not true. Are you saying optical discs are less reliable than magnetic discs (I assume circulating over internet meaning, its stored on hard disks or servers). But, I also have to assume they have backups. So, it may be worth it. But, Optical discs are definitely NOT unreliable.
When solid state hardisks replace magnetic hardisks, may be we can rely better on them.
To come to the topic, I have to agree with the argument of goobimama to some extent that, to those who have no problem with BW care a **** about getting a blueray disc or whatever with movie in it. I live in Germany, my connection speed is 9 MB per sec. That is right, it downloads at almost 100 Mbps (that of a LAN). I really don't give a rat's ass to get a blue ray disc and store it as a collection. But its totally personal.
However, as always the latest technology of storage is utilized in research labs for backing up day to day data, and is utilized for immediate reference and requires utmost security and backup under one's own care owing to protocols, blue-ray like technology is highly imperative, if not a success for, say a high quality 1080p movie format.
@goobimama, regarding 720p with 2 GB, it is absolutely possible. A 1 hour movie or tv-show comes in 720p with 1.07 GB and is available in the so called mkv format through out.
A blue-ray rip of a movie comes to about 4.4 GB (a DVD size app.) with 720p and is absolutely wondrous in quality.
I must also remind you, even though wav and flac formats are lossless, people prefer mp3 and give a rat's ass about the quality when you try to ridicule people with a 1% increase in quality or say, a 1080p resolution which requires a separate television. Most of the middle class who are well trained to know where to compromise. It all boils down to where people set their limit and stop compromising.
Its all in a circle, its like learning yoga to bend backwards to stick your head up your a** 
