LG stops manufacturing Bluray players

South Korean hardware manufacturer LG closes down production of its Blu-ray players with immediate effect. This follows in the footsteps of Oppo and Samsung, which also discontinued their respective player production five and six years ago. Panasonic now remains one of the few major players still offering Blu-ray players, but even their future in this area is uncertain as the industry increasingly shifts to digital streaming.

This is a sad but hardly unexpected development, reflecting the broader trend of consumers favouring digital media over physical formats. For example, Best Buy famously discontinued its Blu-ray and DVD sales last year, underlining the shift towards digital platforms.

Although LG's Korean headquarters has not officially confirmed the company's withdrawal from the Blu-ray market, production has stopped and the remaining units are expected to be sold out soon.

For enthusiasts and collectors, this is of course a significant change and a clear sense of what is to come. We already know that digital ownership carries risks, such as the possibility of losing access to purchased content if it is removed from digital libraries. But consumers have voted and the fact that the broad masses favour the convenience of streaming is clear. Even if it means compromising on picture and sound quality.

Do you still buy films on physical format?