Have Blu-ray discs been given a stay of execution?
It's no secret that physical media in general, and Blu-ray in particular, has been in decline. Best Buy began removing Blu-ray discs from its stores and website at the beginning of 2024, and some manufacturers, like LG, have stopped production of Blu-ray disc players due to low demand. DVDs have even shown some issues due to their age, with disc rot reportedly affecting Warner Bros. titles from 2006-2008. I've been hopeful that physical media will stick around for as long as possible, but staying positive has been decidedly difficult.
News out of Japan from publication Monohika, as reported by flatpanelshd.com, indicates that Sony is releasing its first Blu-ray disc player since 2019. The UBP-X700/K isn't a brand new player designed from the ground up, but instead an update to the existing UBP-X700 originally released in January 2018. Also, quite often the letter K is used at the end of a model name to denote the products color — K for black — so the naming itself is curious.
The player is scaled back in terms of features, with Monohika pointing out the new version includes no video and TV SideView app, no networking features (although images include an Ethernet port, perhaps only for updates), no video streaming apps, no Spotify Connect support, and no screen mirroring support. All of this and the pricing in Japan makes it more expensive than the non-K version.
The removal of streaming capabilities makes no difference to me, and I assume to anyone that would plan on buying it. Streaming offerings are available everywhere. TVs, game consoles, and external streaming devices have this well covered. There's no reason for a Blu-ray player to also include the ability to stream from Netflix or Spotify.
Putting aside the current disc rot situation affecting Warner Bros. DVDs, owning a physical copy of media — be it a Blu-ray, a CD, or a vinyl record — is the only way to make sure you'll always be able to watch or listen to your favorite content. Streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ regularly remove content, so we're all at the whims (and financial statements) of our streaming overlords. Content moves from one service to another (like when Westworld was pulled from Max so it could be moved to the FAST service Tubi) making it hard keeping track where shows can be streamed. Being able to walk over to the shelf and grab whatever you feel like watching — that you own — is turning into a privilege.
The ability to take a movie down off the shelf does bring up one of the issues with owning your media — space. Having copies of absolutely everything you ever want to watch would be costly, both in the price of the media and the price of the real estate it takes up. But the tradeoff of knowing I'll always have my favorite movie available to watch, in the version I'm familiar with, is worth it.
There's also some things that just aren't available streaming. David Lynch's classic Wild at Heart is only watchable on physical media. There are bands that only have albums released on vinyl or CD. The only way to watch the original versions of Star Wars is on a DVD, laserdisc, or VHS.
Call me old fashioned, but there's also something to be said about holding a disc. One of the reasons vinyl has had a resurgence, I think, is because of the ritual of taking a record out of the sleeve, putting it on the turntable, and looking at the album and liner notes while you listen to the music. There's a similar feeling with collecting movies on disc — especially those that have collector's editions with bonus material. Very often, that extra content isn't included on streaming services.
The fact that Sony is releasing a new Blu-ray player is an encouraging sign for the industry. The problem for those of us in the United States is it's unclear if the UBP-X700/K will be available here or not. Reports state that the player will be released in the April/May timeframe, depending on region. There's just been no clarification if one of those regions is North America.
