On Thursday, reports claimed Sony would no longer manufacture or sell Blu-ray discs. Misinterpretations of the company’s press release by several media outlets led to speculation that Blu-ray production was being entirely discontinued, implying the company’s abandonment of optical discs as no successor to the Blu-ray format was planned.
In reality, Sony has only limited the production and sale of blank discs, while the Blu-ray format itself remains in use. A press release on the recording media section of Sony Japan’s support website clarified that, starting in February, the company would cease production of recordable Blu-ray discs, as well as MiniDiscs and MD Data Discs for recording purposes.
The announcement was aimed specifically at the Japanese market, where optical discs are still widely used for data storage and recording. Based on the mention of older formats like MiniDisc, it becomes evident that Sony is referring to blank Blu-ray discs, often called “dongles.” To clear up the confusion, How-To Geek reached out to Sony Japan for further clarification.
“In Japan, recording TV programs onto Blu-ray discs is quite common, which is why we sell blank Blu-ray discs for data storage. These sales are exclusive to Japan. The press release refers only to these recordable Blu-ray discs. Other products, such as pre-recorded Blu-ray discs with movies or TV shows by Sony Pictures or Blu-ray discs sold for Sony’s players, are not affected by this announcement.” a Sony spokesperson explained.
The company emphasized that its announcement applies solely to the production of blank optical discs. Sony will continue to produce and distribute movies and video games on Blu-ray, confirming that the format is far from obsolete, contrary to some reports.
In truth, Sony never actively promoted Blu-ray as a video recording medium in Western markets, such as the U.S. and Europe. This was due to several factors, including the limited popularity of DVD recorders in these regions, slower adoption of HDTV formats in the U.S., and the rise of competing physical storage formats like DVRs.
As for the MiniDisc format, also mentioned in Sony Japan’s press release, it never gained traction in the U.S. but remained a staple in Japan for three decades and saw brief popularity in Europe. However, Sony’s decision to discontinue the sale of Blu-ray discs and MiniDiscs in Japan signals a significant shift in Japanese media consumption. Nevertheless, this change has no direct implications for markets outside of Japan.
In summary, while Sony is halting the production of blank Blu-ray discs in Japan, the broader Blu-ray format will continue to thrive through the distribution of films, games, and other pre-recorded media.
