Katarzyna Petru
Sony Japan has officially announced that it will cease the sale of all current Blu-ray recorder models worldwide, and there are no plans for successors. This decision aligns with the company's previous actions, as in July 2024, Sony reduced 40 percent of its workforce in the optical media division, and in January 2025 confirmed the end of production of recordable MiniDisc Blu-ray discs and tapes. In this context, the withdrawal from the Blu-ray recorder market is not surprising but rather another step towards a complete departure from physical media.
Changes concern only Blu-ray recorders
The decision by Sony pertains only to Blu-ray recorders with recording functionality, and the company does not plan to discontinue the production of standard Blu-ray players and UHD Blu-ray meant solely for playing films. Along with the official announcement, models BDZ ZW1900 from 2024 and BDZ FBT4200 BDZ FBT2200 and BDZ FBW2200 from 2023 have been withdrawn from sale. The remaining Blu-ray recorders are to be gradually phased out after February 2026, marking the definitive end of this category of devices in Sony's offering.
As noted by FlatpanelsHD Oppo, Samsung, and LG have completely withdrawn from the Blu-ray player market, Sony, Panasonic, and a few specialized premium brands still offer both Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray designed for movie playback. At the same time, the question is increasingly being raised of whether Sony will decide to move further away from optical media in the future, especially in the context of the upcoming collaboration between TCL and Sony announced for next year, which may impact the company's future strategy in the home entertainment segment.
Source: sony.jp
