There was a time when Blu-ray discs reigned supreme, but the era of physical media now firmly exists in the shadow of digital streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime. But over 18 years after its worldwide debut, one of the biggest companies that oversaw Blu-rays development announced a milestone phaseout: As of February 2025, Sony will no longer manufacture blank, recordable Blu-ray discs in Japan.Sonys three-sentence press release confirmed similar death dates for its blank MiniDisc, MD data, and MiniDV cassettes. The company also made it clear that you shouldnt expect any successor models to these formats from them.We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our many customers for their patronage to date, Sony wrote last week.[ Related: Why you shouldnt throw out those DVDs and Blu-rays ]Blu-ray discs are read using a 405 nanometer laser diode that, while often referred to as blue, technically falls in a shorter, violet wavelength. This laser is focused enough to read bits of information that are less-than-half the size of those in a DVD. A traditional Blu-ray disc holds about five times as much data as a standard DVD, allowing for much higher-definition video files. Blu-ray industry specifications also require mechanical abrasion tests to ensure they are more scratch-resistent, unlike DVDs. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.The Sony-led, multicompany collaborative effort to develop DVDs successor dates back to 1998, although it would be years before its creators released the Blu-ray white paper in 2004. The first seven movies to arrive on Blu-ray Disc were released on June 20, 2006, and included titles like 50 First Dates, The Fifth Element, Underworld: Evolution, and The Terminator. By June 2008, however, around 3,500 films and shows were available on Blu-ray in the US and Canada. Despite brief competition from the HD DVD format, Blu-ray became the de facto physical media choice by 2008, thanks in large part due to video game consoles like the PlayStation 3s reliance on Blu-ray technology for its larger-file releases.But as Gizmodomany reasons to keep buying Blu-ray shows and movies. While streaming services remain the more preferred option, their increasing subscription costs, rotating collections, and often reduced quality has many people still regularly opting to watch on Blu-ray.Streaming subscriptions offer convenience, but at both literal and figurative costs. With regularly rising monthly rates, shelling out for multiple services can quickly become more expensive than purchasing physical versions of your favorite titles. And because you dont own any of a streaming sites content, keeping a Blu-ray library ensures youll always have access to the movies you want, regardless of what is or isnt on any given platform. Its ultimately a matter of personal choice, but given that Blu-ray players cost considerably less than Sonys very first, $3,800 model, its a decent investment to consider.