LG Stops Making Blu-ray Players: Here's Why It Doesn't Matter!

[@JeffRauseo]

Need a new 4K player? Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/faiqo6ljgt6fe6csi=EYC-en3aPlzqeMLM

[@GenX_in_the_wild]

This is a great player. Especially for the money. However that DP-UB450/150/154/159 model variant is not new. It is a 2019 model that was just not sold to the US. Anyways: I have this player: For that price: Just get it.. It plays all media files from usb, it is quiet, low power draw, fast, zero issues.. Great upscaling performance, great Panasonic picture quality. A really well rounded no thrill value model..

[@JeffRauseo]

@@GenX_in_the_wildyes but I said that in the video

[@acehw7605]

I bought it thanks to that video, thanks. over a year ago I wasn't quite sold on the bluray format, and before I saw your video about that player I never thought I'd bother buying a uhd bluray player. I want (1080p and under) av1+(opus/flac) on physical DVD discs as a new consumer physical media format (and flac on DVD as audio CD replacement)

[@nathanielenochs1843]

@@JeffRauseo when are you gonna start reviewing some really expensive premium Audiophile and Cinephile gear like the Magnetar players?

[@peterharmon28]

Physical media is not dead make sure it stays alive

[@vico7482]

I would be more upset if LG stopped making TVs.

[@fullspectrumdominanc]

Or let their quality slide

[@bradavon]

Yeah exactly.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

The point is not that they stopped making something, but that they didn't see enough future for bluray players, to keep making them. There's no reason to think that the television market is going to end. Personally, I've never owned anything made by LG and still feel the same way about it as when Kia started making cars (inferior brand stigma). Brands don't matter as much as they used to, 30+ years ago, though... everything is basically Chinese crapola with a different name stuck on it. If there's a television or bluray player made in Japan, I probably couldn't afford it.

[@WheeledHamster]

They should if they're not supporting the media that actually uses 4K technology.

[@IncognitoChild]

- Don't hold your breath - they are currently losing market share to the Chinese panel manufacturers.

[@xMACHOxMANx]

physical media isn’t dying. places to purchase them is dying.

[@MystifyMe97]

Yet Disney and I believe other companies now not making 4k blu ray discs to sell in Australia. So people won’t pay to buy them overseas. As most won’t see the value in that.

[@badpuppy3]

It's the end bro.

[@linus607]

Sony announced the end of Blu-ray

[@AG-bp3ll]

The bigger issue is there have been no new models for five or more years from Panasonic and Sony. They just keep selling the same models with the same aging chipsets. It is great they are still available, but no R&D on new players does make you concerned about the future of optical media.

[@tgs1766]

Compact discs (CDs), a product introduced in 1982 are still available. Despite all the streaming options, every major label still releases every major new album on CD. Physical media isn’t going away. Movie discs are safe too.

[@mrfloosak]

It costs a lot more to produce a dvd then a cd. I’m not talking about the replication but the entire process of authoring and QCing a disc in multiple regions and territories

[@bradavon]

Music is just more popular than owning Films for the masses.

[@sweezlesquee]

I feel like they very possibly will be in that category, but the corporations except Walmart, are really trying to stamp it out rn. The biggest issue is the inaccessibility of the players. Everywhere that you can purchase records and cd's nowadays always has very cheap, yet decent record and cd players right nearby. They would have to have a 4k player with both dolby's for under $100 for this to be viable like albums are. Hopefully they are working on budget options, maybe, we will see. I personally feel like they should have switched to a USB device type thing and we wouldn't be having this issue, but the demand certainly isn't there to r&d it at this point.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Good point, but CDs have enough quality and bandwidth to max out on what the average person can hear. VHS, DVD, Blu-rays are nowhere near maxing out what people can visually distinguish, especially as competition pushes the prices of giant screens (75"+) within reach of the entire middle class customer base. In other words, video still had room to improve, while an audio format that is _better than CD_ would never be appreciated by enough customers to become the new standard. I have an SACD player. It _is_ better than CD. But most people don't have good enough speakers/ears to hear the difference. Most people listen to music in the car or crummy MP3s on crummy headphones. I don't think it's rational to expect 4k blu-ray to remain the standard forever... especially when it's likely that 100" television walls, with 8K or better resolution are going to be very affordable, 10 years from now. Of course, I say this still having only a 1080p bluray player/tv.

[@sweezlesquee]

@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 That's what's up, it would be cool if they pushed it further, but seems 4k will be the end all. I will say that with the upscaling on my ub820/ tv, it is hard to tell that I am watching a Blu-ray sometimes unless it's just a super low quality print or something. I think blurays could easily stick around, especially the quality possible nowadays. And upscaling from 4k discs up to 8k will be far better than 1080 to 4k was. DVD's should have just been phased out long ago, it's weird to me, and gives other phymed a bad public image because of how low quality it is imo.

