So if I just kept the DVDs, any time I wanted to watch something on one, I would have to:
1) Physically go to where the DVDs are
2) Locate the specific DVD I'm looking for (can be tricky if I'm looking for a specific episode of a show—I might not always remember what season it's from, and the Plex interface makes it pretty easy to scan through)
3) Get the DVD out
4) Go to the living room, where the DVD player is
5) Take exclusive control of the living room, and also bind myself to being there, for the duration of watching it
6) Put it all back when I'm done
So yes: for simple storage, as long as the DVDs you have will last the length of time you want to keep them, and you have enough physical space to keep them in comfortably, just keeping the DVDs is easier. But for actually using them on a regular basis, for places with less available space, for people who expect to be moving frequently (or just soon), and for collections where the longevity of the physical media is in doubt, digitizing is a better way to go.