Pioneer Corp. said Wednesday it will end production of its LaserDisc players by the end of March after producing another 3,000 units.

It has become difficult to procure LD player parts now that other audiovisual media, including DVDs and Blu-ray discs, have become popular, a statement issued by the company said.

Pioneer's first consumer LD player hit the U.S. market in 1980 and debuted in Japan the following year, before being marketed elsewhere. The firm has sold more than 9.5 million units of its product worldwide, while other manufacturers have sold more than 16.8 million units.