3 min learnNew DelhiUp to date: Feb 12, 2026 12:47 PM IST
Sony Company, one of many largest producers of Blu-ray Discs, has introduced it would cease making Blu-ray Disc recorders as demand has shrunk in the previous few years.
On February 9, Sony introduced that it’ll “progressively finish shipments of all Blu-ray disc recorder fashions from February 2026” and that there could be “no successor mannequin”.
The announcement doesn’t come as a shock, as Sony had beforehand mentioned in 2024 that it might slowly section out the event and manufacturing of recordable Blu-ray discs and different optical disc codecs.
The corporate had additionally laid off 40% of its employees within the media division and mentioned it was doing so as a result of the optical storage market didn’t take off the best way it hoped to.
Final yr, Sony confirmed that it might now not make recordable Blu-ray discs, MiniDiscs, MD information and MiniDV cassettes. Quick ahead to 2026, the tech large mentioned it’s ending shipments of all Blu-ray disc recorders, which means customers gained’t have the ability to purchase them as soon as they’re out of inventory.
The newly discontinued merchandise embody the BDZ-ZW1900 (2024) and BDZ-FBT4200/FBT2200/FBW2200 (2023).
One factor to notice is that Sony isn’t discontinuing Blu-ray altogether, because the transfer solely impacts Blu-ray data with a built-in Blu-ray participant. Sony has clarified that it’ll proceed making Blu-ray Disc gamers for playback, not less than in the intervening time.
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Sony’s current announcement marks the tip of an period that began with the corporate again in 2003, when it unveiled the world’s first Blu-ray Disc recorder.
Regardless of streaming taking on bodily media like Blu-ray, the corporate presently says it has no plans to finish manufacturing of ordinary Blu-ray discs and UHD Blu-ray gamers. Nonetheless, issues could change as soon as TCL takes management of Soný’s house leisure division subsequent yr.
Within the final decade, a number of tech firms have slowly exited or scaled again on Blu-ray. Oppo, which was as soon as one of the crucial common manufacturers within the trade, shuttered its enterprise in 2018.
A yr later, Samsung introduced it might cease making Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray gamers, and LG discontinued Blu-ray participant manufacturing in 2024.
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However if you’re a Blu-ray fanatic, there’s no want to fret as demand for Blu-ray motion pictures, TV reveals and different media remains to be secure. And whereas Sony could have exited the market, firms like Asus, LG and Pioneer are nonetheless making drives. Large manufacturers like Panasonic and Verbatim are additionally manufacturing Blu-ray.
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