[@milescoburn1845]

Had an LG 4K player for a number of years. I kept hearing how vibrant, sharp, etc. 4K discs were, but to my eyes, with my player, I wasn't seeing it. I finally went ahead and purchased a SONY UBP-X700 and it was like night and day! I couldn't believe the difference.

[@AGibs1996]

Good thing I got the Sony one instead of the LG one.

[@armand531]

I did the same. The Sony X700 is great. But now I upgraded to a Panasonic UB820 and it's insanely better than any 4k player I'd ever had. Highly recommend.

[@bradavon]

Why's that? Dolby Vision.

[@Djekkie-gj7jz]

@@bradavon I am very satsfied with my UBK90 player. If you don't see the difference you need glasses. I also have a Sony which does stupid things with Dolby Vision. It tries to make Dolby Vision from every Blu Ray, with sometimes strnge results.

[@anubis66678]

@@Djekkie-gj7jz As an owner, I'm sure you know this, but for anybody else, this is because the Sony players don't automatically detect Dolby Vision. It must be manually enabled and disabled in the player settings. I don't bother enabling Dolby Vision on my Sony because the picture is too dark on my LG OLED, even after adjusting picture brightness settings. HDR10 looks much better.

[@Nick-4K]

I was actually surprised when so many people got worked up about it. They haven't made a player since 2018. Now if Sony or Panny stop... then we got issues...

[@GenX_in_the_wild]

All Blu-ray players from LG, Sony and Panasonic are from 2018/2019.. And that is part of the problem.. There have been massive improvements in picture processing with TVs, but these players are in comparison ancient..

[@GenX_in_the_wild]

Perfect title for christmas video? :D

[@robertt9342]

@@GenX_in_the_wildwell you don’t want they player doing any processing anyways as it will likely be much much worse, even in 2018

[@BloopsnBleeps]

​@@GenX_in_the_wild Panasonic has a new player

[@GenX_in_the_wild]

@@BloopsnBleeps No, the new US model was sold since 2018 or 2019 in other regions.. It is still a very good player

[@gina4008]

My local Best Buy just restocked the Panasonic UB820 4 blu ray players on their shelves this month. Lets hope they realize the should also return physical media back in their stores.

[@michaelgrossl9720]

Same here in germany: as the major studios are shutting down their disc output our boutique labels release a ton of new (mostly 4k) titles

[@73ocampo]

In all honesty, my LG 4K player made this odd noise. I switched to the Panasonic UB820 w/ Dolby Vision and it's great. Thanks for the video Jeff. Happy Holidays

[@osirismarbles5177]

which LG did you have?

[@73ocampo]

@@osirismarbles5177 It was their entry level 4K player @ $199.99 I don't recall the model #. It was also so slow? Anyways I have the Panasonic and a Sony back in play now.

[@jackfitzpatrick8173]

Unlike most kids today I believe,and have always believed,that if a song is worth owning it's worth owning in CD...or SACD...or DVD-Audio format. My attutude toward videos is the same. DVD...Blu Ray...4K. I have several thousand discs in all three formats. Old TV shows (including many Britcoms)...documentaries,etc in DVD. Hundreds of films on Blu Ray. And some films...and several BBC nature documentaries...on 4K. Watching The Dark Knight,2001,Bridge On The River Kwai or a BBC documentary on African wildlife on a 4K disc is sublime. Having a giraffe on your screen that looks like it's in the living room with you is beyond description.

[@LSOreal]

Being the psycho that I am, I have secured a Magnetar UDP900, Panasonic UB9000, Sony X800M2 and a couple of Toshiba XA2 HD DVD players. My physical media collection will certainly outlive me.

[@montag4516]

Same for me. I have an extensive disc collection that is consistently growing. I think my purchases alone are enough to keep the boutique labels in business. I'm keeping up on having several players stashed away so as to have decades ahead of disc playing ability assured.

[@Belbog1977]

@@LSOreal thank God, I’m not the only player hoarder as it turns out!

[@walter2695]

I know its not a fatal blow to physical media and the sky isn't falling like some people say when they freak out over everything. But a negative is still a negative. Still dont like seeing the market shrink for it in any capacity. But I am hopeful for the future of physical media.

[@knuckles1006]

As competition drops, prices will rise.

[@WarBrer247]

You advocating for companies such as LG to throw good money at bad products?

[@bobblueford]

​@@knuckles1006Then people can't afford to pay, so eventually the manufacturers halt production. It's not doomsday yet, but it's getting closer.

[@DrSleazoid]

​@@knuckles1006LG wasn't real competition anyway. BluRay enthusiasts buy Sony/Panasonic or one of the super expensive niche brands if they have the money to spare.