But even if it isn't, the fact a new player is coming in any region is good. As much as we like to believe it, the U.S. is not the middle of the universe, and the inclusion of other areas of the world matters. More Blu-ray players everywhere means disc production will need to keep pace. I, for one, will be happy to continue adding 4K UHD Blu-ray discs to my collection.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
What to know about BTS as the K-pop group returns from military service
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — It's official — almost. Soon, all seven members of the massively popular K-pop group BTS will have completed South Korea's mandatory military service. Rapper Suga will be the last of the bandmates to be released on Saturday, after fulfilling his duty as a social service agent, an alternative to serving in the military that he reportedly chose due to a shoulder injury. The six others, RM, V, Jimin, Jung Kook, Jin and j-hope, served in the army. Earlier this month, four members of BTS — RM, V, Jimin and Jung Kook — were discharged from South Korea's mandatory military service. Jin, the eldest BTS member, was discharged in June 2024 as was j-hope in October. BTS is expected to reunite later this year. Ahead of that highly anticipated homecoming, here's what you need to know about the group. The rise of BTS BTS — short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, or 'Bulletproof Boy Scouts' in Korean — debuted in June 2013 under the company Big Hit Entertainment, now known as HYBE. The seven-member group consists of RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook. The group launched in 2013 with the hip-hop heavy single album '2 Cool 4 Skool," releasing three full-length projects before really gaining momentum with their 2016 album 'Wings." Their global breakthrough came in 2017 when 'DNA' entered the Billboard Hot 100, making BTS the first Korean boy band to achieve such a feat. The song's success was followed by a performance at the American Music Awards, further fueling their international fan base. The band is largely credited with bringing K-pop to the international stage, and with good reason. Across their discography, BTS broke boundaries and records: In 2020, they released the five-time platinum 'Dynamite,' their first all-English single, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — a first for an all-South Korean musical act. At the height of their popularity, BTS was not only the biggest K-pop group on the planet, but the biggest boy band overall. Global appeal In fact, they've been certified platinum many times over, according to The Recording Industry Association of America. Their platinum successes include: — 2018's 'Mic Drop;' — 2020's 'Map of the Soul: 7," 'Love Yourself: Answer,' and 'Idol;' — 2021's 'Be,' and song of the summer 'Butter;' — and high-profile collaborations 'My Universe' with Coldplay and 'Boy With Luv' featuring Halsey. BTS has also been nominated for five Grammy Awards. Their first, for 'Dynamite' in the best pop duo/group performance category, marked the first time a K-pop act received a Grammy nod. As their global popularity grew, the septet also became international advocates for social justice. Their 2018 address to the United Nations General Assembly launched the 'Love Myself' campaign in partnership with UNICEF to combat violence, abuse and bullying while promoting self-esteem among young people. The group's commitment to human rights activism continued in 2020 when they donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement, denouncing racial discrimination and violence. Their fan base, known the world over as ARMY, responded by matching the donation within 24 hours. Their dual impact on music and social causes culminated in 2022 when they were invited to the White House to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes with President Joe Biden. BTS' mandatory military service stirs debate In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 are required by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea. The law gives special exemptions to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers if they have obtained top prizes in certain competitions and are assessed to have enhanced national prestige. K-pop stars and other entertainers aren't subject to such privileges. However, in 2020, BTS postponed their service until age 30 after South Korea's National Assembly revised its Military Service Act, allowing K-pop stars to delay their enlistment until age 30. There was heated public debate in 2022 over whether to offer special exemptions of mandatory military service for BTS members, until the group's management agency announced in October 2022 that all seven members would fulfill their duties. Break allows time for solo projects BTS tiered their enlistments, giving ample time for its members to focus on solo projects while the group was on a break. Jin released two EPs, 'Happy' in 2024 and 'Echo' in May of this year. Suga dropped his debut solo album, 'D-Day,' in 2023 under his moniker Agust D. Also in 2024, RM released his second solo album, the elastic, experimental 'Right Place, Wrong Person', and j-hope released an EP, 'Hope on the Street Vol. 1." Earlier this year, j-hope embarked on his first solo tour. Jimin released two projects, 2023's 'Face' and 2024's 'Muse.' V's debut album, the smooth alt-R&B 'Layover,' arrived in 2023, as did Jung Kook's retro-pop debut, 'Golden.'
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Gillian Anderson had an epiphany that changed how she saw aging: ‘Why waste time?'
