History Platform / BluRay

The Blu-ray Disc, better known as just Blu-ray (as "BD" doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely), is the current consumer optical media format, the successor to Platform/{{Laserdisc}} and Platform/{{DVD}}, developed in the mid-2000s concurrently with the mainstream rise in Platform/HighDefinition content (Laserdisc had several [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] experimental HD titles via MUSE in the mid-90's[[note]]The ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy, ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', ''Film/JurassicPark'', ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' and ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia''[[/note]], but it obviously never caught on because [=HDTV=] was nowhere near mainstream yet even in Japan and Laserdisc was already an incredibly niche format compared to VHS to begin with). It was introduced by the Blu-ray Disc Association, an industry consortium which includes Creator/{{Sony}}, Philips, Creator/{{Apple}}, Matsushita/Panasonic and many others. The discs are the same physical size as a DVD, but have a capacity of 25 gigabytes per layer, large enough for a feature-length film stored at 1080p, with enough leftover space for additional features and extras. The Blu-ray format was used for the games discs for the Platform/PlayStation3, and for a time the game console was the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market, a factor that helped overcome some of the objections to its high price point. Blu-Ray eventually won the [[https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/07/format-wars-blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd/ format war]] between it and Toshiba's HD-DVD format to become the only consumer-facing high-definition optical disc format.

Sony and Microsoft's entries in the [[MediaNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames 8th]] and [[MediaNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames 9th]] console generations, the Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne, Platform/PlayStation5 and [[Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series X]], respectively, use Blu-ray as their physical storage medium and support playback of Blu-ray movies, with the [=PS5=], Series X and later revisions of the Xbox One supporting playback of 4K discs. The Platform/WiiU, meanwhile, used a disc format that is essentially Blu-ray with the SerialNumbersFiledOff to save money on licensing fees, much like previous [[Platform/NintendoGameCube Nintendo]] [[Platform/NintendoWii consoles]] did with DVD, and the Platform/NintendoSwitch uses cartridges; thus is outside of this subject matter's scope. This time around, in the case of the [=PlayStation=] and Xbox consoles, the discs are merely a delivery mechanism. Games are now fully installed onto a hard drive or [=SSD=] (depending on the system) for minimizing load times. All 6 of the aforementioned consoles also have an emphasis on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution, however [[note]]And indeed, the [[Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series S]] and "Digital Edition" of the [=PS5=] only support digital downloads, lacking disc drives entirely [[/note]], so whether gamers will prefer to stick with physical copies or embrace downloading games from the Internet will determine the future of the format in the games market.

The Blu-ray Disc, better known as just Blu-ray (as "BD" doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely), is the current consumer optical media format, the successor to Platform/{{Laserdisc}} and Platform/{{DVD}}, developed in the mid-2000s concurrently with the mainstream rise in Platform/HighDefinition content (Laserdisc had several [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] experimental HD titles via MUSE in the mid-90's[[note]]The ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy, ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', ''Film/JurassicPark'', ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' and ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia''[[/note]], but it obviously never caught on because [=HDTV=] was nowhere near mainstream yet even in Japan and Laserdisc was already an incredibly niche format compared to VHS to begin with). It was introduced by the Blu-ray Disc Association, an industry consortium which includes Creator/{{Sony}}, Philips, Creator/{{Apple}}, Panasonic and many others. The discs are the same physical size as a DVD, but have a capacity of 25 gigabytes per layer, large enough for a feature-length film stored at 1080p, with enough leftover space for additional features and extras. The Blu-ray format was used for the games discs for the Platform/PlayStation3, and for a time the game console was the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market, a factor that helped overcome some of the objections to its high price point. Blu-Ray eventually won the [[https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/07/format-wars-blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd/ format war]] between it and Toshiba's HD-DVD format to become the only consumer-facing high-definition optical disc format.