[@luisleal8683]

I agree! Physcal media isnt dead. In fact, Kino is releasing scream factory movies on 4k in 2025 and a stash of 80s and 90s films never released on Blue Ray on 4K. 2025 is going to be a great time to own a new 4k player.

[@laszlosarkozi1385]

I have been using LG BluRay player for about 15 years, LG 4K player for the last 10. Mostly because it not only plays discs, but also most file formats through USB port and the occasional BD25 written disc when you need it. Most other brands will not play those.

[@gamingtechandbeyond]

Even though they say you don't own anything physically, to a degree you do. You own a physical disc with the data on it. As long as that disc works, you can access the data on it and in case of movies, play the movie. Regardless of license issues or removal of digital stores, as long as that disc works, you can use it. That gives you a sense of ownership. Same to videogames to a degree, as long as the data of the game is fully on the media, you can play it regardless of it's store or online services go offline. Yes it might not have all the updates, but you still have access to the data. Older videogames is gives you more of a sense of ownership because the full game is on the cartridge and fully playable in contrast to modern gaming. People want to hate on piracy, but sometimes, it is the only way to access some movies or games not available anywhere to be purchased legally. I will keep purchasing physical media as long as I can for games and movies. Companies just want your money and not give you anything to own in exchange. Imagine buying a car, and the manufacturer says it's never yours after you paid it in full and you don't legally own it cause it's their IP. You don't own the car manufacturer, but you do own the car you purchased. It is insanity to make you think you don't own what you legally purchased.

[@rayyman1]

Thank for clearing things up because I love physical media and I don't want it to go away.

[@walasona]

I bought an LGUBK90 a few years ago, and aside from some freezing issues that is fixed with a simple wipe before watching (usually 100GB discs), it's treated me well. I also have a PS5 too which ive had since 2020 although i still havent watched a movie all the way through on it. I know most wont mourn the loss of LG players, but I like mine. Don't plan on getting rid of it any time soon, especially when I also have a PS5 player in case I need a backup. Plus, I hear the Sony ones are just as guilty of freezing as well on 100 GB discs.

[@macnet427]

Thanks for posting this with the voice of reason! While I do stream most of my entertainment, there's nothing quite as good as a physical disc as streaming cannot match the audio quality of it. I have a high-end home theather system and watching a 4k blu ray in Dolby Atmos is a real audio treat. Remember, LG stopped making smart phones and there's a plethora of new smart phones available! I have a 77" LG OLED and I stopped using their smart features and went to Apple TV since both the picture and SQ are better than streaming through the LG interface.

[@Markimark151]

LG had a very low market share with Blu Ray players, but they are still making DVD drives because they’re used in computers as an add on! Most of the blu ray players are made by Sony and Panasonic, and they’re the ones keeping Blu Ray players alive!

[@NickyHelp]

It might not last, I fear.

[@Markimark151]

⁠@@NickyHelpSony is a big producer of Blu Rays, since they make movies on that format, as long as there’s a demand of blu ray players, Sony will keep making them!

[@NickyHelp]

@Markimark151 I don't take answers from trolls misinformers. And sorry to burst your bubble of delusions, but your type said before and have always been proved wrong. The more things get outsold, nothing lasts. We seen it happen, and don't lie to me about it. Being a big producer doesn't mean anything. People would say the same thing with LG being a big producer and it meant nothing of the sort. Also, Sony already cut the blank blu-ray disc production when people said this will not happen. And now look what's happening. That's only a phase one. I proved my point.

[@Markimark151]

@@NickyHelp you’re going by speculation! Sony only phased out blu ray recordable media, which was never even popular since solid state digital recordings are easier to record video. Sony is now producing blu rays for Disney movies, they’re focusing on distribution for new movies!

[@freecstyle4784]

Thank you! There's so much delusion out there about physical media dying. It's crazy.

[@curtismariani6303]

When I was looking for a 4K player, LG wasn’t even at the races. All the recommendations were for Panasonic 820, which is what I bought. If you have a high end TV, then you really can tell the difference between streaming and a physical 4k blu ray.

[@duncanmacphee200]

A few years before Apple killed off the iPod I jumped into the relatively unknown world of hi-def DAPs from companies that I had never even heard of (Fiio, Cowon). Compared to Apple, these were so cheap that I thought it would be worth a try. Not only were they MUCH cheaper, they blew iPods out of the water with their sound quality, performance and versatility. The point to this story is that, if a big-name brand stops making a certain product, there are a whole line of lesser known brands making products just as good, if not much better.

[@89bluepill]

LG also stopped making smart phones. Is it the death of smart phones too?

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

It's a false analogy. Bluray is a format -- like a Windows Phone. Got any Windows phones lying around, bub? LOL!

