Should Star Trek fans be worried about 'dwindling' Blu-ray, 4K and DVD releases in the streaming era? One star says not despite Starfleet Academy having no confirmed release date on physical media

Date:
Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:37:58 +0000

Description:
With a Blu-ray, 4K and DVD release date for Starfleet Academy season 1
hanging in the balance, should Star Trek fans be worried about physical access? Not according to Jeri Ryan.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter As I overheard a fan saying at this year's Italian Global Series television festival in Rimini, Star Trek
was one of the first TV franchises that you had to own physically in order to see the entire thing.

With so many different iterations of the overarching IP from the classic 1960s series to Star Trek: Voyager , and more recent additions such as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds it's not surprising that this has been the case for almost 60 years. But the rise and dominance of streaming services is leading to an increasing reliance on digital services. After all, why spend more of your hard-earned money on discs when so much of Star Trek is available to stream on Paramount+ at the click of a button? Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

However, with season 1 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy still not having a confirmed release date for Blu-ray , 4K and DVD formats, we're reminded of
the reason why physical media is still important.

There's often no guarantee that a show or movie will always be available on a streaming service or in a digital format, meaning the only way to guarantee access to content you want to watch time and time again is buying a physical copy. You may like 'We've seen an increase in Blu-ray orders of 10,000%': There's hope for physical media, says agency What's the future of 4K Blu-ray and physical movie media? I asked the people behind the tech Star Trek's Jeri Ryan issues stark AI warning wrapped in classic movie recommendation

But if the studios behind shows such as Starfleet Academy don't confirm physical-media release dates, what then? Should Star Trek fans be worried
that the opportunity to invest will be taken away from them?

According to Jeri Ryan , who played former Borg drone Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard , it's unlikely that this will be the
case even if the 'tech bros' are intent on taking over mainstream studios. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our
trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. 'There's a sheer number of collectors who want to have the physical thing' Jeri Ryan played Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard (Image credit: Paramount+) "I haven't actually heard about this, but I can't imagine that physical media will go away entirely, because there are too many collectors," Ryan replies when she's asked about Star Trek' s physical media presence potentially disappearing.

"These studios are primarily IP companies. More so than ever now that all of the studios have basically been taken over by tech bros as opposed to creatives. It's about dollars, and numbers, and if there's money to be made.
I think there probably always will be just by the sheer number of collectors who want to have physical things in their possession.

"I can't imagine that it would get entirely done away with. Maybe I'm
wrong... I hope I'm not." What to read next I tested 4 more 4K Blu-rays released in 2026 that are worth adding your collection Disney+ loses 4K and all HDR support in parts of Europe this is why physical media is on the rise 'We've set this company up in preparation for this moment' as PlayStation scraps discs, these companies are ready to keep physical games alive

This isn't the first time that Ryan has been outspoken about the
entertainment industry's relationship with technology. In April 2026, she testified in support of California Senate Bill 1050 , which would "target false advertising by requiring clear and conspicuous consumer disclosures whenever a synthetic digital performer is used in state advertisements."

Ryan's certainly right in thinking that many factors, from over-reliance on streaming services to the increased use of AI , could affect the future of
the Star Trek franchise in ways we haven't even imagined yet.

But for physical collections, I've got a feeling that Ryan's optimism when it comes to demand means these releases won't be going anywhere. But if
Paramount could hurry up and announce a disc release date for Starfleet Academy to put our minds at ease, that would be great. Today's best Paramount Plus deals Paramount Plus Premium - Monthly $12.99 /mth View at Paramount+ Paramount Plus Premium - Yearly $119.99 /year View at Paramount+ Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/star-trek-blu-ray-4k-dvd-releases-jeri-rya n


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