LG Halts Blu-ray Production: The Rise of streaming,the Fall of Discs?
In a move that signals the continuing decline of physical media,LG Electronics has announced it will cease production of all Blu-ray disc players. This decision follows similar moves by other major electronics manufacturers, leaving a dwindling number of options for consumers who prefer the superior picture quality of Blu-ray over streaming services.
The South Korean tech giant joins Oppo (which exited the market in 2018) and Samsung (2019) in abandoning the Blu-ray player market. While LG hasn’t explicitly stated a complete global withdrawal, the devices are no longer listed on their online stores, indicating a de facto end to production. Existing stock will remain available in the US and Europe while supplies last.
LG’s final Blu-ray models, the UBK80 and UBK90, launched in 2018. This decision reflects a broader trend: Blu-ray player sales have been steadily declining for years. even UHD Blu-ray players, introduced in 2016, saw their sales peak the following year before a consistent downward trajectory.
The shift away from physical media is undeniable. US Blu-ray player sales plummeted from 25.2 million units in 2014 to a mere 9.1 million in 2018. the trend continues; in the third quarter of 2024, DVD and Blu-ray sales experienced a notable 26 percent year-over-year drop.
This leaves Sony and Panasonic as the primary remaining manufacturers of Blu-ray players, highlighting the shrinking market for physical media in the face of increasingly popular streaming services. For consumers who value the superior picture quality and ownership of physical copies, the choices are becoming increasingly limited.
The end of LG’s Blu-ray production underscores a significant turning point in home entertainment. While streaming offers convenience, the superior visual fidelity of Blu-ray remains a draw for many. The question remains: how long will dedicated physical media players remain a viable product category?
LG has decided to stop making Blu-ray disc players. [This article] mentions that LG, Oppo, who stopped making them in 2018, and Samsung, who stopped in 2019, are no longer making Blu-ray players.
While LG hasn’t officially announced that they are stopping production worldwide, their online stores no longer sell Blu-ray players.
This shift away from physical media can be seen in decreasing sales numbers. [This article] states that sales of Blu-ray players in the US dropped from 25.2 million units in 2014 to only 9.1 million in 2018. The trend continues, with DVD and blu-ray sales dropping 26% in the third quarter of 2024.