* Lastly, and possibly the biggest driving reason of them all, the rise in popularity of online video sales, as well as video streaming websites such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}. These services have curtailed much of Blu-ray's potential growth, and have similarly stifled [=DVD's=] growth too, as many consumers are just ignoring physical media altogether in favor of streaming their content via a streaming service. This made physical media the best horse-drawn buggy in what became an automobile world. In response to this, and to compete with streaming boxes like Roku or [=AppleTV=], most Blu-ray players have at least ''some'' internet television capability to access streaming services, like the above-mentioned Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}, as well as Website/YouTube, Blip, Crackle and others. At full retail, price, the cost of a Blu-ray copy is still usually about 25% higher in cost compared to an equivalent [=DVD=] copy, often a turn-off for those who want to switch to the format (US$13 for a DVD copy of a film, US$17 for a Blu-Ray copy of the same film on average). For these reasons, the appeal of Blu-ray is mostly limited to the following: dedicated videophiles and audiophiles who want better picture and sound quality than what streaming otherwise offers, collectors who like having physical copies of movies and TV shows regardless of their opinion on streaming, and to those whose streaming service access is limited due to a variety of factors. [[note]]This can include, but isn't limited to: People whose [=ISP=]'s impose strict data caps and people who are stuck with slower connections that, at best, can barely handle streaming at around 480p DVD quality, let alone HD or 4K (and that's if their internet connection is fast enough to let them access streaming services at all). Even now, there are a surprisingly high number of households with one or a combination of these problems; it's not just limited to rural areas.[[/note]] On a related note, the format [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is quite popular in Japan]] because the culture there regards tangible ownership as a part of their culture, thus physical media is still popular there, and streaming services have been slower to catch on.

The Blu-ray Disc, better known as just Blu-ray (as "BD" doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely), is the current consumer optical media format, the successor to UsefulNotes/{{Laserdisc}} and UsefulNotes/{{DVD}}, developed in the mid-2000s concurrently with the mainstream rise in UsefulNotes/HighDefinition content (Laserdisc had several [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] experimental HD titles via MUSE in the mid-90's[[note]]The ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy, ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', ''Film/JurassicPark'', ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' and ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia''[[/note]], but it obviously never caught on because [=HDTV=] was nowhere near mainstream yet even in Japan and Laserdisc was already an incredibly niche format compared to VHS to begin with). It was introduced by the Blu-ray Disc Association, an industry consortium which includes Creator/{{Sony}}, Philips, Creator/{{Apple}}, Panasonic and many others. The discs are the same physical size as a DVD, but have a capacity of 25 gigabytes per layer, large enough for a feature-length film stored at 1080p, with enough leftover space for additional features and extras. The Blu-ray format was used for the games discs for the Platform/PlayStation3, and for a time the game console was the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market, a factor that helped overcome some of the objections to its high price point. Blu-Ray eventually won the [[https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/07/format-wars-blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd/ format war]] between it and Toshiba's HD-DVD format to become the only consumer-facing high-definition optical disc format.

As time has gone on however, Blu-ray has matured. [=HDTVs=] are now very common in households, and pretty much all current media is shot in HD or above. From a distribution standpoint, [=DVDs=] are still significantly cheaper to mass-produce, but Blu-ray isn't that much more expensive, which is why movie studios print both. Many older films (such as the original, non-GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion cuts of the original ''Franchise/StarWars'' trilogy) are still only officially available on DVD. However, as quality up-converting of older content becomes easier and cheaper, and creating HD content becomes easier (even most cellphones shoot at a level of HD quality now), and demand for back-catalog films increase, Blu-ray should continue to see improved adoption. [[note]]The rise of MadeOnDemand services from companies like Amazon & Warner Archive has helped, allowing distributors to make a limited print run for fans and gauge future demand.[[/note]]