[@powerfrenzy]

That's pretty true. As physical has been "dying", more stuff that I'm actually interested in have been released one after another. As it's shifted to a boutique model where the collectors have a little more influence in telling companies they types of things we want, the output is pretty incredible. Especially if your tastes are for titles from yesteryear. Picked up or seen announced so many classics from the 60-90s. I think it's more the old model of business is dying. Fine. I don't need nor want a blu ray or 4k of Mufasa 3 weeks after its released in theatres.

[@DrSleazoid]

Pretty much. There are a lot of classic movies released right now. Often in 4k. Often in special collectors editions. The whole market has just shifted from mass to special interest.

[@cheekster777]

Panasonic or Sony FTW. Happy Holidays Jeff. 🎄 🎅

[@SturmAH]

Agreed, I don’t think LG when I think Blu-ray players.

[@axelfiedel3793]

They still make optical disc drives but I don't know how long it will last.

[@Carl-G]

The PS5 Pro came out without a disc drive but sales of the add-on disc drive is selling like crazy for it so that is a good sign i think that people still want a disc drive with their new consoles & hopefully makes SONY think we still have to include a disc drive in the PS6(I really hope they do for gaming & watching Blu-ray's etc etc) 👍

[@iSteveGWT]

Getting a panasonic ub820 player to replace my xbox series x for christmas, cant wait to try all my 4k blu rays on dolby vision. Also got game of thrones 4k boxset to try out on christmas day along with a blu ray steelbook ordered from usa of ‘dances with wolves’ to try out the upscaling. Probably the nicest steelbook I’ve seen before if you’re into those.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

I'm only here to rain on your Christmas (LOL) -- the main problem with 4K is the fact that you can get GOT in 4k, but can't get Dances with Wolves (for example), in 4k. They should start by releasing ALL of the 'best movies of all time' and then get around to disposable crap, like GOT, or Terminator 6.

[@juanfonseca31]

You’re going to love that player. I have one and the image quality compared to my PS5 (at least in movies of course) is night and day. The movies looks so much better now, the colors, the definition, clarity, i mean everything looks much better.

[@iSteveGWT]

@@juanfonseca31 just got it all set up and have just put on raiders of the lost ark to watch before i start the new game this evening. It’s brilliant so far, even after 10 minutes i already love it.

[@keenan_k]

Thanks for the refreshing down to earth response to all the click-baiting, catastrophist videos out there.

[@nathanielenochs1843]

I am currently planning on upgrading from the Sony UBP-X700 to the Magnetar UDP-800 just because of the quality of the machine and compatibility with SACDs and DVD-Audio discs

[@davemoritz2174]

It is totally ok that LG is stopping production of disc players because honestly they are not that good!

[@petercolp]

I bought a LG player at a used goods store. Worked great but not enough picture enhancements for me. I still use my Sony 4k upscale players and with 4k tv looks great. 😊

[@MellowGold12]

Man, I can’t thank you enough for this video. I was recently very scared by the fear-inducing talk that you’re speaking off. But, like you’re saying, I let the fear take hold not realizing just how much physical media is being pumped out (and how much I buy and have pre-ordered). I will be looking up the Pan UB450 you recommended. Thanks!

[@chrisburns7979]

love my LG 4k blu ray player

[@kevinstaib715]

I've found a few 4k players at thrift stores and snapped them up. I've gotten Sony, Panasonic and LG. I actually have the LG hooked up to my projector since it fits on the tray I had for projector. It works well for that as don't need Dolby vision for projector. Others I have connected to TVs. Sony and Panasonic always have supported the more niche markets better than others. Never a lack of disc players at the thrift stores.

[@adultmoshifan87]

If LG are leaving the Blu Ray market, I feel we need more companies to fill the void! Maybe Aiwa should make a player? I'd also like to see Denon re-enter the market, and if HMV say that DVDs and Blu Rays are selling well in their stores, I think they should go about introducing their own brand Blu Ray and 4K Blu Ray players! Did you know UK retail chain Woolworths sold at least one model of DVD player of their own as part of their Worth It! value range? I have an LG TV, but mainly because it was the cheapest 120hz set from a good brand that I could find! It being 50 inches compared to my last TV having been 43 inches is just icing on the cake to me! I am sick of people claiming "streaming is the future" without even bothering to look into why I still champion DVD and Blu Ray! Why'd I want to rely ONLY on what I can stream on Netflix and Spotify when I can own hard copies of as many of my favorite movies, TV shows and songs as I can? I also don't want any AI algorithms spying on what I do on my computer, tablet or phone! What if I rip a glam rock compilation CD to my iTunes library but forget to delete the Gary Glitter song? I don't want anyone thinking I approve of pedophilia, that's a BIG no-no in my book!

