- Sale of disks, including 4K Blu-ray, falls for another year
- There was a total decline of 23.4% the year before by 2024
- Subscription flow services such as Netflix grew by 25.3%
Sales of 4K Blu-ray discs (our choice of top format for testing the best TVs), Blu-ray discs and DVDs fell for another year in 2024 and fell below $ 1 billion for the first time in the US . Sales of digital movies also fell over that time, adding even more evil to Hollywood Studios.
As reported by Flatpanelshd, sales of physical media formats fell after a fall of 23.4% year to year, which is a record low after a highlight of physical media sales of $ 16 billion in 2005. The 4K Blu-ray format accounts for a The growing part of the falling disk sales, though it has seen its sales fall every year since 2018. Digital movie sales, from places like Apple TV, fell 10.2% from the previous year.
Interestingly, figures suggest that the home entertainment market is actually growing up 25.3% from the previous year. It includes revenue from the best streaming services such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and more. For $ 57.17 billion, it’s seven times greater than the US theater cash office.
This news comes after a year of ups and downs for physical media in 2024, which then Best Buy and Disney decide to cease selling and distributing disks, only to be followed short thereafter by a deal between Sony and Disney about the former to take over physical media distribution for the latter. LG also announced that it would no longer manufacture 4K Blu-ray players, while retailers such as Fred Meyers and GameStop announced plans to stock 4K Blu rays.
Do you miss?
We here at Techradar are fans of 4K Blu-ray when we use them to test TVs, including the best OLED TVs and even the best sound beams. That’s because playing a disk on one of the best 4K Blu-ray players allows you to enjoy your favorite movies and TV shows with superior image and sound quality compared to streaming.
When you stream from services like Netflix in 4K, the quality level is actually closer to a 1080p HD Blu-ray. The average video tall rate for a 4K Blu-ray is 128 Mbps, whereas 4K streaming average 18 Mbps that maximizes at 40 Mbps on services such as Apple TV. However, when I tested Blu-ray VS streaming, the effect, however, felt mostly with sound: streaming services compressing Dolby Atmos soundtrack, while the uncompressed version present on Blu-rays sounds much clearer and more powerful.
Another problem with streaming services is that you do not ‘own’ the movies and TV shows they carry. I have consistently found examples of movies, I enjoy migrating from one streaming service to another (usually those I do not subscribe to) or disappear completely. It is an incredibly frustrating situation that does not happen if you own a physical copy.
The last year was a roller coaster for 4K Blu-ray, and this downfall and gloring news of falling sales has not got 2025 for the best start but i Still Remain hopeful for 2025. Our readers have shown a strong interest in 4K Blu-ray, so much so that we have launched a monthly roundup of some of the best 4K blu-ray releases called ‘Blu-ray Bounty’, with Our latest edition from January 2025 available for reading on the link.
For anyone who is tired of rising streaming prices, or maybe looking to dip their toe in the world of serious home theater, 4K Blu-ray is an excellent option. If you are only focused on streaming, miss the wonderful world of 4K BU-ray.
