Best Buy is exiting the physical media business and will no longer carry movies, including 4K Blu-rays — gutting the shrunken department that was one of my first and favorite jobs.

Is Best Buy getting rid of physical media?

In September, Netflix NFLX -0.2% ended its DVD service, and Best Buy BBY +1.3% announced it will stop selling DVDs and Blu-ray discs at the end of the 2023 holiday season. "To state the obvious, the way we watch movies and TV shows is much different today than it was decades ago," Best Buy said in a statement.

Is Best Buy exiting the physical media business in 2024?

In yet another sign of the triumph of streaming, Best Buy will reportedly stop selling physical DVDs in-store and online beginning in 2024, according to CNBC and other media outlets.

What is Best Buy not selling anymore?

The consumer-electronics retailer will phase out sales of DVDs and Blu-ray discs both in-store and online in early 2024, according to industry sources familiar with the company's plans. Best Buy made the initial decision to end DVD sales nine months ago, according to one source.

Will Best Buy stop selling physical games?

Best Buy, which had 1,129 store locations as of mid-2023 (including 969 in the US), will still sell physical media during the holiday shopping season before discontinuing the sales anywhere between January and March 2024. However, it will continue to sell physical copies of video games.

Best Buy To Stop Selling Physical Media

Is Walmart getting rid of physical media?

The state of physical media — whether it's DVDs or video games — is in question as people increasingly move to streaming services. Walmart could be the next to make a move with one video game executive suggesting the retail giant could drop Xbox games soon, and potentially retreat from physical games even more in 2024.

Is Best Buy getting rid of Blu Rays?

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.

Why are stores getting rid of physical media?

"To state the obvious, the way we watch movies and TV shows is much different today than it was decades ago," a company spokesperson told WCCO. "Making this change gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy."

What is Best Buy discontinuing?

The popular consumer-electronics retailer plans to discontinue the sale of DVDs and Blu-ray discs both online and in house starting early 2024.

What is Best Buy's weakness?

Best Buy faces a severe threat from counterfeit products. Counterfeit electronics products are often of poor quality. They can be difficult to distinguish from genuine products, which can also be sold at a fraction of the price of genuine products, hurting Best Buy's reputation and sales.

Is Best Buy still in business and thriving?

Electronics retailer Best Buy is still in business, standing up to Amazon, and thriving. For the fourth quarter of 2018, the company reported $42.1 billion in revenue, $2.72 in non-GAAP earnings per share, and an 11% dividend increase.

Is Best Buy doing well financially?

Best Buy's guidance for FY24, which includes 53 weeks, remains unchanged from last quarter and is the following: Revenue of $43.8 billion to $45.2 billion. Comparable sales decline of 3.0% to 6.0% Enterprise non-GAAP operating income rate² of 3.7% to 4.1%

Is Best Buy ditching DVDs in 2024?

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. Physical movies will be sold in stores and online through the holidays, and video games aren't affected by the change.

Why is Best Buy getting rid of movies?

Best Buy is bidding adieu to DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. The electronics retailer announced on Friday that it will stop selling the once-essential movie-viewing tool online and in stores after the 2023 holiday season as consumers continue to shift to streaming services over physical discs.

Will physical media end?

But, to repeat, this isn't the end of physical media. Now, Disney will likely cut back its 4K releases in the future because the medium isn't taking off like it hoping it would. But we'll still see general Blu-Ray releases, as well as re-releases of stuff from Star Wars and Marvel that still caters to fans.

When did Best Buy stop selling CDs?

The decision to fully exit from physical discs — Best Buy stopped selling CDs in 2018 — marks the end of an era, and leaves Target, Walmart and Amazon as the only major retailers selling them. For Best Buy, the move frees up in-store space for more lucrative products.

Why did Best Buy leave China?

Best Buy exited China in 2011, with market failure attributed to the negative impacts of counterfeit markets, pricing, and its big-box retailer format.

What company did Best Buy take over?

Are DVDs being 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 going to stop selling 4K movies?

According to the sources, Best Buy won't even sell physical movies online, including 4K titles and special-edition steelbooks that collectors look forward to. The DVD end times could start next year as early as Q1.

Why physical media is better than streaming?

Blu-ray Has Superior Audio/Video Quality

If you own a HDR-compatible, 4K television and a good surround sound system or soundbar, you'll want to experience the highest quality audio-visual content possible. Blu-ray, particularly Ultra HD Blu-ray, lets you do just that.

What will replace DVD & Blu-ray?

Blu-ray technology is a storage medium for video, audio and data. As with any technological innovation, it will eventually be replaced by the next big thing. The next generation of video storage is likely to be called "4K". 4K UHDTVs have four times more pixels than full HDTVs and offer a much better resolution.

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.

Do people still buy DVDs and Blu-rays?

Streaming is a popular way to consume media these days, and DVD sales have declined by 86% since 2008. Curiously, many stores fill their shelves with DVDs and Blu-rays, and Technicolor Home Entertainment Services plans to ship as many as 750 million discs in 2022.