Blu-ray disc shipments are now projected to fall by over 150 million units over the next 5 years

Blu-ray discs have historically been more expensive than other forms of physical media such as DVD, and also need their own discrete players (unless, of course, you buy certain consoles). However, it, along with other non-streaming forms of content, may be susceptible to harder times going forward. New analysis has shown that its market is likely to exhibit negative growth from now until 2025.

This research has found that shipment volumes of Blu-ray discs and players are likely to fall over the next 5 years. The former is estimated to amount to 334.7 million by then, whereas it was at 488.1 million in 2019. The latter may only account for 16.1 million units in 2025, whereas this was estimated at 46.6 million last year.

This, of course, means that both sectors will post negative growth over the period studied: the 'disc' market's value may fall by a compound annual rate (or CAGR) of -6.1%, whereas that of their players may have a rate of -16.2%.

Projections such as these may explain why hardware OEMs such as Samsung and OPPO have abandoned this market. At present, Blu-ray technology is only found as a unique point in some new devices such as a recently-launched Asus mini-PC. On the other hand, this new report also proposes that standards such as HDR and Dolby Atmos may keep the medium relevant, as customers still look for these specs in their purchases.

However, this potentially negative news for this format may yet prove good news for the consumer - particularly those still interested in amassing hard copies of their favorite media. Blu-ray players and discs should get progressively cheaper over time as their remaining manufacturers get more competitive in response to their circumstances.