There are exact 20 yearsthe corridors of CES 2006 em Las Vegas were abuzz with the new era for home entertainment. It was at that moment that the public got to know the technology that would define high definition for decades to come.
Today, as we analyze the legacy of 20 years of Blu-ray we realized that, even under the shadow of streaming, the optical format maintains a legion of defenders passionate about audiovisual fidelity.
O DVD successor did not reach the market discreetly. With the massive support of seven of the eight main film studios at the time, the format promised (and delivered) a much higher data density.
The key to this technological leap was in the blue-violet laser diodea, which operates at a wavelength of 405nmallowing a much more accurate reading than the red laser 650nm used on DVDs.
The innovation allowed single layer stored 25 GB, against the modest 4.7 GB of its predecessor.
The technical leap and the format war
The introduction of Blu-ray brought profound changes to the technical specifications of hardware. In addition to expanded storage capacity, data transfer rate rose from 11 Mbps (DVD) to 36 Mbps.
The adoption of the codec AVC (H.264) was another very important point, allowing high definition films to be compressed much more efficiently than the old standard MPEG-2without sacrificing visual integrity.
However, success was not immediate or peaceful. The market witnessed an intense industrial dispute, known as the “War two formats“, which pitted Blu-ray, led by Sony, against HD DVD, backed by Toshiba and Microsoft.
Similar to the battle between VHS and Betamax, this division fragmented the market and directly affected the gaming universe.
While the Playstation 3 had an integrated Blu-ray player (a strategic decision that boosted the adoption of the format), the Xbox 360 I bet on an external HD DVD drive.
The blue disc’s victory was confirmed in the early 2008when Toshiba announced its exit from the market, leaving the way clear for the standardization of high definition on physical media.
The scenario in 2026: luxury niche and collectors
Two decades later, the scenario is very different: Blu-ray has evolved into the 4K UHDincorporating technologies such as HDR e o codec HEVC (H.265)remaining the absolute reference for those looking for maximum image and sound quality.
Streaming services, as advanced as they are, still compress the video signal to considerably lower bitrates than a physical disc, which keeps the format relevant for Home Cinema enthusiasts.
However, recent news for the general consumer market is of retraction:
- End of LG players: the South Korean giant has ended production of its Blu-ray players at the end of 2024.
- Writable media: Sony announced the end of manufacturing recordable Blu-ray discs (BD-R/BD-RE) for the end consumer in 2025.
- Consoles: The trend in modern video games is moving towards digital distribution, although editions with a disc player still exist.
These changes indicate that while movies continue to be released, hardware for playback and recording is becoming a niche item.
In Japan, interestingly, there has been a recent spike in demand for optical drives, driven by the end of support for the Windows 10 and the need for physical backups in PC Games and workstations.
Global Blu-ray Sales: A Look at Current Numbers
The physical media market, which includes DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray, recorded a combined value of US$ 21.54 billion in 2024with a projected growth of 5% per year until 2031.
In the players segment, the global DVD and 4K Blu-ray players market was valued at US$8.83 billion in 2024, although with an expectation of decline for US$7.09 billion until 2033.
Despite the retraction of the physical market in general — sales fell 23.4% year over year in 2024 in the US — the 4K Blu-ray format has shown a growth trend, with a 10% increase in sales in 2024 and a 25% jump for Steelbook editions. This data illustrates the demand for premium products among collectors and enthusiasts.
Performance by Region (Disk Market, 2024)
- North America: leads the market with more than 40% of global revenue, totaling US$8.61 billion. The region projects annual growth of 3.2% until 2031.
- Asia-Pacific: With approximately 23% of global revenue ($4.95 billion), it is one of the regions with the highest predicted growth, with a CAGR of 7.0% until 2031.
- Latin America: represents more than 5% of global revenue, with US$1.07 billion and a projected CAGR of 4.4% until 2031.
- Middle East and Africa: corresponds to around 2% of global revenue, with US$430.84 million and a CAGR of 4.7% until 2031.
These numbers demonstrate that while the streaming era dominates casual consumption, there is a dedicated and valuable market for high-quality physical media, particularly 4K Blu-ray, which continues to be a mainstay for cinephiles and collectors.
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Historical prices and current reality
Revisit coverage CES 2006 reminds us of the prohibitive costs of the technology at its launch. The first player in Samsungthe BD-P1000, was announced for around US$1,000 (around R$6,050 at the current price, without taxes).
Pioneer presented a model from the Elite line for US$ 1.800 (approximately R$ 10,890), values that restricted the novelty only to “early adopters”.
Today, Blu-ray occupies a curious place in the history of technology: it is simultaneously a “legacy” format and the pinnacle of home presentation quality. For collectors and audio and video purists, as long as there are records being pressed, the blue laser will continue to shine.
Source(s): Blu-ray.com
Source: https://www.adrenaline.com.br/tech/blu-ray-20-anos-qualidade/
