[Rob Babcock]

Maybe this happened a while ago but I just read today that Sony is pulling the plug on Blu-Ray as of next month.   So, is this the end of all physical media?  Already CD sales are just a blip, pretty much as bad or worse than LP.  The master plan of the studios was probably always that no one would ever own anything, just be perpetual renters.  Have we finally reached that point now?  On what I'm sure is an unrelated note I got an email from Netflix that the price is going next month...again.

[NIGHTFALL1970]

For me, this is some of the worst news! There are still so many movies, TV shows and cartoons that I still want on Blu-ray.

[FullRangeMan]

Good ridance, Sony even kill SACD that has great sound quality, BR sound quality are same the CD.

[Digi-G]

There are so many things that you can't find on streaming.  And I don't mean obscure stuff.  Mostly the older, classic movies and tv shows.  Ever try to find a Hitchcock movie on streaming?  You'll find a few but chances are it isn't what you want.  Is it just me or are the streaming services full of B-movies?

Apparently they haven't realized how diverse the market is these days.  People still buy blu-rays, just not like they did when they were hot.  Same is true for DVDs.  And CDs.  And SACDs.  And vinyl.  Etc.

Thank god for the secondhand market.

[SoCalWJS]

All that I am finding is that Sony is no longer going to produce recordable, blank Blu ray discs.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2588333/no-sonys-blu-ray-exit-doesnt-spell-the-end-for-physical-media.html

[Mag]

Good ridance, Sony even kill SACD that has great sound quality, BR sound quality are same the CD.

That is not true. Blu ray concert video's usually had one track of high bit rate usually pcm.
As for CD's the Market was sold a compressed product not what Redbook standard was capable of which you will get on a Blu ray Concert video.

[rbbert]

Good ridance, Sony even kill SACD that has great sound quality, BR sound quality are same the CD.

Hmmm.  BD has up to 24/192 stereo PCM or 5.1/7.1 at 24/96 PCM; this seems a bit better than CD to me?  And FWIW SACD's are still being manufactured and new titles released regularly although slowly.

I have read nothing about Sony stopping production of manufactured BD's (audio only or video/audio)

[newzooreview]

Sony will discontinue production of recordable Blu-ray discs (BD-R/BD-RE), MiniDiscs, and MiniDV cassettes in February 2025, but this does not mark the end of commercial Blu-ray movies or gaming discs.

https://automaton-media.com/en/news/sony-to-stop-making-blu-rays-and-other-discs-as-of-february-2025-due-to-dwindling-demand/
https://techcentral.co.za/sony-pulls-plug-on-blu-ray-end-of-an-era/258213/
https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/24/24350993/sony-recordable-blu-ray-end-production-no-successor

[WGH]

BR sound quality are same the CD.

Besides up to 24/192 stereo, BR can have 24/96 in all 11 channels although 24/48 (close to CD quality) and variable bit rate with Dolby Atmos is also used. My home theater has 1,890 class AB high current watts. Many film directors are pushing the envelope with sound design, when the sound is hi-res and all 11 channels are cranking the experience is mind blowing. The sound library in a Blu-ray can take up half the disk, DTS-HD MA uncompressed sound files can be as large as 22 GB, usually there is also a 7 GB Dolby Atmos sound track included so the sound library can reach 30 GB.

Streaming picture quality is a disappointment compared to Blu-ray. Part of the problem is my TV, it is a older 60" Panasonic plasma that only does 1080p so the streaming services supply a lower bit rate stream. A Blu-ray on my plasma TV still has the best picture quality I have ever seen with true blacks plus all the subtle shadings present in contemporary black & white films like the new "Nosferatu" or "Roma" that are like a good b&w photo. Picture quality on my brother's new big Sony is OK but it ain't like a plasma.

