Sony Japan halts production of recordable Blu-rays with no plans for a successor.
How long has it been since you last held a BD-R?
Sony has officially announced that it will stop producing writable Blu-ray discs starting in February. According to a statement from Sony Storage Media Solutions in Japan, this decision also marks the end of manufacturing for writable MiniDiscs, MD-Data, and MiniDV tapes, noting that "there will be no successor models."
This measure will not affect Blu-ray discs that are available for purchase, which include movies or TV shows, but is limited to blank discs intended for consumers to use for recording content on computers or DVRs. Last year, Sony hinted at this discontinuation, indicating that it would "gradually phase out the development and production of writable optical media."
Since its inception, Sony has been a leader in the production of the Blu-ray format. The company showcased the first Blu-ray prototypes in 2000 and subsequently launched its Blu-ray disc recorders in 2006. Other manufacturers, such as LG, Samsung, and Oppo, have also begun to move away from this format by ceasing production of Blu-ray players.
In addition to Blu-ray discs, Sony's announcement also has implications for the MiniDisc, a compact disc format created by the company in 1992 as an alternative to more fragile cassettes and larger CDs. This decision could complicate the acquisition of blank discs for MiniDisc enthusiasts, who can still load music using their smartphones.