Sony to exit Blu-ray disc recorder market amid rise of streaming services
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Sony launched the world’s first Blu-ray recorder in 2003, with the format winning the war against HD DVD.
PHOTO: AFP
TOKYO - Sony Corporation said on Feb 9 it has decided to exit the Blu-ray disc recorder market as the widespread availability of streaming services has snuffed out demand, with final shipments of recorders to begin in February.
Sony, a wholly owned subsidiary and the electronics unit of Sony Group, had already ended production of Blu-ray recorders and ceased manufacturing recordable discs in February 2025. Blu-ray players will continue to be shipped for the time being.
The Japanese electronics giant launched the world’s first Blu-ray recorder in 2003, with the format winning the war against HD DVD, led by Toshiba and NEC, as it supported higher-quality video for films and television.
But demand for the storage media has steadily declined with the rise of video streaming services such as Netflix and TVer, a catch-up streaming service jointly run by Japanese television networks.
According to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, domestic shipments of Blu-ray recorders peaked at 6.39 million units in 2011 but stood at less than 10 per cent of that figure in 2025 at 620,000 units.
Sony Group, which has been increasingly scaling back its hardware businesses, also announced in January that it will spin off its home entertainment business into a joint venture with major Chinese television maker TCL Electronics Holdings
