As the diagram below shows, sales of DVD players and Blu-Ray turntables are dwindling year after year, to converge for the year 2022 towards the level of those of 4K Ultra HD Blu players -Ray, around a low of about one million units.
4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray market, stability means victory
From the study of the graph, with this year a sales volume of DVD turntables slightly higher than that of Blu-Ray players, we can no doubt conclude that some of the consumers interested in the Blu-Ray format have jumped to the 4K Ultra HD format and chose a suitable turntable. But there is another important element to extract from this 2022 report, the segment of 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray decks has shown almost perfect stability for four years (up 1% in 2022 against a drop of 2% in 2020 compared to 2019), i.e. since 2019. It is essential to note this knowing that the previous report on the subject, produced in mid-2020, predicted an inexorable decline in sales of these materials from the end of 2020. Resisting the announced decline of physical media in a world where streaming sweeps away everything in its path therefore already appears to be a victory…
4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray market, small but strong
Thus, counting the sales of 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray decks since the launch of the format in 2016, the bar of 5 million units has been crossed. Admittedly, it is little. It's even low when you compare this figure with that of the years 2000 and 2010 where the score reached several tens of millions of turntables over several years. But it's enough to ensure a small return on the market for 4K Ultra HD physical discs, the main objective of publishers. Of course, these figures are exclusive of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X console market.
4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray market, many new features to come
Conclusion, the market for 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray decks, still the best way (by far!) to take full advantage of the quality of 4K HDR technology and multi-channel sound, shows all the trappings of a niche. But a niche large enough to accommodate the many novelties offered by publishers throughout the year and profitable enough for them to continue to do so. And even if the streaming market is experiencing unprecedented momentum and exponential growth in turnover, that is the essential point.
