News has just surfaced for home videographers and data hoarders.
Who still rely on optical discs for archiving: Sony is ceasing to produce recordable Blu-ray media.
Final plant producing the enormous 100GB triple-layer and 128GB quad-layer BDXL discs is getting ready to permanently close.
Sony Acknowledged
Sony acknowledged that it will “gradually end development and production” of recordable Blu-rays.
And other optical disc formats at its Tagajo City factories in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, in a recent interview with AV Watch.
In other words, consumers won’t be able to purchase 25GB BD-REs, 50GB BD-RE DLs, 100GB BD-RE XLs, or 128GB BD-R XLs anytime soon.
Additionally, optical archives for data storage and professional discs for video production are being phased out.
Company is quitting because the cold storage market never really took off. As planned and the storage media industry as a whole has been losing money for many years.
“We need to review our business structure in order to improve profitability,” the corporation stated quite simply.
Enormous 128GB quad-layer BDXL
The only facility still capable of producing those enormous 128GB quad-layer BDXL monsters is the Tagajo factory.
As a whole has been losing money for many years. “We need to review our business structure in order to improve profitability,” the corporation stated quite simply.
Commercial Blu-ray Discs
However, not all of the news is awful. You shouldn’t worry too much about physical media dying just yet because commercial Blu-ray discs, which are used to purchase movies and video games, will still be manufactured.
The only facility still capable of producing those enormous 128GB quad-layer BDXL monsters is the Tagajo factory, which has become something of a legend.
Because of their unwavering dedication, the engineers there continued to develop new triple-layer disc technology even after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami hit.
Early Retirement Of 670 Employees
Sony is also providing voluntary early retirement packages to up to 250 of the 670 employees at the plant, in light of the shutdown of disc manufacture.
Consumer disc sales will continue “for the time being” until existing stocks run out at stores; the exact shutdown date is yet TBD. B2B clients will also continue to receive discs that are “in stock” for some time.
Data Preservation Plan
If your data preservation plan still includes making 100GB Blu-ray discs, you should start accumulating those BDXL blank discs and drives as soon as possible. When supplies run out, prices will soar.
To read our blog on “Microsoft takes over Sony on the PlayStation Store,” click here
