While cloud storage and streaming have become the preferred way to consume content for many, there is still a loyal segment of users who believe optical media is irreplaceable. Sony was once a major supplier of these discs, but the company recently closed the last Japanese factory producing recordable Blu-ray Discs, MiniDiscs and MiniDV cassettes. This marks the end of an era for the format pioneered by Sony.

However, data hamsters need not worry, two companies have stepped forward to assure the Japanese market that they will continue to produce high-quality optical media: Verba and I-OData.

Verbaco issued a statement on its Japanese website pledging to meet customer demand through "stable supply." The company recognizes that the market is at an "important inflection point" as competitors exit, but they remain committed to producing these once-popular discs.

The companies promised "thorough quality control" and "stable production systems" to deliver "highly reliable" discs. They believe that by maintaining the supply chain, they can continue to support the overall recorded media market.

The statement seems focused on Japan, but Verba is a company with operations around the world. On its North American website, Verba proudly declares itself "the world's No. 1 optical brand." A quick browse shows that it offers a wide range of recordable CD, DVD and BD products.

Verbatim is announcing new hardware at CES 2025, and it's not just keeping these formats alive. Its slim Blu-ray burner can back up 4K video to Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, and it even comes bundled with outdated Nero disc burning software. The specs also mention backward compatibility with Intel Pentium III systems.

For Sony, the reason for exiting the optical disc market is that the cold storage market never really took off like it had hoped, and the entire storage media business has been operating at a loss for years.

However, Verba and I-OData clearly believe that a loyal user base of photographers, videographers, audiophiles and data archivists will keep optical media relevant for years to come.