Commissar SFLUFAN Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/101223-1100 Quote The Digital Bits has learned from industry sources—and we’ve confirmed it with multiple sources now—that Best Buy plans to exit the physical media business for good next year, possibly as soon as the end of Q1 2024. This includes not just their in-store Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD sales, which the retailer has been gradually phasing out for a couple of years now in their many store locations nationwide, but online sales as well. This means no more Best Buy-exclusive Steelbook titles, and no more titles from Best Buy period. The fact that Best Buy is discontinuing physical media sales in their retail locations should come as no surprise; anyone who’s visited a Best Buy store location on a Tuesday recently will be all too aware that the retailer’s disc sections keep getting moved around and have gotten smaller and smaller. Our own experience here at The Bits is that some store locations don’t even bother to stock new-release titles on the sales floor anymore—even their exclusive ones. More than once, in their Southern California locations, I’ve had to ask for the titles and wait while a clerk checks the storeroom. But the idea that Best Buy would discontinue online sales too comes as a bit of a surprise... though perhaps it shouldn’t. We’ve noted in recent months that Paramount has quietly shifted their Blu-ray and 4K Steelbook exclusive titles—titles that would normally have been released at Best Buy—to Amazon instead. And it seems very likely that other studios will follow Paramount’s lead in the months ahead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stepee Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 I don’t buy physical media but as the last electronics store I can go to I hate to see it downsizing any more. I do miss having some retail stores you could go to and go out and pick something up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucoe Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 I was in Best Buy the other day and was shocked at how small their Bluray selection was. That makes this announcement not much of a surprise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaysWho? Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 Hmm, wonder if my preorder for ff7 deluxe needs to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentbob Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 Even in Canada my Best Buy has had a bare minimum of new releases in store. So I’m not surprised by the news but I hope this isn’t the nail in the physical media coffin. Australia has also completely abandoned the physical format. Which makes me extra sad because 3D retailer Random Space Media just announce they are closing shop. They were great at getting them hard to find unreleased 3D movie releases. I’m, well we are still a market and would like at least a streaming 3d option if these studios are gonna abandoned ship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted October 12, 2023 Author Share Posted October 12, 2023 3 minutes ago, SaysWho? said: Hmm, wonder if my preorder for ff7 deluxe needs to change. It doesn't appear that physical games are impacted (for now). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 My shock was that that thedigitalbits.com still exists as a website. I used to that blog 25 years ago as i moved from LaserDisc to DVD. As someone who used to be HUGE into physical media (and has thousands of Blu-Rays and DVDs in my basement). What the fuck took Best Buy so long? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 Can’t even remember the last time I went to Best Buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneticBlueprint Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 It was the ahem best reason to ahem buy something at that store. I guess I’ll be going with even less frequency now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nokra Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 As the article and people here said, it's not too surprising given how sparse the pickings are for Blu-rays at Best Buy these days. Still, as a proponent of physical media, it does seem like a loss. Amazon gains more market share in another area, I guess? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Circuit City died for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paperclyp Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 I was actually in a Best Buy for the first time in forever yesterday. They had those WB Black NVME's 2 TB for 99 bucks, I assume matching Amazon's price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greatoneshere Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 After the PS4/Xbox One era I made peace with the fact that I have to let go of physical media. It just won't be a thing at all anymore except for collectors. So I just do digital and download going forward, with the understanding that any library is transient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 I haven't been in Best Buy for a long time but they used to have huge rows just for music CDs. I came back several years later and it was limited to one small rack. So this was in the making a long time ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoberChef Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Between this, Target's significantly reduced footprint in their stores as well, alongside Wal-Mart leveraging their way into being the default 2nd largest distributor of physical media, this is a massive shift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted October 13, 2023 Author Share Posted October 13, 2023 Best Buy has confirmed. Best Buy to End DVD, Blu-ray Disc Sales VARIETY.COM Best Buy plans to phase out sales of DVDs and Blu-ray discs both in-store and online by early 2024, the company said. Quote Best Buy is checking out of the DVD business. The consumer-electronics retailer will phase out sales of DVDs and Blu-ray discs both in-store and online in early 2024, according to industry sources familiar with the company’s plans. Best Buy made the initial decision to end DVD sales nine months ago, according to one source. Best Buy confirmed Friday that it is ending sales of DVDs. “To state the obvious, the way we watch movies and TV shows is much different today than it was decades ago,” a Best Buy spokesperson said in a statement to Variety. “Making this change gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy.” Best Buy will continue to sell movies and TV shows on physical discs through the 2023 holiday shopping season online and in stores, before discontinuing sales in the new year. The company will continue to sell video games. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Quote Making this change gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy. Last time I went to one there was plenty of space, but it was like tables to look at cell phones on or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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