Sony is reportedly shutting down Optiarc Inc., its subsidiary which deals with PC optical drives. The move could mark the company's exit from PC optical drive business, including its PC Blu-ray drive business. It is reported that officials at Sony find "fierce competition" responsible for lower than viable pricing, forcing the business to operate at a loss. Sony plans to wind up Optiarc by March 2013, and give some of its 400 employees early retirement, while transferring some to other divisions of Sony.

40 Comments on Sony Leaving PC Optical Drive Business

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#1 Jetster

If Sony had there way no one would be able to burn disks Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 12:44 Reply

#2 eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman I had a few sony ODDs go bad on me so I moved to Samsung and never looked back Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 13:00 Reply

#3 sc

eidairaman1 I had a few sony ODDs go bad on me so I moved to Samsung and never looked back I had a few ODDs go bad on me, so I moved on flash drives and never looked back. I had a few ODDs go bad on me, so I moved on flash drives and never looked back. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 13:17 Reply

#4 TheDeeGee

Removed my Optical Drive a couple of years ago. All i have in my 5.25 bay is a Sytche Kaze Master Pro.



I got a Samsung USB DVD Writer for my CD/DVD needs, which happens once a year. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 13:19 Reply

#5 repman244

sc I had a few ODDs go bad on me, so I moved on flash drives and never looked back. I had a few flash drives go bad on me, so I moved to tape drives and never looked back :laugh: I had a few flash drives go bad on me, so I moved to tape drives and never looked back :laugh: Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 13:23 Reply

#6 pigulici

I had hdd drive, ODD, flash drive, external hdd drive go bad on me(even a network server), so I allways look back ...with backup... Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 13:32 Reply

#7 Aquinus

Resident Wat-man The only optical drive to fail me in a tower was a Sony. I won't shed any tears over this. :p Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 14:12 Reply

#8 babdi

Yeah same here.My 2 Sonys bombed. Never Sony again. No wonder Sony is winding up Optical drives.:(:( Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 14:45 Reply

#9 adrianx

so .... you will burn the optical drive... in the clouds :) Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 14:47 Reply

#10 FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~ babdi No wonder Sony is winding up Optical drives.:(:( Not really.... Theres no money in it. there are lots of people out there that dont even run with optical drives anymore (me being one of them) a small external slimline drive bought mainly for use with my netbook sits on my shelf collecting dust most of the time as i rarely even use it twice a year.



There are still quite a few players in the optical drive market but I dont think sony leaving will make their situations that much different apart from the possible 0.01 to 0.03% increase in optical drive sales.



apart from having a blueray player connected upto your tv at home...Nobody really cares for optical much anymore Not really.... Theres no money in it. there are lots of people out there that dont even run with optical drives anymore (me being one of them) a small external slimline drive bought mainly for use with my netbook sits on my shelf collecting dust most of the time as i rarely even use it twice a year.There are still quite a few players in the optical drive market but I dont think sony leaving will make their situations that much different apart from the possible 0.01 to 0.03% increase in optical drive sales.apart from having a blueray player connected upto your tv at home...Nobody really cares for optical much anymore Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 15:11 Reply

#11 1c3d0g

Smart move. The optical drive business is winding down anyways, so the quicker they leave this shrinking market, the better. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 15:36 Reply

#12 Roph

Weren't a number of optical drive manufacturers burned for price fixing a while ago? And sony is leaving because prices are too low? o_O Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 15:43 Reply

#13 FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~ Roph And sony is leaving because prices are too low? o_O Optical drives (for PCs) are obsolete and no longer a standard requirement as software or anything that needs to be installed can be downloaded. platforms like STEAM is a prime example. Optical drives (for PCs) are obsolete and no longer a standard requirement as software or anything that needs to be installed can be downloaded. platforms like STEAM is a prime example. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 15:47 Reply

#14 TheMailMan78

Big Member I still use my optical for some things. So I won't be ditching it anytime soon. I like to install my OS from DVD's as thats the format they come in. Plus downloading 20Gb of BF3 anytime I do a reinstall sucks. Plus I like to burn MP3 CD's for my car once in a while. Never owned a Sony DVD. Been using LG for a while now. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 15:59 Reply

#15 newtekie1

Semi-Retired Folder babdi Yeah same here.My 2 Sonys bombed. Never Sony again. No wonder Sony is winding up Optical drives.:(:( Older Sony drives sucked, but once they partnered with NEC the drives they produced started to get close to Plexter level of quality.



