The British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is banning CDs and DVDs – and probably Blu-rays as well – as they think – and we agree – that era is over. Vinyl will remain on the shelves.
It seems a bit like the world upside down: vinyl stays and CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays disappear from the major British supermarket chain. Is this turn of events a prelude to the general end of optical media?
If it were up to Sainsbury, yes. According to them, almost everyone listens to streaming music services these days and it is a waste to use expensive shelves for something that can be considered obsolete. At the same time, the chain is interested in Vinyl, because more and more people are spending money on it. In fact, in the US, more money is earned from the sale of LPs than CDs; the same is expected to be true in the UK before the end of the year.
Compression
Whether music lovers will be very happy with the decision that Sainsbury’s made – and which may cause a snowball effect – we dare to doubt. Although still unconfirmed, the rumors are strong that Blu-ray including brand new 4K versions will also be affected.
There is still a large number of home cinema enthusiasts who prefer to have a physical collection of discs. The quality of which is constant, as opposed to video streaming services that opt for a stricter compression in case of large crowds. The latter happened to annoy movie lovers at the (so far) height of the pandemic and lockdowns.
CDs, too, are still quite popular with fans. Fortunately, there is still the time-honored record store that has been watching with dismay as large chains take away customers. With a bit of luck, the record store on the corner – whether in virtual form or not – will be in business again.
