If you’re a fan ofphysical media, this news will be disappointing. LG is officially discontinuing its entire range of Blu-ray players (viaFlatpanelsHD). After the existing stock sells out, the units will no longer be available.
LGhasn’t launched a new optical disc player since 2018, when it launched the UBK80 and UBK90 UHD Blu-ray players. Oppo exited the optical disc market that same year, and in 2019, Samsung followed suit. So if you want an LG 4K Blu-ray player, time is running out.
According toFlatpanelsHDreport, LG Korea didn’t confirm a global exit from the disc player market, so it’s possible the devices could come back one day – if the demand is there.
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Is the end near for disc players entirely?
All digital consoles are becoming more predominant
When playing 4K physical media, some people turn to their gaming consoles to do the job for them, so the need for a separate disc player isn’t there. The PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X have optical disc players that support playing 4K Blu-rays. On the PS5, it works right out of the box, but on the Xbox Series X, you’ll need to download the Blu-ray player app from the Xbox store. However, consoles are ditching disc drives now too.
Digital-only versions of both these consoles are becoming increasingly prevalent, with many users downloading all their games digitally and exclusively only streaming movies and TV shows. The PS5 launched with a digital edition console, and Xbox did the same with the Series S. Recently, Xbox released adigital-only Series Xand PlayStation has made thedisc-drivean optional add-on you can buy later on for the PS5 Slim digital edition.
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Of course, streaming has massively affected the demand for physical media, too. Back in the day, you had to go to Blockbuster or Best Buy to find a movie to watch. Nowadays, streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Max and Prime Video offer you thousands of titles on demand at your fingertips. Smart TVs have most of these streaming apps available right out of the box too, eliminating the need to get a console if you don’t want to game.
As a fan of physical media, I was disappointed to hear this news about LG. Last year, when it wasrevealedBest Buy was done with DVDs and Blu-rays, it was hard enough. Now it seems like physical media is becoming increasingly more endangered. Regardless of everything going with 4K disc players disappearing, gaming consoles going digital only, and streaming taking up the limelight for most people’s entertainment needs, here’s hoping that distributors keep producing 4K physical media, so fans can enjoy movies and TV shows in the best possible quality – and more importantly, actually own them.
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