LG Halts Blu-ray Production: End of an Era, Limited Stock Available!

According to a recent report by FlatpanelsHD, LG has discontinued its line of Blu-ray players, including popular models UBK80 and UBK90. With only a limited number of units left, those interested in purchasing these models should act quickly before they completely sell out.

Following the footsteps of Samsung and Sony, LG has now also backed away from the production of physical media devices. Over the past few years, the introduction of new Blu-ray player models has slowed significantly. Unsurprisingly, LG has chosen to exit the Blu-ray market. The last Blu-ray players LG introduced were the UBK80 and UBK90 UHD players in 2018, making them nearly six years old. Panasonic is now among the few remaining companies still supporting Blu-ray, though its continued participation in this market is uncertain as the industry leans more towards streaming services.

Aside from Blu-ray players, the physical discs themselves are becoming endangered. Last year, Best Buy stopped selling Blu-ray and DVD discs, aligning with broader market trends. The shift in consumer preference towards the convenience of streaming digital media has been clear, and companies are adjusting their strategies accordingly. The decline of physical media was anticipated by many industry observers.

Although LG Korea has not officially confirmed the discontinuation of their Blu-ray players, they have stopped production, and it’s expected that the existing inventory will soon be depleted. There remains a slim possibility of a resurgence if there’s a spike in demand.

This shift has significant implications, particularly for collectors and enthusiasts, rather than the general public. This situation brings the issue of digital ownership to the forefront—highlighting how digital purchases do not confer the same ownership rights as physical purchases. For instance, last year, Sony initially removed all Discovery content from users’ digital libraries, a decision that was later reversed, but it underscored the precarious nature of digital content ownership. When you buy digital media, you’re essentially buying a license to access content, not the content itself.

An illustrative case is The Crew by Ubisoft, which was removed from Steam and became inaccessible, despite having a single-player mode. Unlike digital formats, physical media does not depend on a connection to a remote server, offering users greater autonomy and a more concrete sense of ownership.