LG discontinues production of Blu-ray players

LG has announced the end of production of all Blu-ray player models, including the UBK80 and UBK90 introduced in 2018. The devices will be available for purchase while supplies last, FlatPanelsHD reported.

A representative for LG Korea said the company may return to the Blu-ray player market if demand increases. However, LG has no current plans to do so, reflecting the decline in interest in optical discs in general.

Market trend

LG joins a number of other companies that have abandoned the production of optical media devices:

• Disney has stopped selling DVD and Blu-ray movies.
• Sony plans to reduce the production of recordable discs.
• Samsung and OPPO left the optical player market back in 2019.

The gaming segment is also witnessing the departure of optical media. Sony and Microsoft offer versions of their PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles without Blu-ray drives. However, the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, assures that a complete transition to digital versions is not yet planned.

With the development of streaming services and digital stores, content on physical media is rapidly losing popularity. This trend calls into question the future of optical discs, which are being replaced by more convenient digital alternatives.