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 openly admitted that it has no plans for new models because there simply isn't anything to build them with.
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 stopped producing Blu-ray players three years earlier. The model UBR-X100 gained the most attention – highly rated for its picture quality and rich feature set, although the lack of HDR10+ support was seen as 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 Magnetar that remains the only significant player in the high-end UHD Blu-ray player segment. The latest model from Magnetar – the UDP900 – costs around 3600 USD and clearly shows that the passion for physical media is becoming a hobby for the chosen few.
Physics vs. Streaming
The exit of Reavon fits into a broader trend. Samsung pulled out 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 deliver an image unattainable by online services. Therefore, for those who want to feel the atmosphere of a cinema at home, every such decision is bitter news. Fortunately, Panasonic and Sony still offer cheaper players, though they haven't shown anything new in a long time.
