Sony has officially announced the end of production for recordable Blu-rays. In from Japan, spotted by Tom’s Hardware, Sony Storage Media Solutions confirmed it will cease manufacturing these discs in February, alongside recordable MiniDiscs, MD-Data, and MiniDV cassettes, stating, “there will be no successor models.”
This discontinuation will not affect the Blu-ray discs containing films or TV shows available for purchase; it pertains solely to the blank discs consumers traditionally use for personal recording on PCs or DVRs. Last year, Sony hinted at this move, informing the Japanese outlet AVWatch about the gradual end of development and production of “recordable optical disc media.”
Sony has been at the forefront of Blu-ray production since its inception. In 2000, the company showcased the first Blu-ray prototypes, later unveiling its Blu-ray disc recorders in 2006. Alongside Sony, LG, Samsung, and Oppo have also begun to withdraw from the Blu-ray format by halting the production of Blu-ray players.
In addition to the Blu-ray discontinuation, Sony’s announcement significantly impacts the MiniDisc as well — a compact disc format introduced by Sony in 1992 as a more durable alternative to cassettes and CDs. This change may pose challenges for MiniDisc enthusiasts looking for blank discs, although they can still load music onto them using their smartphones.
