Sony ends production of blank CDs and DVDs

A Sony plans to close 250 jobs due to declining demand for CDs and other physical media. The cuts will occur at a factory specializing in recordable media, located in northeastern Japan.

The Tagajo plant currently employs about 670 people. Some layoffs are expected to come via early retirement programs.

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Experts indicate that the cuts will only affect the production of blank media, such as CD-R, DVD-R and BD-R, used for single recordings and multiple readings.

The cuts are not expected to impact the production of pressed discs, which are widely used and known for their durability. So physical media enthusiasts can rest assured that the pre-recorded music, video and game markets will remain unaffected by Sony’s changes.

It is true that physical media, once practically ubiquitous, are increasingly falling into disuse and are becoming increasingly rare. However, they still serve those who value owning games or content, since digital platforms and services streaming do not offer this guarantee.

Ubisoft’s The Crew recently sparked controversy when its servers were shut down and it was removed from buyers’ digital libraries without any prior warning. In addition, it is often pointed out that physical games have superior sound and image quality compared to cloud game streaming.

Another common use of physical media is data backup, especially in cases where cloud storage services have failed to preserve crucial information.

But we are moving ever faster towards the end of an era. Nowadays, no computer or notebook is sold with an optical drive. A few years ago, I remember that this was a requirement for any computer. The advent of streaming services, both for music and video, has also drastically reduced the production and sale of CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays of movies, music and other types of content.

Even programs to “burn” this type of media have become extinct. Before, programs like Nero were practically mandatory on everyone’s PCs. Nowadays, I don’t know anyone who uses this type of program. It’s the rapid pace of progress.

Source: The Manichi