Sony and Microsoft's entries in the [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames 8th]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames 9th]] console generations, the Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne, Platform/PlayStation5 and [[Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series X]], respectively, use Blu-ray as their physical storage medium and support playback of Blu-ray movies, with the [=PS5=], Series X and later revisions of the Xbox One supporting playback of 4K discs. The Platform/WiiU, meanwhile, used a disc format that is essentially Blu-ray with the SerialNumbersFiledOff to save money on licensing fees, much like previous [[Platform/NintendoGameCube Nintendo]] [[Platform/NintendoWii consoles]] did with DVD, and the Platform/NintendoSwitch uses cartridges; thus is outside of this subject matter's scope. This time around, in the case of the [=PlayStation=] and Xbox consoles, the discs are merely a delivery mechanism. Games are now fully installed onto a hard drive or [=SSD=] (depending on the system) for minimizing load times. All 6 of the aforementioned consoles also have an emphasis on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution, however [[note]]And indeed, the [[Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series S]] and "Digital Edition" of the [=PS5=] only support digital downloads, lacking disc drives entirely [[/note]], so whether gamers will prefer to stick with physical copies or embrace downloading games from the Internet will determine the future of the format in the games market.

The Blu-ray Disc, better known as just Blu-ray (as "BD" doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely), is the current consumer optical media format, the successor to UsefulNotes/{{Laserdisc}} and UsefulNotes/{{DVD}}, developed in the mid-2000s concurrently with the mainstream rise in UsefulNotes/HighDefinition content (Laserdisc had several [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] experimental HD titles via MUSE in the mid-90's[[note]]The ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy, ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', ''Film/JurassicPark'', ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' and ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia''[[/note]], but it obviously never caught on because [=HDTV=] was nowhere near mainstream yet even in Japan and Laserdisc was already an incredibly niche format compared to VHS to begin with). It was introduced by the Blu-ray Disc Association, an industry consortium which includes Creator/{{Sony}}, Philips, Creator/{{Apple}}, Panasonic and many others. The discs are the same physical size as a DVD, but have a capacity of 25 gigabytes per layer, large enough for a feature-length film stored at 1080p, with enough leftover space for additional features and extras. The Blu-ray format was used for the games discs for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, and for a time the game console was the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market, a factor that helped overcome some of the objections to its high price point. Blu-Ray eventually won the [[https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/07/format-wars-blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd/ format war]] between it and Toshiba's HD-DVD format to become the only consumer-facing high-definition optical disc format.

In 2009, the Blu-ray 3D extension was introduced, allowing stereoscopic movies to be released on Blu-ray discs. [=3DTVs=] and Blu-ray 3D compatible players were introduced into the market after CES 2010, and Sony added Blu-Ray 3D support onto the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 with firmware 3.5 later that year. However, [=3DTVs=] proved to be a gimmick, and sales steadily declined annually. Common complaints include how the active glasses used with most [=3DTVs=] induced eye fatigue due to the rapid flickering caused by the shutters, or how images on "Cinema-3D" [=TVs=] look blur and dark, and sometimes had crosstalk. Autostereoscopic LCD [=TVs=] that uses lenticular refractions like that of the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS proved to be too expensive to be produced in large sizes and had too narrow a viewing angle to be practical outside of specialized use [[note]]they were tested on Creator/{{Sega}}'s ''[[VideoGame/LetsGoIsland Let's Go Island]]'' deluxe cabinets however, and it was found that most players turn the feature off[[/note]], having the same crosstalk issue as "Cinema-3D" [=TVs=] if the viewer sits outside of the optimum viewing angle. As a result, the format sold poorly, and many companies have considered pulling support for the format. Even Creator/{{Disney}}, an enthusiastic supporter of Blu-ray 3D in its early years, showed contempt at the format in the later years and scaled back releases considerably. Another notable detractor, Creator/{{Paramount}}, would go so far as to deny their worst performers anything more than a VanillaEdition for the format, which included giving such films as the ''Film/{{Ben Hur|2016}}'' remake and ''Monster Trucks'' 2D-only and 1080p-only releases.[[note]]This doesn't appear to be a universal company policy, as the live-action ''Film/GhostInTheShell2017'' still had 3D and 4K releases.[[/note]]

