Study: Blu-ray Sales On the Rise

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Study: Blu-ray Sales On the Rise
By Swanni

Washington, D.C. (June 9, 2011) -- Despite claims by the tech intelligentsia that video streaming is taking over home video, a new NPD Group report says awareness and use of the Blu-ray high-def disc player is on the rise.

The research firm said yesterday that 15 percent of U.S. consumers reported using a Blu-ray player in the six months prior to March 2011, up from nine percent the previous year. Additionally, 49 percent of Play Station 3 owners are watching Blu-ray movies on their video game consoles at least once a month. At one time, many analysts speculated that PS3 owners would not use the Blu-ray player inside the unit.

The combination of rising standalone Blu-ray player sales -- and greater use of Blu-ray movies by PS3 owners -- would suggest that the hard disc industry is a long way from extinction.

"There are currently 116 million physical disc buyers in the US, which is down from 128 million in 2009; however, the nearly 26 million Blu-ray buyers helped keep that number from sliding further. Blu-ray buyers are also beginning to buy more discs than they did in 2009 or 2010, including both new releases and older catalog content," the NPD said in a release.

The NPD Group also said that year-over-year sales of standalone Blu-ray players (does not include PS3 sales) increased 16 percent.

"Because fewer hot titles came out of the theatres in time for first quarter release, the physical video-disc market was a bit disappointing -- especially coming off of a good first quarter last year; but consumer response to the Blu-ray format remains strongly positive, said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD. “While Blu-ray may not be the replacement for DVD that many once hoped for, it is certainly adding strength to the physical video-disc market. This added stability is helping to extend the life of discs, even as digital options gain in popularity.”

Why are people buying Blu-ray? The NPD said eight out of 10 current and prospective owners of Blu-ray mention high-def picture quality and technology as the chief reasons. They also noted that Blu-ray player and disc prices have fallen.

“It wasn’t too long ago that most consumers felt DVD was ‘good enough,’ and while it’s true DVD is a terrific format, more consumers are now recognizing that Blu-ray does indeed deliver a superior experience,” said Crupnick. “Certainly the fact that prices are now within the budgetary range acceptable to rank-and-file consumers is helping bolster the overall value proposition of the Blu-ray format.”

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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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