Nowadays, most people purchase their movies and television shows through digital platforms such as Google Play and iTunes, or just stream them through services like Netflix, but that doesn’t mean discs are done. Quite the contrary, the Blu-ray Disc Association has unveiled a new format known as Ultra HD Blu-ray that will allow discs to survive in a world where 4K content is expected to become standard.
Home video technology has advanced an incredible amount in the last twenty years, as the industry has graduated from VHS to DVD to Blu-ray. But while streaming may seem like the future of the market, physical media isn’t dead yet, and that’s why we will soon see the release of a new format known as Ultra HD Blu-ray. News about this development has been reported by USA Today, which says that the Blu-ray Disc Association has formalized specifications for the new format, and has revealed that licensing agreements are expected to be worked out this summer. Sadly, the article doesn’t mention when we can expect media to start being released in Ultra HD Blu-ray, though it is expected that the special players will start hitting the market at the end of this year.