Sony and Microsoft's entries in the [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames 8th]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames 9th]] console generations, the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 and [[UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series X]], respectively, use Blu-ray as their physical storage medium and support playback of Blu-ray movies, with the [=PS5=], Series X and later revisions of the Xbox One supporting playback of 4K discs. The UsefulNotes/WiiU, meanwhile, used a disc format that is essentially Blu-ray with the SerialNumbersFiledOff to save money on licensing fees, much like previous [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube Nintendo]] [[UsefulNotes/NintendoWii consoles]] did with DVD, and the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch uses cartridges; thus is outside of this subject matter's scope. This time around, in the case of the [=PlayStation=] and Xbox consoles, the discs are merely a delivery mechanism. Games are now fully installed onto a hard drive or [=SSD=] (depending on the system) for minimizing load times. All 6 of the aforementioned consoles also have an emphasis on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution, however [[note]]And indeed, the [[UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series S]] and "Digital Edition" of the [=PS5=] only support digital downloads, lacking disc drives entirely [[/note]], so whether gamers will prefer to stick with physical copies or embrace downloading games from the Internet will determine the future of the format in the games market.

The Blu-ray Disc, better known as just Blu-ray (as "BD" doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely), is the current consumer optical media format, the successor to UsefulNotes/{{Laserdisc}} and UsefulNotes/{{DVD}}, developed in the mid-2000s concurrently with the mainstream rise in UsefulNotes/HighDefinition content (Laserdisc had several [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] experimental HD titles via MUSE in the mid-90's[[note]]The ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy, ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', ''Film/JurassicPark'', ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' and ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia''[[/note]], but it obviously never caught on because [=HDTV=] was nowhere near mainstream yet even in Japan and Laserdisc was already an incredibly niche format compared to VHS to begin with). It was introduced by the Blu-ray Disc Association, an industry consortium which includes Creator/{{Sony}}, Philips, Apple, Panasonic and many others. The discs are the same physical size as a DVD, but have a capacity of 25 gigabytes per layer, large enough for a feature-length film stored at 1080p, with enough leftover space for additional features and extras. The Blu-ray format was used for the games discs for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, and for a time the game console was the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market, a factor that helped overcome some of the objections to its high price point. Blu-Ray eventually won the [[https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/07/format-wars-blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd/ format war]] between it and Toshiba's HD-DVD format to become the only consumer-facing high-definition optical disc format.

There are also a handful of Blu-rays that are in standard definition -- these are always explicitly pointed out as SD on the box, but that doesn't stop some people complaining in customer reviews. These are usually done by concert videos to take advantage of the superior audio quality and by television series that cannot be remastered in HD to take advantage of the format's storage capacity and fit every episode on far fewer Blu-ray discs than [=DVDs=] (for example, Creator/DiscotekMedia released the complete ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats'' -- 52 episodes of 25 minutes each -- as a DVD boxset of eight discs and as a single Blu-ray disc). Of course, not all standard-definition programs abide by the practice, with the official Blu-ray releases of the first season of ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' and the 1963-2008 seasons of ''Series/DoctorWho'' choosing to upscale the 480i footage for HD. Mixed-source productions primarily filmed in standard-definition such as ''Film/{{Bamboozled}}''[[note]]filmed with standard definition digital camcorders, reserving 16 mm film for the minstrel show scenes[[/note]] and the few ''Doctor Who'' seasons of its 1963-1985 VideoInsideFilmOutside period with surviving film elements by the end of TheNewTens[[note]]namely the 1980-1985 seasons[[/note]] tend to have the film footage remastered in true high-definition and the video footage upscaled to match on their Blu-ray releases, creating a greater visual disconnect between the two sources than on standard-definition formats.

