Nearing the end of Blu-ray?

Samsung’s UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player. © Samsung.

Given the huge success of services like Netflix, iTunes and Prime Video, the Blu-ray format seems to be stalling, especially in North America. Samsung, for example, told Forbes and CNET that it would no longer launch new Blu-ray player models and it would stop making Blu-Ray drives for the US market. Sony and Panasonic are currently leaders in the Blu-ray player market and have not announced plans to stop production. Last year, Oppo got out of the Blu-ray business. Even with qualitative advances like the 4K BluRay HDR, the physical medium isn’t able to compete with online options: it seems most people prefer immediate gratification to image quality.

⇨ Ars Technica, “Another blow to Blu-ray: Samsung will no longer make Blu-ray players for the US.”