Katarzyna Petru
The market for physical media is shrinking again. The French brand Reavon has announced that it is ending the production of its UHD Blu-ray players. The official reason? Lack of access to key components. The company has explicitly stated that it has no plans for new models, as there is simply nothing to build them from.
A Brief History of Reavon
Reavon entered the market in 2021, targeting the premium segment and attempting to fill the gap left by Oppo, which had ceased production of Blu-ray players three years earlier. The most attention was garnered by the UBR-X100 model – highly praised for its picture quality and rich set of features, though the lack of HDR10+ support was considered a significant shortcoming by many collectors.
The End of a Certain Rivalry
In this niche market, Reavon primarily competed with the company Magnetar. Now, it is the latter that remains the only significant player in the high-end UHD Blu-ray player segment. The latest model from Magnetar – the UDP900 – costs around £2699 and clearly demonstrates that the passion for physical media is becoming a hobby for the chosen few.
Physics versus streaming
The departure of Reavon fits into a broader trend. Samsung withdrew back in 2019, and last year LG and Pioneer joined in. Streaming has taken over the market, but the truth is that 4K Blu-ray can still provide an image unattainable by online services. Therefore, for those who want to experience the atmosphere of cinema at home, every such decision is bitter news. Fortunately, Panasonic and Sony still offer cheaper players, although they haven't shown anything new for a long time.