As there was with [=CDs=] and [=DVDs=], some variants of Blu-ray discs exist. Hybrid discs that contain both a game (playable via a [=PS3=] only) and video (playable by any Blu-ray player) have been released, but only a handful exist (most are related to anime titles like the ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' franchise). Record labels like Universal have created a hybrid Blu-ray disc called [=PureAudio=], using Blu-ray's higher capacity to create an audio-only disc, that includes both surround and high-bitrate stereo mixes (and some videos), but like its older cousin [=DVD-Audio=], it too has yet to catch on.[[note]]the format also suffers because it is largely compatible with Blu-ray players only, where as mixed-media [=CDs=] and [=DVD-Audio=] most times had a layer compatible with some backwards technology.[[/note]]

Two contenders in UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames, the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne, use Blu-ray as their physical storage medium and support playback of Blu-ray movies, while the UsefulNotes/WiiU used a disc format that is essentially Blu-ray with the SerialNumbersFiledOff to save money on licensing fees, much like previous [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube Nintendo]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} consoles]] did with DVD, and the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch uses cartridges, thus is outside of this subject matter's scope. This time around, in the case of the [=PlayStation=] 4 and Xbox One, the discs are merely a delivery mechanism, as the games are installed on to the now standard hard drives for minimizing load times. All four also have an emphasis on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution, however, so whether gamers will prefer to stick with physical copies or embrace downloading games from the Internet will determine the future of the format in the games market.

* Lastly, and possibly the biggest driving reason of them all, the rise in popularity of online video sales, as well as video streaming websites such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}. These services have curtailed much of Blu-ray's potential growth, and have similarly stifled [=DVD's=] growth too, as many consumers are just ignoring physical media altogether in favor of streaming their content via a streaming service. This made physical media the best horse-drawn buggy in what became an automobile world. In response to this, and to compete with streaming boxes like Roku or [=AppleTV=], most Blu-ray players have at least ''some'' internet television capability to access streaming services, like the above-mentioned Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}, as well as Website/YouTube, Blip, Crackle and others. At full retail, price, the cost of a Blu-ray copy is still usually about 25% higher in cost compared to an equivalent [=DVD=] copy, often a turn-off for those who want to switch to the format (US$13 for a DVD copy of a film, US$17 for a Blu-Ray copy of the same film on average). For these reasons, the appeal of Blu-ray is mostly limited to the following: dedicated videophiles and audiophiles who want better picture and sound quality than what streaming otherwise offers, collectors who like having physical copies of movies and TV shows regardless of their opinion on streaming, and to those where their streaming service access is limited due to their [=ISP=] imposing strict data caps and/or being stuck with slower connections that, at best, can barely handle streaming at around 480p DVD quality, let alone HD or 4K. And that's if their internet connection is fast enough to let them access streaming services at all (which, even now, is a surprisingly high number of households; it's not just limited to rural areas). On a related note, the format [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is quite popular in Japan]] because the culture there regards tangible ownership as a part of their culture, thus physical media is still popular there, and streaming services have been slower to catch on.

* Lastly, and possibly the biggest driving reason of them all, the rise in popularity of online video sales, as well as video streaming websites such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}. These services have curtailed much of Blu-ray's potential growth, and have similarly stifled [=DVD's=] growth too, as many consumers are just ignoring physical media altogether in favor of streaming their content via a streaming service. This made physical media the best horse-drawn buggy in what became an automobile world. In response to this, and to compete with streaming boxes like Roku or [=AppleTV=], most Blu-ray players have at least ''some'' internet television capability to access streaming services, like the above-mentioned Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}, as well as Website/YouTube, Blip, Crackle and others. At full retail, price, the cost of a Blu-ray copy is still usually about 25% higher in cost compared to an equivalent [=DVD=] copy, often a turn-off for those who want to switch to the format (US$13 for a DVD copy of a film, US$17 for a Blu-Ray copy of the same film on average).
For these reasons, the appeal of Blu-ray is mostly limited to the following: dedicated videophiles and audiophiles who want better picture and sound quality than what streaming otherwise offers, collectors who like having physical copies of movies and TV shows regardless of their opinion on streaming, and to those where their streaming service access is limited due to their [=ISP=] imposing strict data caps and/or being stuck with slower connections that, at best, can barely handle streaming at around 480p DVD quality, let alone HD or 4K. And that's if their internet connection is fast enough to let them access streaming services at all (which, even now, is a surprisingly high number of households; it's not just limited to rural areas). On a related note, the format [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is quite popular in Japan]] because the culture there regards tangible ownership as a part of their culture, thus physical media is still popular there, and streaming services have been slower to catch on.