Gillian Anderson does not mince words. Speaking about wellness culture and the pressure to self-optimize on the podcast 'How To Fail' in 2023, she said in a calm, matter of fact and confident tone: 'I realized that anytime somebody tells me to do something, I'm going to say f—k off.' In a culture where women still feel obliged to be people pleasers, the 56-year-old actress makes being forthright look easy. When we spoke over video call from the Cannes Film Festival, where Anderson was attending L'Oréal Paris' Lights on Women's Worth Award, I asked if she's always been able to set boundaries. 'I was quite a rebellious teenager,' she said. Yet it wasn't until her 40s that she felt able to speak her mind without fear, without worrying about what other people thought. 'It was almost like something that pre-existed but I didn't realize how valuable it was, and that it was something that I could actually vocalize and delight in,' she said. 'There was something that felt really good about having that.' Gillian Anderson at the L'Oréal Lights on Women Award at the Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2025. Anderson has also become more vocal about women's sexual pleasure. A far remove from how most of us came to know her — as brainy, buttoned-up agent Dana Scully from the '90s TV show 'The X-Files' — this sex-positive persona seemed to be a spillover from her role as a sex therapist on Netflix's 'Sex Education.' When Anderson was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work on the show in 2024, she wore a strapless Gabriela Hearst gown subtly decorated with white embroidered vulvas. Gillian Anderson at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards in a white gown embroidered with vulvas. Last year, she published 'Want: Sexual Fantasies by Anonymous,' a collection of women's sexual fantasies which were submitted from all over the world; she also has a functional soft drinks brand, G Spot, which includes the flavour, 'Arouse.' In this, and in everything she does, Anderson proves that life after 50 is full of possibility. 'I certainly feel that and have been embracing that and really properly leaning into it and taking advantage of it,' she said. 'What's interesting is when I've been asked about it, there's part of my brain that just thinks, 'Well, of course. I mean, why wouldn't it be?'' Still, Anderson said leaving behind her youth wasn't a seamless transition. She experienced two periods of 'deep grief, real sadness and feeling of loss,' one in her late 30s, another in her early 40s, sparked by the realization that she was on the other side of something. In her 40s, she had a mind-altering epiphany: she was the youngest she was ever going to be for the rest of her life. 'It was like, my brain exploded,' she said. 'It's such an obvious thing to say, but at the same time, this is right now. Appreciate where you are right now. Why waste time?' But she understands why many of us feel apprehensive about what life has in store once we hit the midpoint, and why we delight in witnessing women over 50 in popular culture thrive. 'To see women our age showing that not only is there a next, but it's a really fantastic next is really important,' said Anderson, who recently landed her first beauty contract earlier this year, as a face of L'Oréal Paris's Age Perfect line. 'I encourage women to look forward to this time and not be afraid of this time, but to know that it can be incredibly positive and empowering — actually more empowering than some of the other decades that we've lived.' Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs at a London screening of 'The Salt Path.' As Anderson has progressed further into her career, she's begun working with more women directors — including on 'The Salt Path,' out later this month. The film, based on writer Raynor Winn's memoir, is a drama about a married couple who walk across the south west coast of England after becoming homeless. It was directed by Marianne Elliott, and the crew was populated with many women, including a producer and the director of photography. 'Anytime I see a woman director, I celebrate it. It's just a very different vibe,' Anderson said, comparing the atmosphere to the 'very male-centred, very macho' sets that she's become accustomed to. From here, Anderson is feeling ready for whatever is next. 'I'm not afraid of my age or the changes that are happening. I feel proud to be the age that I am,' she said. 'I'm continuing to build and to grow and do what I set my mind to.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Squid Game' Star Lee Byung-hun Teases That a Player Will Learn the Front Man's Identity in Season 3
At least one of the players in 'Squid Game' is going to learn the identity of the Front Man in Season 3. That's not TheWrap spilling; that's straight from the mouth of series star Lee Byung-hun, who stopped by 'The Tonight Show' on Tuesday night to tease what's ahead in the last season of the Netflix juggernaut. For the uninitiated, the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) is the masked man who orchestrates the Squid Game, a series of deadly children's games. If a player wins these challenges, they walk away with 456 billion won, but they have to survive against 455 other players to take home that reward. Seasons 2 and 3 of 'Squid Game' follows last season's winner Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who re-enters the game in the hopes of bringing it down from the inside. Lee's Front Man also covertly entered the game in Season 2 as In-ho, a man saddled with his wife's medical bills who befriends the unwitting Gi-hun. In the middle of his interview with Lee, Jimmy Fallon pulled out two buttons that looked identical to the ones used in the show. In 'Squid Game,' those buttons are used so players can vote on whether or not they want to go to the next deadly challenge. But on 'The Tonight Show,' Fallon used them to get Season 3 answers from Lee. 'Do more players learn your identity in Season 3?' Fallon asked Lee. After debating for a second, Lee pressed the O button, meaning yes. The rest of the game was more ambiguous. Given the twisting nature of this show, Lee's answers could truly mean anything. When asked if the Front Man will play any games in Season 3, Lee pressed both the X and O buttons. He pressed both again when asked, 'Is someone else in charge of the Squid Game besides the Front Man?' 'We know there will be new games, but do any old games return?' Fallon then asked. As Lee paused, Fallon joked, 'If you hit both again, I swear.' Lee then proceeded to hit both buttons with one hand, which felt like a Front Man power move. But Lee did have a definite answer for Fallon's last question. 'Could we see a Front Man spinoff one day?' the NBC host asked. For that one, Lee pressed O. Watch the full interview below. The post 'Squid Game' Star Lee Byung-hun Teases That a Player Will Learn the Front Man's Identity in Season 3 | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
