I can remember when vinyl albums were dumped for CDs with the note that there was also increased profitability per shelf space due to the smaller space and higher value of CD stock.

From https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/101223-1100

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.

There's more at the article.

Andrew

I cannot remember the last time I bought a physical CD/DVD/BR - in fact I invested in a Blueray duplicator and some discs, and not one client ever asked for one!

I bought a Blu-ray burner and ultimately never even opened the box. Threw it away when I moved a few years ago with the shrinkwrap still on it.
Not one of my better decisions.

It's been a long time since I burned a DVD etc, but there has still been a need to occasionally retrieve something from a disc. Purchased a Pioneer BDR-XD07TB (https://www.pioneer.com.au/shop/car/bdr-xd07tb/) external unit that connects via USB and it's been brilliant when needed. It's the last one I will ever need to purchase and will now come with me to whatever computer I upgrade to.

I wish I had purchased something like this a number of computers back. Incredibly small and slimline and works like a treat.

Andrew

I bought a blu ray burner years ago but only used it a couple of times. Clients didn't ask for them and I didn't want to encourage them due to the difficulty and expense in producing them. The software companies would not offer anything with the ability to author decent menus the media was expensive and slow to burn. The industry was so fixated on preventing people from copying and burning discs they actively killed their own product. Streaming makes so much more sense in every way.

Another early nail in the coffin of BluRay was the royalty costs embedded in the duplication of them. Never ever sent a BluRay off for replication, unlike DVDs.

Lovely that it was HD, but a real PITA format on many levels. Digital upload is just so much easier.

Andrew

PS. At least I never bought in to the HD-DVD format. :-)

Fun fact: I always had a mental bet on BluRay winning since they had a proper logo and not something that looked like the office girl made a quick modification to the existing logo and that's what stuck.