Here’s something you didn’t expect to read about in 2025: the launch of not one, but two new high-end Blu-ray playersas well as a new Sony model.
The launch of new Blu-ray players may seem strange when supposedly everyone is streaming and many companies have abandoned the Blu-ray hardware market. But as with vinyl and CDs, I think there is a growing awareness that Blu-ray discs offer many benefits that are worth having.
1. Blu-rays are yours forever
The other day I went to see a children’s movie and discovered that it was no longer on the streamers I subscribed to.
Rights expire and streamers often prune their catalogs, some of them very aggressively. And that means you can never be sure that what you want to watch will be available on the services you subscribe to.
2. Nobody is going to insert annoying ads
What worries me is not so much the existence of ad-supported streaming tiers (I subscribe to some of them) but the addition of ads to previously ad-free ones, or even worse: the end of ad-free streaming altogether.
It’s not me who’s paranoid; Streaming is now a saturated market, streaming is more like the cable TV it was supposed to eliminate, and platforms are increasingly looking for ways to sell advertising space, including ads when playback is paused. My Blu-ray player doesn’t do that.
3. They won’t ask you for more money when you want to play with them.
Another element can be added to Ben Franklin’s famous “in this world nothing can be said with certainty except death and taxes”: streaming services raise their prices.
A Blu-ray is a one-time purchase and then it’s yours forever and always available. And that single purchase price is doing what streaming prices don’t: it’s getting cheaper.
4. Records are incredibly cheap now
Even buying a new Blu-ray is much cheaper than it used to be. For example, at the time of writing, the 4K Steelbook edition of Mission Impossible 2 (and several other MI films) is only £14.99 in the UK (around $20 / AU$30), so it’s a good reissue of true romance; There are tons of decent titles at several big-name retailers for under £20 (around $27 / AU$40).
Live Blu-rays from my favorite music artists are also usually under £20. And there are often sales that make them even cheaper – just a few weeks ago in the UK HMV made a big sale on Blu-rays that took a 20% discount off the prices of some of our favorite movies.
5. Used films are an even bigger bargain
If you don’t want to buy new, then used is definitely the way to go. I’m scanning the shelves of a resale site and there are tons of Blu-rays for £1.99 each ($2.70 / AU$4), cheaper than I can rent them digitally.
There are tons of blockbusters for £2.99 and various deals such as two Blu-rays for £5 or 3 for £8. That’s not a lot of money for many movies.
6. Blu-ray is better for movies and magic for music
TL;DR – 3 reasons to back Blu-ray
1. Streaming is not forever
Streaming services are constantly trimming their catalog as licenses expire or they simply decide to remove less popular titles. That means you can’t be sure that specific movies will be available to stream in the future.
2. Records are really cheap now
The cost of used Blu-Rays has plummeted, with tons of blockbuster movies available for less than the cost of a coffee. New sealed discs are also relatively cheap – check out our five new favorites that have entered our TV test rotation.
3. You have the hardware
You don’t need to buy a Blu-ray player to enjoy Blu-ray titles, although dedicated players can be really great in your home theater setup. Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 also play Blu-ray.
Even the highest quality streaming tiers use compressed file formats, and that means some information is lost in the compression between the master and your home theater or TV setup (and more may be lost if your Internet connection is congested).
As a general rule, a 4K stream gives you about the same data throughput as a 1080p Blu-ray, and of course a 4K Blu-ray gives you full uncompressed 4K. The audio soundtracks are also uncompressed.
If, like me, your idea of a good time is watching a live recording of your favorite musical performances, that means you’re missing out on a crucial part of the experience if you stick with streaming.
We have tried it and definitely found a difference between the sound of streaming and the sound of Blu-rays. In the example of John Wick 4 Above, the Blu-ray (right) had deeper black levels and richer colors compared to the Prime Video version (left).
7. They are cut-proof and you can take them anywhere
My broadband was out for six hours today. During that time I could have watched two Blu-rays or streamed nothing at all.
Physical media is also portable and can be shared (and sold): If you lend a friend one of your prized Blu-rays, they won’t get a message on their TV telling them they can’t watch it because they’re not a member of your household. And portable players can save the lives of parents who take their children on long trips.
8. You get more good things
Streaming doesn’t usually come with special features. Blu-rays do, often very generously in the case of remasters and special editions.
So if you want to go behind the scenes of The toxic avenger or have a copy of This is lumbar puncture That goes up to eleven on the features front, discs are the medium for you.
9. You don’t even need to buy a player…
If you have a PlayStation 5 (the one with the disc drive) or an Xbox Series
Still, if you buy a player separately, it will really highlight your system. If you have one of the best 4K televisions was associated with best sound bars or better AV Receivers and speakers, then Blu-ray is the best way to see and hear your system at its finest: uncompressed 4K on a 4K TV and uncompressed audio on a high-quality audio setup is sunshine.
The best 4K Blu-ray players for all budgets
