LG Electronics has joined the growing list of major electronics brands that have discontinued UHD Blu-ray players, saying that existing models such as the LG UBK80 and UBK90 will only be available to buy while stocks last.
Unnamed sources at the company confirmed the decision to pull out of the Blu-ray player market to Flatpanels HD, in a move that mirrors the exits by Oppo in 2018 and Samsung Electronics in 2019.
LG Korea said in a statement to Flatpanels HD that it hasn’t completely banished the idea of making Blu-ray players again in future, but for the time being it doesn’t have any new models planned, and it won’t be making any more of its existing optical media devices. So once the existing stock of its Blu-ray players dries up, they’ll no longer be available. But it has left the door open to a possible return.
The move is not really surprising as the UBK80 and UBK90 UHD Blu-ray players are fairly old, having debuted back in 2018. It hasn’t announced any new players since then.
Two other brands that are still selling Blu-ray players include Sony and Panasonic, but neither of them has introduced any new models since 2019, when they launched the UBP-X800M2 and the DP-UB450, respectively.
LG’s optical media players had a relatively low market share compared to those of its rivals, including Samsung prior to that company’s exit. It hasn’t been helped by the fact that sales of Blu-ray discs endured a years-long decline that began in the mid-2010s, though in recent months there has been a limited resurgence of physical media, with prices going up, too.
Earlier this year, two major U.S. retailers – Best Buy and Target – both announced that they’ll start selling Blu-ray discs again, after previously taking them off the shelves. Meanwhile in the U.K., HMV said earlier this year that sales of physical media have increased recently.
If you’re in the market for a new, modern Blu-ray player, your options are rather limited, though there is the Magnetar UDP900, which launched last year with a hefty 2,500 euro price tag. It’s a premium model featuring 7.1 RCA analog outputs, a dual power supply and support for both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR.
Other brands that have stepped up to replace the likes of Samsung and LG include Pannde and Reavon, which are also targeting Blu-ray enthusiasts with higher-end models.