[@MrEdWeirdoShow]

Okay, in the US I got a Panny reg A player last year and a LG reg B this year, so I'm covered. What reg C does, don't know, don't care.

[@d.kayeharris8236]

I understand that LG is concentrating their product line to "big ticket" items ( appliances, TVs, etc). LG stopped making cell phones several years ago. That was rough- I loved LG phones & now I'm stuck with a Samsung.

[@axelfiedel3793]

LG pulled out because they were losing money at the phone business and that was a blow because there could probably be less choice and it's still a big market.

[@DangerousDevilOfficial]

I didnt even know LG still made disc players. Glad Problem Child 2 is coming to 4K. The Problem Child 1/2 Blu Ray discs were horrible. The compression makes them almost unwatchable. I don't know that I agree PS6 will have disc drives. That remains to be seen....

[@Bibliophilo]

I think it is worrying as it sends signals to film and game companies that fewer players will be around on the future.

[@ParanoidThalyyMVS]

I still use my PS3 as my Blu-Ray player!

[@GenX_in_the_wild]

PS3 is a good Blu-ray player!

[@ParanoidThalyyMVS]

@GenX_in_the_wild Region free too!

[@cianeck6993]

Yeah.. I run my movies on disc on the consoles (since the PS3). Now I also see 4K movies on the PS5.

[@1984Cece]

​@@cianeck6993 I do the same.

[@RandallStevenson]

Me too

[@ronaldmcglinchy]

You and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I have an Oppo 203 and it works outstanding.

[@andreasoberg2021]

Good point. I got a bit worried. Just got a new LG C4 77”. I use Genelec SAM monitors as speakers. Sadly only 2.0 atm but hope to do 7.1 at a point

[@trizkial7592]

I hope physical media doesn’t die. I just got into blu rays again after using streaming for years now. Bought myself a Panasonic ub820

[@eBoard3R]

*Always appreciate your input on these articles/headlines* 🤙🏽⚡️🤟🏽⚡️👌🏽

[@insideMan1981]

Sales are not high becouse its so rediculesly expensive. 40 / 30 dolar for 4k blu ray even blu rays. Crazy

[@jsc315]

I haven't spent more than $15 on most my 4k disks. If all you're buying all new stock or special edition then yes you're correct

[@GenX_in_the_wild]

@@jsc315 Prices went up this year.. Alien Romulus for example: Steelbook is 36 normal 4k edition is 31 (including the Blu-ray) Blu-ray is 17 and DVD is 16. The price jump from Blu-ray to 4k is insane.. Blu-ray is the real value king now.. DVD is only interesting if you get a box for a few dollars..

[@WarBrer247]

Where’s a good source to find the sales data for these 4k blu-rays?

[@Kananaboo]

I wish disc drives or simply some kind of physical media was re-standardised back into home computers. I miss easily ripping music or watching a DVD. Install video games with a serial code with no internet connection (because we actually owned it).

[@RandallStevenson]

You're not going to see new PC games that install off a disk off-line, PC gamers lost that battle a lifetime ago, Console gamers are losing it now more and more with each generation.

[@glassbakeware]

My Wal-Mart has pretty much stopped carrying physical media. They got 1 copy each of the mandalorian season 3 and Ashoka season 1.

[@zenquantum1246]

Always appreciate a balanced approach when the panic articles drop 🙏

[@vfplayer]

Saying that this is the peak of physical media is absolutely delusional! Be honest for goodness sakes! I still buy physical discs, not as much as I wish I could, I have a wife, a kid, and bills, but I buy what I really like when I can. But to say this is the peak, when you had things like The Lion King selling 32M on VHS, Finding Nemo 38.8M on DVD, and Frozen 7.6M on Blu-ray, nothing has sold close to those in literally about a decade. This is far from the peak of physical media. I think big movies struggle to reach even 1M for all formats these days. It is a sad time for physical media sales. If it was the peak, Best Buy and Target would still be selling them. Best Buy doesn’t even sell them online for goodness sakes!

[@fclefjefff4041]

Take a deep breath and accept the fact that times change. No one was freaking out like this in the 2000s when the popularity of vinyl records was at an all-time low. That was the time to collect like crazy. You could walk out of a store with an armful of records for 20 bucks.

[@rcm7880]

I agree with you, Jeff seems delusional to me. Saying the consoles won't drop out disc drives is not reading the signs. He didn't say anything about 3d format passing out, 4k discs not including the regular blu ray... That major companies aren't releasing all their movies on physical media but stating that this is the peak just shows to me that we lost him along the way.

[@fclefjefff4041]

Who cares what one random dingdong on KZbin says. 😆 Think for yourself. People who are hell bent on being flustered are going to invent reasons to be flustered.

[@russellschmidt2648]

Thank you for being a voice of reason. I've had people asking me as well. I love my Sony 4k player, by the way.

