These are a few of our favorite DVD box sets

Once upon a time, the home-video market was all about movies.

This year, the movies are almost an afterthought.

As anyone with an Internet connection knows, it's easier than ever to watch a film at home without having to pop a disc in your video player. For the first three quarters of 2010, digital distribution of movies rose 23 percent, while sales of old-fashioned "packaged" media like DVDs dropped 8 percent, according to research firm Digital Entertainment Group. The overall $12.6 billion home-entertainment market was down about 4 percent compared to the same period last year.

In other words, owning a movie isn't what it used to be.

But here comes Christmas, when the major studios typically release snazzy, gift-worthy versions of their most popular films. Usually that means additional footage, and there's still plenty of that to go around. (Would you believe we haven't seen all of "Avatar?") But you'll also find things you can't download. Some of this season's home-video offerings include physical objects, too, like books, games, reproductions of memorabilia and other tchotchkes.

Here are some box sets worth putting under the tree - and, perhaps, worth keeping on the shelf.

AVATAR: EXTENDED COLLECTOR'S EDITION (20th Century Fox)

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The deal As part of its ongoing effort to turn "Avatar" into a fanboy favorite like "The Lord of the Rings," Fox has released this three-disc set. It includes the original two-hour, 42-minute version; the theatrically released "Special Edition," which had an extra 9 minutes; and yet another "Collector's Extended Cut" that boasts 16 additional minutes (and an alternate opening sequence). Not enough "Avatar" for you? There also are 45 minutes of deleted footage and a feature-length documentary.

List prices $54.99 Blu-ray, $34.98 DVD

THE GOONIES: 25TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION (Warner Bros.)

The deal That's right - it's been 25 years since this gonzo cult favorite was released, and Warner Bros. is celebrating with a fancy box set full of doodads. You'll find collectible storyboard prints, a reproduction of a 1985 souvenir magazine, a reprint of an actual Empire magazine article that tracked down the movie's youthful cast (it wasn't hard to find Josh Brolin, presumably) and a new "Goonies" board game. Oh, and the movie is in there, too.

List prices $49.99 Blu-ray, $39.92 DVD

KNIGHT AND DAY (20th Century Fox)

The deal This action-comedy starring Tom Cruise as a loosey-goosey superspy and Cameron Diaz as his reluctant sidekick wasn't quite the summer blockbuster Fox had hoped for. Still, the movie had its fans: It's available in a three-disc Blu-ray set, though there's also a less-expensive two-disc Blu-ray version and a single-disc DVD. The extras include making-of features, the theatrical trailer and two "viral videos" (featuring supposedly unrehearsed on-set shenanigans) that were oh-so-casually leaked before the film's release.

List prices $39.99 three-disc set, $34.98 two-disc set, $29.98 single-disc DVD

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION (Warner Bros.)

The deal The 1975 Jack Nicholson classic about an oppressive insane asylum isn't exactly overflowing with Christmas cheer, but it remains a cinephile favorite. This 35th-anniversary edition comes with several intriguing, if slightly odd, items: posters, copies of preproduction correspondence and a set of baseball-style "character cards."

List prices $49.99 Blu-ray, $39.92 DVD

SHREK: THE WHOLE STORY (DreamWorks Animation SKG)

The deal Now that the green ogre's saga is complete, all four "Shrek" movies are available in one box. Extras and mini-features abound, among them "Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular" (featuring classic holiday songs with decidedly nonclassic lyrics) and "Shrek's Yule Log," in which more than 25 characters crack wise before a crackling fireplace.

List prices $49.99 Blu-ray, $34.99 DVD

THE SOUND OF MUSIC 45TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (20th Century Fox)

The deal The enduring musical about the singing, Nazi-fleeing von Trapp family has been restored and remastered for this three-disc Blu-ray and DVD combination set, which includes an interview with the real Maria von Trapp, a virtual map of filming locations, a trivia quiz and a full-length documentary, "Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of American Music." The Limited Edition Collector's Set ($89.99) also includes a hand-painted "My Favorite Things" music box, a 100-page scrapbook and a reproduction of the original 1965 souvenir program.

List price $34.99

ULTIMATE TOY BOX (Disney)

The deal Another franchise that reached its end this year, "Toy Story" is now a complete, three-movie set. Are there extras, you ask? Let's just say there are 10 discs - you get both the Blu-ray and DVD versions - with features on the voice cast, screenwriters, individual scenes and even "Ken's Dating Tips."

List price $100