A representative for Samsung Electronics said in an interview that Blu-ray disc format was unlikely to enjoy a long lifespan, like DVD. Instead, the high-definition video standard has only five years left.

“I think it [Blu-ray] has 5 years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10,” Andy Griffiths, director of consumer electronics at Samsung UK told Pocket-lint web-site in an interview.

The claim seems surprising as Samsung is one of the key members of Blu-ray disc association (BDA), the alliance that oversees development of the Blu-ray disc. Sony and other members of BDA said in the past that Blu-ray would be as successful as DVD, which has been on the market for eleven years now and has all chances to live for several more years.

Samsung is confident that Blu-ray will become big, but the consumer electronics giant may be somewhat afraid of digital distribution of high-definition movies over the Internet, which is a threat for Blu-ray on the mass market.

Nowadays sales of movies on Blu-ray are on the rise since quality difference between standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) can be noticed easily, especially when it comes to new movies. Unfortunately, both hardware and content prices remain on the high levels, which limits adoption of the format in the mainstream market."