[@barrusbarrusman9319]

Thank you, this is just what I needed to hear. But I also heard in some video that Playstation would stop making consoles with bluray players. I don't know if that just was click baiting and fearmongering though... But thank you for this video, I really needed this just right now :)

[@akalalaimranrp]

I have Samsung 3d and LG 4k Dolby bluray player from 2018. Both cheap and trash. Panasonic and Sony best bluray player. Physical games and movies are better than digital trash.

Merry Christmas Jeff!

[@JYMBO]

Can we talk about the people who would sell their player & whole collection at the slightest sign of things taking a downturn? ...as if you can no longer enjoy your catalogue once the industry goes under lol but isn't that the entire point of physical media & having a backlog of movies in your home? yes it would suck if we didn't get new players & movies but at least we would still have all the ones we have collected over the years & a player that can be repaired (or buy a second player and keep it unopened), keep collecting whilst it's here and when the sad day comes you'll have everything you need to continue enjoying it until you yourself are discontinued.

[@GenX_in_the_wild]

Game collectors also sell everything. I dont think it has something to do with the market. They need cash or they need to move or they bought everything and dont play..

[@WarBrer247]

@@GenX_in_the_wildthat doesn’t sound like collectors. Sounds more like sheep.

[@GenX_in_the_wild]

@@WarBrer247 Are you a collector? How many discs do you have?

[@ghosface353]

I remember back in 2015, a guy I was working with had taken his collection of films and cds to the garbage dump and thrown it all. While I haven't bought a CD in years, I do have big film collection, and can't see myself stopping. But all the Limited collectors edition from companies like Arrow Films are becoming very expensive. At least when they also sell a standard edition, I rather buy that.

[@Hicks-g1m]

This is so exaggerating Jeff LG wasn't even a major player in 4k players like you said physical media still lives on because of people like you. Thank you Merry Christmas 🎄 I really hope that the PS 6 and new X-Box will still have disc drives Jeff I heard it might go all digital which is wrong like you said it's cutting out the physical media collectors

[@davidflint3367]

Great Jeff. Thanks.

[@Razorgeist]

Hadn't heard this but thanks for the info.

[@michaelelsy2209]

Both my 4K Players are LG but you're correct there hasn't been an update for years.

[@Belbog1977]

Let’s be clear, physical media is dead as a mass market consumer format. All that’s left is the collector market similar to what happened to laserdisc before it also became defunct. The fact that there are now only a few manufacturers left means there is no more in innovation either to the hardware or to the specifications of the format, something that is exemplified by all the players on the market at this point being seven or eight years old in terms of design and technology. So let’s not kid ourselves, we love this format and it is the best that will ever be for physical media, but in the end, it is pretty much dead to 95% of the population. This does however, allow all these obscure and cult titles to be released that we never thought were going to see the light of day on BD or 4K BD. But as you know, they are produced in limited numbers and command high prices which sends you to the reference I made above about the collectors market and laserdisc. And a lack of competition and stagnation in terms of hardware and specifications is why all of my Panasonic players including the 9000 are finicky about working with so many brand new 4K discs and there is not any fix coming up ever.

[@david.9633]

Thank you for the video. I feel relieved

[@bicyclelife7088]

I have had a huge uptick in sales of physical media on my Ebay. I am selling 3x more now than what I did 2 years ago. I sell more obscure stuff like Anime, and a lot of it has been pulled from streaming due to mergers and licensing issues. Sure people aren't buying common movies, but lots of older titles and more niche stuff is going to be physical.

[@jamessiddle7389]

I've had 2 LG 4K blu-ray player's and both lasted like over a year, cr@p in my opinion, went with a Sony player, never had a problem with it.

[@chillindylan6497]

The CD is still in production as of 2024 and it started back in the 1980s. LPs are still being produced...they started decades before that. This "physical media apocalypse" thing has been thrown around forever. Of course things have changed, retail buying habits have changed, digital is hugely convenient. Doesn't change the fact that people do, in fact, still buy discs.

[@thesnesgeek]

Yes

[@stevemurrell6167]

I didn't even know LG made bluray players. Anyway, I just bought the top of the line Magnetar player to upgrade from my Panasonic DP-UB820, which was a great player but it wasn't a great CD player and didn't do SACD's or DVD-Audio. The Magnetar is just superb in all areas!

[@IncognitoChild]

Except (and this is a big problem for a lot of people) It doesn't support wireless connectivity!

[@yuenroger370]

You can buy GIEC bluray player in Hong Kong and China, all code for all region.

[@Jorven-w1z]

I agree 100% about LG.their disc players were never popular to begin with.

[@stevealharris6669]

The BFI (British Film institute) are releasing great films at the moment too.