* Lastly, and possibly the biggest driving reason of them all, the rise in popularity of online video sales, as well as video streaming websites such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}. These services have curtailed much of Blu-ray's potential growth, and have similarly stifled [=DVD's=] growth too, as many consumers are just ignoring physical media altogether in favor of streaming their content via a streaming service. This made physical media the best horse-drawn buggy in what became an automobile world. In response to this, and to compete with streaming boxes like Roku or [=AppleTV=], most Blu-ray players have at least ''some'' internet television capability to access streaming services, like the above-mentioned Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}, as well as Website/YouTube, Blip, Crackle and others. At full retail, price, the cost of a Blu-ray copy is still usually about 25% higher in cost compared to an equivalent [=DVD=] copy, often a turn-off for those who want to switch to the format (US$13 for a DVD copy of a film, US$17 for a Blu-Ray copy of the same film on average). For these reasons, the appeal of Blu-ray is mostly limited to the following: dedicated videophiles and audiophiles who want better picture and sound quality than what streaming otherwise offers, collectors who like having physical copies of movies and TV shows regardless of their opinion on streaming, and to those where their streaming service access is limited due to their [=ISP=] imposing strict data caps and/or being stuck with slower connections that, at best, can barely handle streaming at around 480p DVD quality, let alone HD or 4K. And that's if their internet connection is fast enough to let them access streaming services at all (which, even now, is a surprisingly high number of households; it's not just limited to rural areas). On a related note, the format [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is quite popular in Japan]] because the culture there regards tangible ownership as a part of their culture, thus physical media is still popular there, and streaming services have been slower to catch on.

* Lastly, and possibly the biggest driving reason of them all, the rise in popularity of online video sales, as well as video streaming websites such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}. These services have curtailed much of Blu-ray's potential growth, and have similarly stifled [=DVD's=] growth too, as many consumers are just ignoring physical media altogether in favor of streaming their content via a streaming service. This made physical media the best horse-drawn buggy in what became an automobile world. In response to this, and to compete with streaming boxes like Roku or [=AppleTV=], most Blu-ray players have at least ''some'' internet television capability to access streaming services, like the above-mentioned Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}, as well as Website/YouTube, Blip, Crackle and others. At full retail, price, the cost of a Blu-ray copy is still usually about 25% higher in cost compared to an equivalent [=DVD=] copy, often a turn-off for those who want to switch to the format (US$13 for a DVD copy of a film, US$17 for a Blu-Ray copy of the same film on average). For these reasons, the appeal of Blu-ray is mostly limited to the following: dedicated videophiles and audiophiles who want better picture and sound quality than what streaming otherwise offers, collectors who like having physical copies of movies and TV shows regardless of their opinion on streaming, and to those where their streaming service access is limited due to their [=ISP=] imposing strict data caps where people stuck with slower connections that, at best, can barely handle streaming at around 480i DVD quality, let alone HD or 4K, if they can even access streaming services at all (which, even now, is a surprisingly high number of households, it's not just limited to rural areas). On a related note, the format [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is popular in Japan]] because the culture there regards tangible ownership as a part of their culture, thus physical media is still popular there, and streaming services have been slower to catch on.

