The most concise answer we were able to arrive at was: At least 10-20 years. Ern Bieman, a digital preservationist with the Canadian Conservation Institute, told me that commercially produced Blu-rays—if they're undamaged and stored correctly—should last at least 20 years.
However, with the rise of streaming services and digital downloads, some may question its relevance in today's market. Furthermore, the emergence of 4K and 8K video, along with audio enhancements like Dolby Atmos, readily available to consumers at home, has rendered DVDs and Blu-rays almost obsolete.
The rise in 4K Blu-rays coincides with a rise in 4K television purchases — a necessity to play a 4K disc, along with a 4K Blu-ray player. The 4K TV market will grow by 24% from $229.73 billion in 2023 to $285.28 billion in 2024, according to a report from The Business Research Company.
Do Blu ray discs deteriorate? They do, as does pretty much everything. They have a coating on them that makes them more durable than DVDs and more scratch resistant. In general, optical media stamped at a factory is expected to last around 200 years.
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.
Blu-rays deliver the best picture and sound experience
For example, Netflix maxes out at 17Mbps, while Apple TV+ maxes out at around 41 Mbps. The very best Blu-rays, the 4K Ultra HD versions, can deliver a 4K picture with maximum video bitrate of 128 Mbps.
Admittedly, there is a strong chance 4K Blu-ray may become less popular as time goes on. Does this mean that 4K Blu-ray is really dying? The answer is no. In fact, I believe there's an exciting future on the horizon, especially for cinephiles and movie fans.
Many Blu-ray and DVD selling stores and collectors are planning to revive more than 700 million discs in the market in 2022. Most of the awaiting customers are 90s kids aged between 25 and 39. This tells us the possibility of DVDs and Blu-rays coming back to the top by the overwhelming responses from their enthusiasts.
In 2005, DVD sales peaked at $16.3 billion in the United States, while Blu-ray sales hit their peak in 2013 at $2.37 billion. Last year, both formats sold $1.5 billion combined — a drop of 25% from the previous year and a much bigger one from their peak.
“In terms of the dynamic range and compression, the 4K Blu-ray will always trump any streaming service out there,” Teoh says. You might not notice the difference from your TV's built-in speakers, he admits, but it should be apparent when played through any half-decent soundbar or AV receiver.
There are several reasons a disc may not play in the Blu-ray player. A dirty or scratched disc is the most obvious cause, but an incorrect region code or configuration of your home theater system can be the reason as well.
While Blu-ray may "only" be as fast as having gigabit fiber, the media size isn't standing still either. At some point in the future, 8K movie media will become available and this represents four times the amount of resolution compared to 4K, which is in turn four times that of 1080p footage.
Back in 2019, executive director of the 8K Association, Chris Chinnock, cast doubt on the possibility of 8K Blu-rays ever happening. He said there was "a low probability" that physical 8K discs would be developed, and that was four years ago; not much has changed since then.
A pressed Blu-ray Disc will last a very long time. All theory. DVD and BD discs have gone bad over a short time. It depends on how well they were manufactured.
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.
Put simply, Blu-ray is here to stay for the foreseeable future, and we couldn't be happier about that. But while there's still a steady supply of new discs, the best 4K Blu-ray players have become scarce, with most AV manufacturers ceasing to make new players, or limiting production to a single model.
The most concise answer we were able to arrive at was: At least 10-20 years. Ern Bieman, a digital preservationist with the Canadian Conservation Institute, told me that commercially produced Blu-rays—if they're undamaged and stored correctly—should last at least 20 years.
Sales for physical media may have declined over the years, but they are not dead. There are still some benefits of owning media in a physical form. You won't have to wait for something to come back on streaming. You won't have to worry about your server being down if you want to watch something.
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.
4K Blu-ray produces the sharpest, most textured picture quality I've seen on a 4K screen. Movies with HDR (High Dynamic Range) are particularly striking – closely matching the vibe of the full theater experience.
Is 1080p Blu-ray better than 4K? In terms of resolution, 4K offers a higher pixel count and therefore provides a more detailed image compared to 1080p Blu-ray. However, several factors affect the overall viewing experience, including screen size, viewing distance, video quality, and individual preferences.
Folks are doubling down on collecting DVDs, Blu-rays and other physical media of their favorite shows and movies. For a while, it was just niche hobbyists and film snobs. Now, ordinary people are dusting off the old DVD player.
Admittedly, there is a strong chance 4K Blu-ray may become less popular as time goes on. Does this mean that 4K Blu-ray is really dying? The answer is no. In fact, I believe there's an exciting future on the horizon, especially for cinephiles and movie fans.
But for those looking for the full experience, Blu-ray is the way to go thanks to its superior sound. Power, immersion and balance are all much better on Blu-ray than streaming and really give you that 'home cinema' feeling.
