Physical media is finally making a comeback, and here’s the proof

Although physical media sales might be way down from where they were even a few years ago, there are some encouraging signs that the market isn’t going extinct just yet. While big retailers like Best Buy and Target largely moving away from stocking physical media in their stores isn’t a good sign, Sony coming out with a new Blu-ray player in 2025 is.

The new player is a refreshed UBP-X700/K, the very same Blu-ray player I have hooked up in my living room, and it’s looking to be an appealing option for people looking to dip their toes into the world of 4K Blu-rays. As of right now, it’s only available in Japan, but 4K discs are typically region-free. If you can get your hands on one, your discs will work on it. A big selling point of the current UBP-X700/K is its lower price tag. You can typically find it for less than $200 on Amazon, and when you compare it to the higher-end Panasonic UB820-K that can often be double the price, the Sony offering is what a lot of people gravitate toward. Strangely, the new player costs more and does less, so you might have to wait it out and see if Sony plans to release it in the States at a discount.

With consoles looking like they could be on the verge of dropping disc drives entirely, there needs to be a modern option for people looking to get back into physical media, and whether Sony’s Blu-ray player or another company’s, buying a dedicated player is a good way of doing that.

Don’t give up hope

Sony

While streaming continues to grow, there is still quite a large group of people fighting the good fight and keeping physical libraries alive. Thanks to the efforts of boutique retailers like the Criterion Collection and Arrow, some movies that wouldn’t have otherwise seen the light of day are now fully preserved. For example, Criterion has just about the entirety of David Lynch’s filmography, and it was recently announced that Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me would be getting the 4K upgrade in 2025.

Although it’s harder now to walk into a store to find new releases, you still have plenty of options online. Criterion announces a new lineup of films joining the collection each month, so there’s always something to look forward to there. Most of the mainstream theatrical releases still get standalone physical media releases, so there are plenty of avenues to look at if you’re getting tired of streaming. As much as I don’t like it, Amazon remains a great option too.

One of the main reasons I bounced off streaming was price and having issues tracking down where my favorite shows and movies kept on going. If there was something I planned to rewatch, it was better for me to just buy it. I get better quality than streaming, and I don’t have to worry about it ever disappearing. You might be shocked at how cheap you can get things if you’re not always looking for the newest release. Thrift stores have become a big hobby of mine as I can find seasons of shows available for very cheap. You can find a wide range of things, ranging from DVDs to Blu-rays and even the odd 4K release here and there. The nice thing about it all is that all of these discs will play on a 4K Blu-ray player, so there are no compatibility issues to worry about.

Physical media sales may be dropping, but it’s not dead yet. In 2024, physical media sales dipped below $1 billion, but 4K Blu-rays show some promising signs. As physical media ownership becomes more niche, it makes sense for collectors to gravitate toward the best format. In this case, it’s 4K Blu-ray, and while the market share for physical media continues to shrink, the 4K market share is growing.

Related

Physical media’s slow death continues: LG kills off its Blu-ray players

LG has discontinued its lineup of Blu-ray players, however the company is leaving the door open to make them in the future again.

A nice silver lining

Pocket-lint / Sharp

While the overall sales might be alarming to some, 4K discs gaining more ground is a good thing. This indicates to companies that it’s still worth investing in the medium. DVDs will likely always be there considering they make up the lion’s share of the industry, and that, interestingly enough, leaves Blu-rays in an odd position. Blu-ray is currently the middle ground between DVD and 4K Blu-ray, and it seems like if you’re a budget-centric collector who doesn’t care about the best quality, DVD is the way to go. If you want the best of the best, it means 4K is what you want to look at. The basic 1080p Blu-ray could someday become the casuality instead of the 4K disc.

Let’s look at 2023’s Oppenheimer as an example. The Best Picture winner sold out of 4K discs and Universal had to go back and print more. That’s practically unheard of in today’s age, but it goes to show you there’s still a demand for discs, especially if it’s for a film of Oppenheimer’s caliber. To take advantage of everything a 4K disc has to offer, it typically requires you pick up a 4K Blu-ray player. Your Xbox or PS5 can play the discs just fine, but neither console supports Dolby Vision, so you’re leaving a bit on the table in terms of picture quality. Of course, you need to make sure you have a TV that supports Dolby Vision too. This recently announced Sony player has Dolby Vision, but if it’s anything like the player it’s replacing, you have to toggle it on and off yourself. Panasonic’s flagship player automatically switches back and forth, so there’s nothing you have to remind yourself of before watching a movie.

All in all, 2025 is a good year to get into physical media if you feel spurned by streaming services. There are plenty of ways to get into the hobby for cheap, and if you have regrets about building up a digital library like I do, then it’s a good time to build a physical one instead. You don’t have to worry about a company randomly delisting something or a show moving to another service you don’t pay for if you already own a disc. The only real downside I can think of is binging a TV show is annoying when you have to get up several times a day to change the disc. Then again, that’s the price I’m willing to pay to help ensure physical media sticks around for good. I have no idea what the market will look like in five years, but it’s encouraging if you’re a 4K collector.

Related

Panasonic DP-UB9000 review: King of the Blu-ray players

With Oppo ditching Blu-ray players, the Panasonic UB9000 is the perfect high-end model. It’s expensive but its picture and audio quality are flawless.