[@saviordream]

This was a great video, Jeff, and I agree with most everything you said. One area where I might have to differ from you though is stating that game consoles will keep having disc drives. The gaming industry is moving more and more away from physical media, and while Sony might do one more generation with (optional) disc drives, a lot of people (myself included) see Microsoft completely eliminating physical media on their next console. They already do something like 90% of their game sales digitally, and have been pushing people more and more towards that route. I'd be very surprised if they still offered one on their next system.

[@moviemikerod]

Not me over here with an LG 4K Blu-ray player, and been quite happy with it haven't had any real issues... Especially since I haven't been wanting to pull the trigger and spend over $200 on a Panasonic which I feel like may be worth it but at the same time as much as a movie buff as I am. Admittedly I don't watch all that often due to being a single working parent. So I just don't know that utility that the Panasonic would actually bring. I have a 84 in Samsung OLED so I know I would maybe see a 10% at best upgrade and picture quality. But already sinking in about $150 on my LG and I know I wouldn't be able to sell it for anywhere near to justify the cost of a Panasonic. Also Jeff, if you haven't been in a Walmart lately I frequently see LG 4K Blu-ray players there as well as even relatively recently at Best Buy. So I don't know where you have or haven't been looking but there are there. And a part of the reason why I like my LG is it automatically switches to HDR including Dolby vision without jumping through hoops or paying exorbitant amount of money. And to me anytime a loss of any options or competition is worthy of note and worry.

[@GenX_in_the_wild]

You might still find an LG player.. Get one as long as you can..

[@TRDOffRoad2020]

Physical media isn't dying, I've been selling on ebay since 2019 right before the pandemic. My average gross sales per year have been from the down at $40,000 to a high of $95,000 and still going strong, depends on what I sale. Its like the stock market, if it sales high sale it. If it sales low, keep it and come back and check the prices months or years in some cases. Media can be a up and down market within weeks of months from 90 day sales.

[@thejoker9998]

I think as far as gaming consoles go they are testing the waters with all digital editions and optional disc drives so I feel like they are phasing it out. soon the only way to buy physical movies will be online only and the prices will go up as we've seen with some steelbook versions of movies. i hope it doesn't completely die out but there will be caveats.

[@gratefulblac]

plus my sony 4k player plays cds very well - using a separate dac - I get excellent results

[@dravenlee4473]

LG was in 5th place in sales behind...Samsung who isn't even making players anymore. It's a big deal in the sense that the market is shrinking but LG was never a big player (no pun attended) in the market. You have room for 2-3 manufacturers in the market.

[@axelfiedel3793]

I think Pioneer used to be a big player in the home theater game when you think of it. They haven't had a Blu-ray player since like 2020 and there wasn't any news related to whether they stopped. It's like Pioneer just faded away from the market and we didn't notice.

[@evilone543]

I did buy that new Panasonic. It’s a great player. Moved the Sony to the extra bedroom.

[@cirmothe9]

I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't panasonic lol.

[@DarkSkyDarksky2021]

I wouldn't worry about LG one bit. I bought an LG TV back in 2016. It died it served well so I was thinking about buying another one but when I compared the TV to what they offer nothing's new I might come on so I went ahead and bought a Vizio cuz it actually had new stuff.

[@harrisoncastleberry458]

I have an LG Blu-ray player that I only got since it was region free. But since I learned the region hack for my Panasonic DB820 I rarely ever use the LG. I only use it for blurays anyway so I’m not worried about it since I mainly buy 4K discs.

[@acehw7605]

I'd be most concerned about LG's usb and computer optical disc drives (especially bluray drives) for ripping discs. any idea if they're stopping those, or just standalone players?

[@lawrenceh1405]

✋Hello, I have an LG Blu-ray player..... I got it because it's been tweaked to be region-free, both for Blue-rays and DVDs. The DVD part is probably more important, and tho' I wanted to be "covered" for Blu-ray discs as well, I have to admit that I don't actually have any other-region BDs right now. The LG only ONE of my BD players..... My "good," nice ones are Panasonic and Pioneer (yep, remember them?).... and a very old Sony.

[@u77750]

Thanks Jeff. Like I said to Elliot Cohen, I have a Great Sony 4K and an LG region free Blu-ray player that is really good. Physical Media isn’t dying folks! It is gearing to a collectors market. It’s really thriving! Stop listening to the nonsense!

[@fistofren3483]

Absolutely agree. Just ordered the Panasonic UB-824. Streaming is trash if you really want to have the best picture and sound + I live in Europe and thanks to the US american voters I think prices will go up for tec-stuff significantly.

[@IBelieveInTheGYAT]

Turns out it makes sense now given recent news

[@ethanberry9846]

LG for Tvs Panasonic Players Samsung - phones LG players are dreadful anyway, If the news was Panasonic stop making players or LG stop making tvs that would hurt!

