Fans of Blu-rays have suffered relentless waves of bad news lately, the latest being that Sony's next PlayStation will likely be an all-digital affair with no disc drive in sight. But at last, there is some good news, of sorts.
Japanese manufacturer Buffalo will continue to make Blu-ray disc drives (as reported by PC Watch, via TechRadar), despite previously saying it would stop because of a lack of available components. However, there are a couple of caveats.
First of all, Buffalo will only keep making drives as long as the newly sourced components last. Once they dry up, production will stop, possibly for good. The exact end date will depend on inventory, so no warning will be given.
Also, Buffalo drives will cost more than they did previously. PC Watch reports that the price hikes will be between 33 per cent and 51 per cent, depending on the model of the disc drive. These price rises are said to be due to the global semiconductor shortage and the rising prices of raw materials.
Buffalo is far from the only company affected by these factors. Apple recently raised prices on certain devices, citing the same issues.
Buffalo's drives were due to cease production this month, according to the firm's announcement in February. The one silver lining is that the reason given is component shortages, and not lack of demand. But it's a very small crumb of comfort for us fans of physical media formats.
Previously, Pioneer and LG announced they would withdraw from the disc drive market.
So could this be the end of Blu-ray as we know it? Or could the format 'do a vinyl' and continue to live on?
MORE:
Sony has waged war on physical media, and I think it’s terrible news for consumers and 4K Blu-ray alike
The best Blu-ray players you can buy