* Lastly, and possibly the biggest driving reason of them all, the rise in popularity of online video sales, as well as video streaming websites such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}. These services have curtailed much of Blu-ray's potential growth, and have similarly stifled [=DVD's=] growth too, as many consumers are just ignoring physical media altogether in favor of streaming their content via a streaming service. This made physical media the best horse-drawn buggy in what became an automobile world. In response to this, and to compete with streaming boxes like Roku or [=AppleTV=], most Blu-ray players have at least ''some'' internet television capability to access streaming services, like the above-mentioned Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}, as well as Website/YouTube, Blip, Crackle and others. At full retail, price, the cost of a Blu-ray copy is still usually about 25% higher in cost compared to an equivalent [=DVD=] copy, often a turn-off for those who want to switch to the format (US$13 for a DVD copy of a film, US$17 for a Blu-Ray copy of the same film on average). For these reasons, the appeal of Blu-ray is mostly limited to the following: dedicated videophiles and audiophiles who want the better picture and sound quality that streaming otherwise offers, collectors who like having physical copies of movies and TV shows and do not like streaming (or are indifferent to it), and to those where their streaming service access is limited due to their [=ISP=] imposing strict data caps where people stuck with slower connections that, at best, can barely handle streaming at around 480i DVD quality, let alone HD or 4K, if they can even access streaming services at all (which, even now, is a surprisingly high number of households, it's not just limited to rural areas). On a related note, the format [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is popular in Japan]] because the culture there regards tangible ownership as a part of their culture, thus physical media is still popular there, and streaming services have been slower to catch on.

With the advent of 4K televisions (which can display a resolution of up to 3840×2160, compared to an HD television's max of 1920×1080), a new wave of Blu-ray media and players have begun to see market in the Spring of 2016. Branded '[=UltraHD=]', an initial wave of discs from Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox and Creator/WarnerBros (including titles such as ''Film/TheMartian'' and ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'') and players from Samsung and Panasonic were the first to use the updated format.[[note]]some Sony and [[Creator/TheCriterionCollection Criterion Collection]] Blu-rays are advertised as coming ''from'' 4K masters, but are normal 1080p resolution, albeit with better fidelity and color gamut compared to earlier pressings. [=UltraHD=] discs are actually mastered at 4K and will display at its higher resolution when used with compatible equipment.[[/note]] Similarly to how Blu-ray releases of films often include a DVD copy, [=UltraHD=] releases typically include a standard Blu-ray copy. One snag of moving to 4K resolution is that a large percentage of film and TV were never mastered in 4K and are merely upscaled, leading to labels like [[https://4kmedia.org/real-or-fake-4k/ "Real and Fake 4K"]].

Two contenders in UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames, the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne, use Blu-ray as their physical storage medium and support playback of Blu-ray movies, while the UsefulNotes/WiiU used a disc format that is essentially Blu-ray with the SerialNumbersFiledOff to save money on licensing fees, much like previous [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube Nintendo]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} consoles]] did with DVD, and the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch uses cartridges, thus is outside of this subject matter's scope. All four also have an emphasis on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution, however, so whether gamers will prefer to stick with physical copies or embrace downloading games from the Internet will determine the future of the format in the games market.

There are also a handful of Blu-rays that are in standard definition -- these are always explicitly pointed out as SD on the box, but that doesn't stop some people complaining in customer reviews. These are usually done by concert videos to take advantage of the superior audio quality and by television series that cannot be remastered in HD to take advantage of the format's storage capacity and fit every episode on far fewer Blu-ray discs than [=DVDs=] (for example, Creator/DiscotekMedia released the complete ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats'' -- 52 episodes of 25 minutes each -- as a DVD boxset of eight discs and as a single Blu-ray disc). Of course, not all standard-definition programs abide by the practice, with the official Blu-ray releases of the first season of ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' and the 1963-2008 seasons of ''Series/DoctorWho'' choosing to upscale the 480i footage for HD. Mixed-source productions primarily filmed in standard-definition such as ''Film/{{Bamboozled}}''[[note]]filmed with videotape camcorders, reserving 16 mm film for the minstrel show scenes[[/note]] and the few ''Doctor Who'' seasons of its 1963-1985 VideoInsideFilmOutside period with surviving film elements by the end of TheNewTens[[note]]Namely Creator/TomBaker's final season and Creator/PeterDavison's first[[/note]] tend to have the film footage remastered in true high-definition and the video footage upscaled to match on their Blu-ray releases, creating a greater visual disconnect between the two sources than on standard-definition formats.

