The consumer electronics retailer plans to phase out its DVD and Blu-ray sales by early 2024 — with physical movies set to be sold in-stores and online as they are today through the holidays, Best Buy confirmed to The Associated Press Friday. Video games will not be impacted.

Are they getting rid of Blu-ray?

Best Buy will stop selling Blu-rays, DVDs in 2024: 'The way we watch movies and TV shows is much different today' It's going to get a little bit harder to get your hands on a physical copy of your favorite movie.

Will Blu-Ray players be discontinued?

According to Forbes, Samsung is discontinuing the production of new 4K Blu-ray players in the USA. And at least in 2019 the company will not introduce any new devices worldwide. Existing players will at least continue to be sold off.

How long will Blu-rays last?

Long Term Storage Media Needed

When stored properly (away from heat, humidity, UV rays), tapes can last 30 – 50 years. According to the Canadian Conservation Institute, which publishes a paper on media longevity, BD-R discs are expected to last between 5 and 20 years, depending on the material they are made out of.

Is Blu-ray still being used?

When it comes to film ownership, people still love physical discs for a bunch of reasons. 4K and regular Blu-rays– and even old school DVDs – still sell in big numbers and are crucial to the home entertainment success of movies.

Be Prepared! DVD & Blu-Ray: The Return of Physical Media

Why did Blu-ray fail?

First, the product had bad timing. Blu-ray launched in 2006, offering higher quality video and audio than DVDs; then, in 2007, Netflix launched its initial online streaming service. Online streaming was the way of the future, and Blu-ray's demise was only a matter of time. Insufficient marketing also played a role.

Is Blu-ray still highest quality?

You won't get high-definition movie viewing on your DVD, just 480 SD. On the other hand, Blu-ray is made for HD, and you'll get the best picture possible, with 1080 HD capability for your Blu-ray movies.

Are DVDs and Blu-rays dying?

Amid the ascent of streaming video, sales of DVDs and Blu-Ray discs have been shrinking for years. U.S. physical media revenue in the first half of 2023 dropped 28%, to $754 million, compared with $1.05 billion in the year-earlier period, according to data from trade association DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group.

Will Blu-rays be worth money?

Each Blu-ray has a different value depending on a few factors, including release date, title, popularity, etc. To find out the value of your Blu-rays with Decluttr, you have two options: Enter the barcode on the back of the Blu-ray case into our valuation engine.

Are digital movies better than Blu-ray?

Uncompressed quality: Physical media like Blu-ray discs offer superior image and sound quality compared to digital streaming. This is because physical media can store large amounts of data and doesn't require compression.

What will replace Blu-ray?

Sony and Panasonic have named the next-generation storage discs that will be the successor to Blu-Ray. They revealed it will be called the Archival Disc. It will eventually hold 1TB of data, the equivalent of 250 DVD films.

Are DVD going to be discontinued?

Starting in 2024, Best Buy will be ditching the sale of physical DVDs both in-store and online, as streaming services have rendered physical media more and more obsolete. The new sales strategy was first reported on by The Digital Bits and then confirmed by Best Buy in statements to different media outlets.

Is Best Buy discontinuing Blu-rays?

Best Buy customers looking to purchase DVDs or Blu-ray discs will have to find another retailer after the 2023 holiday season. Starting in 2024, sales of hard copies of movies and TV shows by the consumer electronics seller will cease, according to Variety and The Digital Bits.

Why you should still buy Blu-ray?

Blu-rays deliver the best picture and sound experience.

Most streaming services can deliver a 4K picture with a video bitrate, which is the amount of data sent to your screen, at between 15 Mbps and 40 Mbps. For example, Netflix maxes out at 17Mbps, while Apple TV+ maxes out at around 41 Mbps.

Are Blu-ray sales declining?

While Blu-rays and DVDs used to be a prominent way to watch movies and TV shows, the rise of streaming and VOD platforms has seen the market decline steadily for almost two decades. Many stores still have physical media sections, but these sections have shrunk significantly from what they once were.

Do they still make DVDs in 2023?

Goodbye, DVDs, you helped us make memories. It wasn't exactly shocking news. It's 2023, after all, not 2003. But it still hit me hard when Best Buy announced it will wind down sales of DVDs and Blu-ray discs, ending sales completely early in 2024.

What's better 4K or Blu-ray?

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs have a maximum video bitrate of 128 Mbps, compared to 'just' 40 Mbps on standard Blu-ray. That's more than three times the data rate, and it makes a difference with high dynamic range (HDR) 4K Ultra HD content.

Why is Blu-Ray disc so expensive?

Blu-ray Discs definitely cost more to manufacture than DVD, for a number of reasons: Because the cost of replicating equipment is much higher than for DVD, there are far fewer plants which can produce BD-ROM discs (a Sony division holds a large share of the market), so there is less competition.

Why are Blu-Ray players still so expensive?

Why are 4K Blu-Ray players still so expensive? There isn't enough demand to produce them in high enough runs to drive down the price. This is the nature of all production and manufacturing. Order 1000 units and they cost $100 each.

Are 4K Blu Ray players dead?

Well, it doesn't seem entirely so. 4K Blu-ray discs have seen record sales figures as of late. This jump, reported by Media Play News, was mostly due to the success of Top Gun: Maverick, which created a surge of interest in 4K Blu-ray back in November 2022.

Is optical media dead?

Physical media is back from the dead, or at least that's the opinion of Pioneer, which just launched a new optical disc drive (ODD) for desktop or media center PCs with a spare 5.25 inch bay. Yes, it's 2022, but there are allegedly still ODD holdouts.

Will there be 8K Blu Ray discs?

In fact, back in 2019 the executive director of the 8K Association, Chris Chinnock, cast doubt on the possibility of 8K Blu-rays ever happening. Four years ago, he said that the chances of an 8K physical format were "a low probability" as the Blu-ray Association decided against moving forward with 8K Blu-rays.

Do old movies look better on Blu-ray?

Blu Ray is a higher resolution than DVD. If you like old movies, companies will digitally scan old film negatives and they're cleaned up with computer software before being transferred to discs. The viewing, if watched on a hi resolution television will make it more enjoyable.

Does PS5 play Blu-ray?

How to play media discs on PS5 consoles. To play a Blu-ray Disc™ or DVD, insert the disc into the disc slot. Disc Player appears on your media home, and playback can begin.

Can I play a DVD on a Blu Ray player?

You can play DVDs and CDs in a Blu-ray player, but you can't play a Blu-ray disc in a DVD player.