[@nathanielenochs1843]

I heard months ago that LG decided to stop manufacturing TVs with ATSC 3.0 Tuners

[@DangerousDevilOfficial]

Samsung phones are 🗑️. As are their electronics. Had a galaxy where the charging port stopped charging within a few months of new. Was a known defect. Samsung refused to repair or replace. Had one of their microwaves. Started on fire in the middle of the night in my home! 😳😳 Wasn't even being used. Had me and my daughter not been awake to see the sparks and smoke coming from the kitchen, our house could have literally burned down. And God knows what could have happened to us. Samsung was notified. And they did NOTHING. I will never buy another Samsung product again.

[@hugoanderkivi]

​@@DangerousDevilOfficialThat's frickin' insane! I'd sue Samsung for potentially burning your house down.

[@ethanberry9846]

@DangerousDevilOfficial sorry to hear thats terrible. I am not a lover of Samsung personally I just know they seem to be the most popular for phones, I have an oppo phone myself and no longer own any Samsung products

[@DangerousDevilOfficial]

​@@hugoanderkiviI didn't want to spend a bunch of money on an attorney, when no major damage was done to my home. I had some black smoke damaged to the wall behind the microwave. And a ruined microwave. But compared to what could have happened, this was minor. So I figured, I would just warn everyone forever about Samsung. Rather than spend a fortune on suing them.

[@RustyBrownPhotography]

Thanks Jeff - great video! Hey - can you do a video that speaks to all the different platforms putting out physical media? You ran through several of them on this video but I'd love to see a deep-dive of all the places I can purchase a BluRay. So many movies (and collections) are being released but where can we find them -- and is one place better than the rest? Cheers!

[@TombHorror]

yea, I watched one of those click baity videos and I just rolled my eyes and stopped the video. people who don't watch physical media talking about it about is getting really old.

[@Djekkie-gj7jz]

I have an LG-player (UBK90) and it does everything (4K, dolby atmos, dolby vision, HDR 10 etc..) for a reasonable price. I am happy with it. Here in Europe the player is also well reviewed. That you do not see it as a good blu ray player does not mean that it is. I have had much worse experiences with a Sony player that did all kinds of strange things with Dolby Vision. And that there are only 2 mainstream brands left, is also very little. If you want a real top player then the reavon remains.

[@djufu1]

I didn’t even now they still made them! Their 4K player with Dolby Vision support was in my opinion the best entry level player for People that really care about Dolby vision, especially if you can get it secondhand for cheap. I like it more than Sonys just because it switches to DV automatically. But Panasonics DV players are king!

[@mnm2007]

Yes for monopolies Baby !

[@gera2740]

Im looking for a player (not 4k) for a secondary tv in my bedroom. The TV is just an old 1080p plasma, so the player will be a used 1080p one. I would like one with a good upscaler for the DVDs though. Any recommendations?

[@angeli23-.-61]

Man, it’s been crazy picking up physical media lately. I wanted to get the Blu-ray for knuckles locally but Walmart is the only place around that you can get movies anymore. I actually had to drive kind of out of my way to a Barnes & Noble‘s to pick up the title, granted it was cheaper onlinethan in store so it wasn’t so bad

[@mattmobileE]

Good shit my friend

[@bartpaelinck8321]

Don't worry, i just bought the panasonic ub 820 4k blu-ray player. 😂. Tomorrow i'll pick it up at the store. And a few 4k movies to test the gear.

[@perilouspoozer3749]

How can you say, in the same breath, that the market has never been stronger and that sales are down?

[@AdrianTheGajin]

Fellas! i purchased a used: PANASONIC DP-UB820-K… Best 4K Blu ray player (with superb 4k Upscaling!) Best decision i made in a while

[@HadoukenX]

What is a recommended blu ray player that plays all regions? Looking at some movies from 88 films and other sites.

[@Rob-q2e]

You tell them Jeff! Physical media Rocks!!!

[@Kronos21782]

My old SONY Blu-ray player was incapable of playing a few new releases. It was up to date too. However, it worked fine on my PS3. I almost bought an LG player, but read several bad reviews. So I bought 2 additional SONY Blu-ray players. I will probably buy a Panasonic one too. Just want to have backup players! I tell you what though, my old Panasonic DVD player that I purchased in 2002 is still working good for DVDs in 2024!! My old SONY DVD player from 2007 works without issues too. These are two REALLY great brands IMO.

[@unitedhybrid187]

A back up of a back up of a back up. I have 4 players just in case.

[@torvovenator]

For me its unique buying a physical media! I think we wont see a big step in physical media as the bluray or 4k. The technology I felt has been stuck for mobiles phones resolution screens. Or Im wrong?