Streaming is convenient until it isn't. You've probably noticed how your favorite shows just... vanish. Licensing deals expire, platforms merge, and suddenly the legal thriller you were halfway through is behind a different paywall or gone entirely. This is exactly why the how to get away with murder dvd collections have stayed so popular despite the rise of Netflix and Hulu. There’s a certain security in holding those physical discs. You own them. No one can "expire" your access to Viola Davis’s powerhouse performance as Annalise Keating just because a contract ended in a boardroom somewhere.
Honestly, the show is a lot to take in. It's fast. It's messy. Shonda Rhimes and Peter Nowalk created a labyrinth of timelines that can leave your head spinning if you miss even ten seconds of dialogue. While streaming lets you rewind, the DVD sets offer a different kind of immersion. They capture a specific era of ABC’s "TGIT" lineup that changed how we look at broadcast television.
Why physical media still wins for the Keating Five
People forget how much work went into these physical releases. When you pick up the how to get away with murder dvd sets, especially the earlier seasons, you’re getting the show exactly as it was intended to be seen. No compression artifacts from a weak Wi-Fi signal. Just crisp, reliable playback.
Most fans hunt down the individual season sets. ABC Studios and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment handled the distribution, and they didn't skimp on the presentation. If you're looking for a "Complete Series" box set, you might have to look toward international releases or specific region-free imports, as the US market often prioritized individual season drops.
What is actually on the discs?
It's not just the episodes. That’s the big thing.
You get the "Class Entirely Deserving of its Name" featurettes. You get deleted scenes that actually explain some of the more confusing character motivations. Have you ever wondered why a certain character reacted so coldly in Season 2? There’s often a deleted snippet that provides that missing bridge.
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The bloopers are also essential. Because the show is so heavy—all that crying, snotting (Viola Davis is the queen of the "ugly cry"), and literal murder—seeing the cast break character is a necessary palate cleanser. Seeing Aja Naomi King or Jack Falahee crack up during a tense courtroom scene makes the actual show more impressive. It reminds you of the technical skill involved in being that miserable on cue.
The technical reality of the how to get away with murder dvd
Let's talk specs. Most of these releases are standard DVD, not Blu-ray. This is a point of contention for some cinephiles. Why no wide-scale Blu-ray release for such a visually stunning show? It mostly comes down to the economics of 2014-2020. Drama series on network TV started seeing a decline in high-definition physical sales, so Disney stuck to the format they knew would sell to the widest audience.
Don't let the "Standard Definition" tag scare you off. The upscaling on modern 4K players is pretty incredible. If you pop a Season 3 disc into a PlayStation 5 or a dedicated UHD player, it looks remarkably sharp.
The audio is usually Dolby Digital 5.1. It handles the thumping, rhythmic score by Photek beautifully. That music is basically the heartbeat of the show. It builds the anxiety. In a surround sound setup, those pulses move around the room, making the basement of Annalise’s house feel as claustrophobic as it looks on screen.
Collectors and the used market
If you’re trying to find these now, it’s a bit of a scavenger hunt. Big box retailers don’t carry deep back-catalogs anymore. You’re looking at eBay, Amazon resellers, or the holy grail: local thrift stores.
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- Season 1: Easy to find. It sold millions.
- Season 6: Much harder. Late-series physical releases usually have smaller print runs.
- The "Bonus Features" trap: Not every region’s DVD has the same extras. Always check the back of the box for the "Deleted Scenes" tag.
Breaking down the appeal of the "Murder" binge
Streaming encourages "second-screening." You’re on your phone, you’re folding laundry, you’re barely paying attention. You cannot do that with this show. If you miss a flash-forward, the entire season loses its impact.
Using the how to get away with murder dvd forces a different kind of intentionality. You have to get up. You have to put the disc in. It becomes an event.
The Annalise Keating effect
We need to talk about Viola Davis. She won an Emmy for this role for a reason. She was the first Black woman to win Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Having the DVDs is like owning a piece of television history. When she takes off her wig and wipes away her makeup in that famous Season 1 scene, it hits differently on physical media. There’s no "Next Episode Starts in 5 Seconds" countdown covering up the screen during the emotional fallout. You get the silence. You get the credits. You get time to breathe.
Navigating the different releases
Some people get confused by the region coding. If you are buying a "Complete Series" set from an online marketplace, check if it’s Region 1 (North America) or Region 2 (UK/Europe). Most modern players are picky. If you buy a UK set and live in Ohio, you might need a region-free player to make it work.
The individual US season releases are the most reliable. They usually come in standard Amaray cases, sometimes with a cardboard slipcover if you find a first-pressing. The artwork is usually striking—mostly silhouettes and blood-red accents. It looks great on a shelf. It looks like a library of secrets.
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Is it worth the investment?
Basically, yes.
Look at what happened with other shows. Westworld was pulled from HBO Max. Willow was pulled from Disney+. If How to Get Away with Murder ever leaves its current streaming home, the price of these DVDs will triple overnight. It’s happened before with The Ghost Whisperer and Cold Case. Buying the how to get away with murder dvd now is a hedge against the "digital dark age" where shows just disappear into the ether.
Practical steps for starting your collection
If you're ready to commit to the physical life, don't just buy the first thing you see.
First, check the disc surfaces. Because these sets often stack multiple discs on a single spindle, they can get scratched. Ask for photos of the underside if you're buying used. Second, prioritize the later seasons. Seasons 5 and 6 are becoming increasingly scarce. If you see them at a fair price, grab them immediately.
Third, consider your hardware. If you’re still using an old DVD player from 2005, the show will look... okay. But if you want to see the detail in the costume design and the nuance in the lighting, use a player with good 1080p upscaling.
Finally, enjoy the lack of an algorithm. There is something deeply satisfying about watching a show without a platform suggesting what you should watch next before the final scene is even over. You get to decide when the story ends. You get to sit with the mystery.
To start your collection effectively, focus on finding the Season 1-3 "Value Packs" that often appear on secondary markets, then hunt for the individual final seasons to fill the gaps. Verify the region code is compatible with your player—usually Region 1 for the US and Canada—to avoid the frustration of an unplayable disc. Once you have the discs in hand, take the time to watch the "Goodbye" featurettes on the final season; they provide a sense of closure that the broadcast finale alone can't quite match.