In case you haven’t noticed, DVD releases have slowed considerably in the last few years as more and more consumers look to the internet to download movies and TV series for their home video consumption.

The problem with this trend is that it could all end suddenly as there is nothing stopping cyber providers to cut off consumption at any time. The same holds true for uploading long held discs to “the cloud” which may not always be there when you want it to be. The only way to insure that you will have your favorite film to watch whenever you want to, is to own it on disc.

Despite this alarming trend, there have been some DVD releases in the last six months that are worth celebrating.

These are my ten favorite new films released on Blu-ray and standard DVD in the U.S. from January 1, 2013-June 30, 2013 in preferential order:

1. Les Misérables – my favorite theatrical release of 2012 which really should be experienced on the large screen before being revisited on the small screen. My suspicion is that most of the film’s haters first saw the film on TV screens where director Tom Hooper’s notorious close-ups are considerably more noticeable than on large theatrical screens.
2. Lincoln – Steven Spielberg’s film has many layers which can be enjoyed even more fully on the small screen than in the theatre where it can be viewed in increments.
3. Life of Pi – Ang Lee’s eye-popping spectacle is just as entrancing on TV screens as it was on larger theatrical ones.
4. Argo – Ben Affleck’s Best Picture Oscar winner is just as enjoyable on the TV screen as it was on theatre screens.
5. Zero Dark Thirty – Kathryn Bieglow’s largely misunderstood film is another that benefits from watching in small doses rather than all at once.
6. The Kid With a Bike – the Dardennes Brothers’ riveting French film about a kid with a bike and the woman who helps him.
7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower – last year’s best coming of age film with a trio of excellent young actors.
8. The Impossible – the tsunami film plays best on the large screen, but there is enough intimate drama to enjoy on the small screen as well.
9. Skyfall – James Bond goes in a new direction in this 50th Anniversary edition of the venerable film series.
10. Looper – a thrilling, better than expected science fiction drama about a young man encountering his older self and vice versa.

The path ahead for new film releases in the next six months does not look promising. In fact the only already announced new releases I am looking forward to are Mud and the TV series, Boardwalk Empire – Season 3 and Foyle’s War – Set 7, which has already been released in the U.K.

Hollywood’s major studios have also slowed their output of highly sought after films from their archives that have not yet received DVD releases. There has been no slowdown, however, in the upgraded Blu-ray releases of classic films previously available only on DVD, or in some cases, VHS.

These are my ten favorite old films given spruced up new Blu-ray releases in the U.S. from January 1, 2013-June 30, 2013 in order of release:

1. Mrs. Miniver – Willaim Wyler’s 1942 Oscar winner is one of the rare black-and-white films from Hollywood’s Golden Age given a Blu-ray upgrade and looks just great.
2. How Green Was My Valley – John Ford’s 1941 Oscar winner is another rare black-and-white gem from Hollywood’s Golden Age that looks fantastic on Blu-ray.
3. The Quiet Man – the faded colors of previous home video releases of John Ford’s 1952 classic have been vanquished with this brilliantly restored release.
4. Cabaret – Bob Fose’s multi-Oscar winning 1972 musical had lost its luster in previously released DVD versions, but looks splendid once again on Blu-ray.
5. Laura – Otto Preminger’s 1944 film noir/murder mystery is another black-and-white masterpiece from Hollywood’s Golden Age that has never looked so great on DVD.
6. Schindler’s List – Steven Spielberg’s 1993 Oscar winner may not be from Hollywood’s Golden Age, but it is in black-and-white, and it too, has never looked as good.
7. Richard III – Laurence Olivier’s magnificent color film from 1956 has never been properly projected for home viewing until now.
8. An Officer and a Gentleman – if you didn’t know that Taylor Hackford’s film was made 30 years ago or that the now 60 something actors weren’t so young anymore you’d sweat it was made yesterday.
9. In the Name of the Father – Jim Sheridan’s films showcases three time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis in another great nominated performance.
10. Ultimate Gangster Collection: Classic – another thrilling black-an-white restoration from Hollywood’s Golden Age, this one encompassing four classic films – Little Caesar; The Public Enemy; The Petrified Forest and White Heat.

Forthcoming releases of Hollywood classics new to Blu-ray over the next six months look a lot more promising than the release of new films to Blu-ray and standard DVD. Already promised are Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing; Bus Stop; Lord of the Flies (1963) and The Ice Storm this month; Seconds and Shane in August; Marathon Man and Autumn Sonata in September and The Big Parade and House of Wax (1953) in October.

This week’s new releases include the Blu-ray upgrade of The Producers.