* DVD was (and still is) easy and cheap to convert a movie to for any studio, even the smaller ones, as well as for shooting on. By the time Blu-ray showed up, pretty much all films were on DVD, while Blu-ray's range was far more limited, and everything that was released on Blu-ray was released on DVD anyway. A DVD could hold a DVDCommentary already, the bonus content that Blu-ray could hold simply wasn't being taken advantage of and when it was, the average consumer wasn't really looking for ten hours of extra content anyway.
* Unlike with DVD, support among computer manufacturers has been much lower. While Blu-ray readers/recorders are available for computers, they tend to be more expensive than DVD drives owing to the niche demand caused by the abandonment of physical media by consumers on that platform in favor of UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution, streaming and USB drives used for OS (re)installation. As such, many PC builders cut costs by omitting optical drives altogether in their builds and PC part manufacturers have responded by not making 5.25” optical drive bays in their PC cases. Laptop manufacturers also make their machines thinner by leaving them out.
* Lastly, and possibly the biggest driving reason of them all, the rise in popularity of online video sales, as well as video streaming websites such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Hulu}}. These services have curtailed much of Blu-ray's potential growth, as many consumers are eschewing physical media altogether in favor of streaming their content. This made physical media like DVD and Blu-ray the best horse-drawn buggy in what became an automobile world. In response to this, and to compete with streaming boxes like Roku or [=AppleTV=], most Blu-ray players have at least ''some'' internet television capability to access streaming services, like the above-mentioned Creator/{{Netflix}}, Website/YouTube, Creator/{{Hulu}}, Blip, Crackle and others. The price of Blu-ray discs are still usually anywhere between 25%-50% higher in cost compared to an equivalent [=DVD=] copy, often a turn-off for those who want to switch to the format (US$13 for a DVD copy of a film, US$20 for a Blu-Ray copy of the same film on average). For these reasons, the appeal of Blu-ray is mostly limited to dedicated videophiles and audiophiles for the better picture and sound quality over streaming, as well as collectors who like having physical copies of movies and TV shows. Another market for Blu-rays is people whose streaming access is limited due to their [=ISP=] imposing strict data caps (this is particularly an issue for people who want to upgrade from HD to 4K due to the significantly higher amount of data required for the latter) and people stuck with slower connections that, at best, can barely handle streaming at around DVD quality, let alone HD or 4K, if they can even access streaming services at all (which, even now, is a surprisingly high number of households, it's not just limited to rural areas). The format [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is popular in Japan]] because the culture there still values tangible ownership, thus physical media is still popular and streaming services have been slower to catch on.

Unlike DVD, which launched with only four movies in Japan[[note]]''Film/TheFugitive'', ''Film/{{Eraser}}'', ''Film/{{Assassins}}'' and ''Film/BladeRunner''[[/note]] and an even more paltry two movies in the US[[note]]''Film/{{Twister}}'' and ''Film/BladeRunner''[[/note]], Blu-ray launched with seven films[[note]]''Film/FiftyFirstDates'', ''Film/HouseOfFlyingDaggers'', ''Film/XXx'', ''Film/{{Hitch}}'', ''Film/UnderworldEvolution'', ''Film/TheFifthElement'' and ''Film/TheTerminator''[[/note]] that can all lay claim to being the "first Blu-ray title". However, there are considerably fewer films now out on Blu-ray than there are on DVD, and there is not a single film on Blu-ray that cannot be bought on DVD -- Blu-ray only boasts 'special editions'. In an attempt to push the format further, studios have been putting the bulk of their special features on Blu-rays, sometimes even things as basic as commentaries, and have been including DVD copies to give more of an incentive/alternative for those who've considered upgrading, but are still stuck with a DVD player for their own reasons; however, this is still showing limited effectiveness.