LG abandons the production of Blu-ray players, increasing doubts about the future of the format

The Blu-ray format continues to wither, to the point that it is beginning to be legitimate to wonder how much time it has left on the market as a general option. Proof of this is the fact that LG, one of the last manufacturers of home players at “current” prices, has announced that it will abandon the production of readers for the living room, limiting itself to marketing the stocks that may be in stores and warehouses.

The news affects both conventional Blu-ray readers and the newer UHD Blu-ray, released in 2016 and prized by movie buffs for offering drastically higher quality than that offered by streaming platforms. streamingno matter how much they have improved in recent years.

LG’s cessation of production was not necessarily predictable, but it is not overly surprising considering that both Oppo and Samsung stopped marketing domestic Blu-ray readers years ago. As it is, Sony and Panasonic are the last big brands defending the fort with products aimed at consumers with image and audio clarity demands much higher than those of the general public.

Although LG’s South Korean division has indicated to FlatPanelsHD that it could return to manufacturing readers if demand for this type of device increases, this situation seems extremely implausible.

Sales of Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray discs have imploded from their peak back in 2018and although they technically generate more money than the DVD format, optical discs have become a niche product, as evidenced by the fact that exclusive brands such as pannde and Magnetar be the only ones launching new players and the evolution of video game consoles, increasingly focused on downloads and digital purchases.