Audio Video News

Whether or not Ultra HD Blu-ray is the last physical format for high-quality entertainment remains an open question, but one thing is certain: The format has gained favor among enthusiasts and continues to build momentum around the world.

Victor Matsuda, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association’s (BDA) global promotions committee told HD Guru that 2017 player shipments more than tripled over the 300,000 units shipped in 2016, fueled by robust adoption of 4K Ultra HDTVs, which are expected find their way into one third of households around the world by the end of 2021.

Other facts shared by the BDA official include:

• Eight brands now sell Ultra HD Blu-ray players, up from three in 2016.
• The number of movies on UHD disc has grown from 110 in 2016 to more than 250 today, including studio catalog titles.

Matsuda considers the title count “extremely healthy for year two” of a new format and said Hollywood’s move to release catalog titles on UHD disc is a sign that the studios see promise in the format, despite the rise in streaming, which continues to suffer from lagging broadband speeds and availability in some regions.

Another positive development is the BDA’s recent decision to include HDR10+ as an optional high dynamic range (HDR) platform in the updated of Ultra HD Blu-ray specification (version 3.2) along with Dolby Vision and Advanced HDR by Technicolor. The move gives content providers more flexibility in implementing HDR. Inclusion of the baseline HDR10 format is mandatory per the spec.

Matsuda said North America remains “by far” the leader in consumer sales and adoption of UHD Blu-ray hardware and software, followed by Western Europe.