Physical media has changed as new technologies have developed. Select a category and timeline entry to explore how books, recorded music, home video, and physical video games evolved throughout history.
click on a timeline entry to learn more about the history of physical media.
The movable type printing press made it possible to produce books more quickly and distribute information to larger audiences.
Printed material helped preserve knowledge and made books more accessible.
Earlier books were copied by hand, making them slower and more expensive to produce.
Physical media has constantly evolved to meet the needs of each generation. New formats often improved storage capacity, portability, durability, or media quality while preserving the ability to own a physical copy.
Although streaming and digital downloads have become increasingly popular, many earlier formats continue to be collected, restored, and enjoyed today.
Physical media is more than a storage format. It is part of our cultural history and documents how people have shared stories, music, films, and games across generations.
Some books printed over 500 years ago are still readable today.
The standard CD can store about 700 MB of data, which was considered enormous in the 1980s.
Vinyl records have become popular again, even among younger generations.
Video rental stores helped make home movie watching a cultural tradition.
Original game cartridges from the 1980s are now valuable collector's items.
Blu-ray discs can hold significantly more data than DVDs, allowing high-definition video.