What is the average lifespan of recordable Blu-ray discs?

They can last you quite a while, but there are several factors to consider.

By Roger Fingas Nov. 10, 2026 8:00 pm EST MarkauMark/Shutterstock Add Engadget on Google: Google Discover

At this point, Blu-ray is a niche format, having mostly been supplanted by downloads, streaming and flash storage. But it's easily the format of choice for cinephiles, owing to higher ceilings on picture and audio quality. And if you want to archive files for a long time, Blu-ray may be more affordable, what with flash memory prices spiraling out of control.