[gene9p]

here is the actual story.

from the digitalbits.com

Finally, in other news today, our friends at Media Play News have just reported exactly what we’ve been saying on social media over the weekend, which is that Sony’s recent announcement (last week on 1/23) that they were ending production of recordable Blu-ray Disc media (as well as MiniDiscs and MiniDV cassettes) in February has nothing to do with Blu-ray Disc production overall—this is happening only in Japan and not globally. Blank media has long been a huge business in Japan, where people often record their favorite TV shows on BD-R discs. But streaming has really reduced the demand for this. No other aspects of Sony’s Blu-ray business are impacted. So all of you can relax; Sony is not getting out of the Blu-ray business.


no the answer is NO..Sony is NOT dropping blu ray..relax..the sky is NOT falling..lol

[FireGuy]

This news (for me) not too bad, I have more than sufficient quantity of physical media on hand; stored (safely).  Evolution, no matter what form - happens.

[newzooreview]

Recordable Blu-ray discs are widely available. Sony was not a major supplier. They are getting out of a market where they have little market share. It's essentially irrelevant to people who want to buy recordable Blu-ray discs.

[FullRangeMan]

Sony quit support of SACD format in 2009/10 and now made the same with BD.

[Rob Babcock]

here is the actual story.

from the digitalbits.com

Finally, in other news today, our friends at Media Play News have just reported exactly what we’ve been saying on social media over the weekend, which is that Sony’s recent announcement (last week on 1/23) that they were ending production of recordable Blu-ray Disc media (as well as MiniDiscs and MiniDV cassettes) in February has nothing to do with Blu-ray Disc production overall—this is happening only in Japan and not globally. Blank media has long been a huge business in Japan, where people often record their favorite TV shows on BD-R discs. But streaming has really reduced the demand for this. No other aspects of Sony’s Blu-ray business are impacted. So all of you can relax; Sony is not getting out of the Blu-ray business.


no the answer is NO..Sony is NOT dropping blu ray..relax..the sky is NOT falling..lol

Interesting.  The source I read seemed as authoritative but who knows?  Hopefully you're right.  I will kind of wonder if all physical media will be gone by the end of this decade.  We'll see I guess.

[rbbert]

Sony quit support of SACD format in 2009/10 and now made the same with BD….

Mostly fake news.  BD goes on unchanged, SACD continues in a lesser role (but about the same as it has for quite a while)

[FullRangeMan]

Mostly fake news.  BD goes on unchanged, SACD continues in a lesser role (but about the same as it has for quite a while)

Sony had quit support to SACD format in 2009.
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-reason-Sony-discontinued-the-production-of-Super-Audio-CDs-SACD

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/manufacturers-forced-to-stop-sacd-players-production.17595/

https://community.sony.hu/t5/general-chat/why-does-sony-music-not-release-sacds/td-p/175429

[rbbert]

Yes, but other manufacturers are still making SACD's and other labels are still releasing them, thus the "mostly".  And Sony has not only not stopped supporting BD it is still manufacturing and releasing them.

[FullRangeMan]

Yes, but other manufacturers are still making SACD's and other labels are still releasing them, thus the "mostly".  And Sony has not only not stopped supporting BD it is still manufacturing and releasing them.

I said Sony not other companies, I have no interest in BD, I dont lose my time watching TV.

[rbbert]

I said Sony not other companies, I have no interest in BD, I dont lose my time watching TV.

Which begs the question, why are you posting here?  And if you have no interest in BD (which by the way includes BD-Audio) why are you posting misinformation about it??

[Jeff_From_Michigan]

That is not true. Blu ray concert video's usually had one track of high bit rate usually pcm.
As for CD's the Market was sold a compressed product not what Redbook standard was capable of which you will get on a Blu ray Concert video.

I remember it like it was yesterday: About 6 or 7 years ago I had a party and a few of us found ourselves in the living room watching Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott's. This
was through my Marantz pre/pro, Emotiva power amp and a $100-ish Sony Blu-ray player to ACI Sapphires and Titan sub. Nothing uber-expensive here at all.  But what
we heard was breathtaking.  People dropped their jaws and just stood there shaking their heads in amazement - the audio and video quality were both some of the best
that I've ever experienced to this very day. Nobody wanted to go back outside where the yard games were going on, and we pissed a few people off as one by one, we
went inside mid-game to get a drink and one by one we didn't return...

Now, I don't know if there was something special about that recording, but it established to me that without a doubt, the Blu-ray medium was capable of astonishing audio and
video reproduction.