Though in the past year and a half, with optical drive prices tanking, they all put out the same level of generic crap. Older Sony drives sucked, but once they partnered with NEC the drives they produced started to get close to Plexter level of quality.Though in the past year and a half, with optical drive prices tanking, they all put out the same level of generic crap. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 16:11 Reply

#16 babdi

I agree with all the posts above. However in this part of world,India,Optical drives is a part of the PC still ;) Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 16:13 Reply

#17 mtosev

sony's optics are shit anyways.

bought an optiarc drive and it died in 2 weeks. bravo SONY

never had problems with LG or ASUS Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 16:17 Reply

#18 alucasa

Hm, I haven't inserted a DVD into my PC for...



Shit, I can't even remember for how many years. I have a USB slimline DVD but I haven't also used it for years. No PC I've built in recent years has an optical drive anyhow. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 16:57 Reply

#19 Melvis

That sux! Sony drives are the only drives i buy with none of the ones ive owned and sold failing in the last 7 yrs. Unlike samsung that some havent even lasted 30 seconds before dieing.



Off to pioneer i go i guess. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 17:12 Reply

#20 AsRock

TPU addict FreedomEclipse Not really.... Theres no money in it. there are lots of people out there that dont even run with optical drives anymore (me being one of them) a small external slimline drive bought mainly for use with my netbook sits on my shelf collecting dust most of the time as i rarely even use it twice a year.



There are still quite a few players in the optical drive market but I dont think sony leaving will make their situations that much different apart from the possible 0.01 to 0.03% increase in optical drive sales.



apart from having a blueray player connected upto your tv at home...Nobody really cares for optical much anymore Same here i use a external too and is only used for some games that i want on disk and not some downloaded version. Same here i use a external too and is only used for some games that i want on disk and not some downloaded version. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 17:12 Reply

#21 D007

I go Asus anyway... Sony drives? No thanks.. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 18:10 Reply

#22 MadMan007

Roph Weren't a number of optical drive manufacturers burned for price fixing a while ago? And sony is leaving because prices are too low? o_O Yeah, the point of price fixing is to make prices higher, so if price fixing (on $20 components, oh no!) goes away so might profits.



On a personal note, two things:



1) I still buy music (craziness!) on CD (double craziness!) I refuse to pay for inferior compressed formats. I rip to lossless FLAC for home use and convert to mp3 for portable. Naturally this requires an optical drive, so I really hope someone keeps making them.



2) Japanese companies respect toward employees: They offered early retirement or a move elsewhere within the company. In the US, it would have been 'You're fired!' Yeah, the point of price fixing is to make prices higher, so if price fixing (on $20 components, oh no!) goes away so might profits.On a personal note, two things:1) I still buy music (craziness!) on CD (double craziness!) I refuse to pay for inferior compressed formats. I rip to lossless FLAC for home use and convert to mp3 for portable. Naturally this requires an optical drive, so I really hope someone keeps making them.2) Japanese companies respect toward employees: They offered early retirement or a move elsewhere within the company. In the US, it would have been 'You're fired!' Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 19:16 Reply

#23 FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~ MadMan007 2) Japanese companies respect toward employees: They offered early retirement or a move elsewhere within the company. In the US, it would have been 'You're fired!' early retirement was a nice touch... Obviously you cant transfer EVERYONE.



as far as respect for employee's go, you obviously havent heard of how foxconn and apple treat their factory staff. early retirement was a nice touch... Obviously you cant transfer EVERYONE.as far as respect for employee's go, you obviously havent heard of how foxconn and apple treat their factory staff. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 19:30 Reply

#24 TheMailMan78

Big Member MadMan007 Japanese companies respect toward employees: They offered early retirement or a move elsewhere within the company. In the US, it would have been 'You're fired!' Yes because all US companies are the same. Just like all Asian men have small peckers........oh wait that's a stereotype? Naaaaaa Yes because all US companies are the same. Just like all Asian men have small peckers........oh wait that's a stereotype? Naaaaaa Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 19:36 Reply

#25 KissSh0t

I have 2 LG DVD burners in my PC, bought in 2005... I use them a lot.



I can assure you there are still a lot of people using Optical drives.



Watching Movies, playing bought music.. yes some people actually buy CD's instead of downloading it, making DVD backups of important files, installing games, yes some people actually go to a shop and buy games instead of downloading it.



Sony leaving the optical drive market means.. oh well.. no more sony optical drives.. Posted on Aug 27th 2012, 23:24 Reply