Blu-ray player sales jump 72% in the first quarter

[Batman1980]

Blu-ray player sales rose 72% in Q1 '09
Posted May 6, 2009 10:46 AM by Juan Calonge
According to the March update of The NPD Group's retail tracking report, sales of standalone BD players (not including PS3 consoles) in the USA during the first quarter of 2009 increased 72 percent over the same period in 2008. Additionally, consumer surveys showed increased awareness and intention to buy.

During the quarter, over 400,000 standalone players were sold in the USA, for dollar sales of $107.2. The average selling price of a standalone BD player fell nearly 34 percent from $393 dollars in Q1 2008 to $261 in Q1 2009, the report shows.

The March update to the Blu-ray Report also showed that overall U.S. consumer awareness of the BD format hit the 90 percent mark in the past six months. Purchase intent for Blu-ray set-top boxes also rose slightly in recent tracking surveys, with 6 percent of respondents saying they would be "extremely or very likely" to buy in the next six months, compared with 5 percent who responded similarly in the August 2008 report.

Ross Rubin, industry analysis director at NPD, noted that rising penetration of HDTVs and lower BD player prices "are broadening the format's market opportunity." He added that, despite the expansion of options for accessing movies digitally, "Blu-ray is carrying forward the widespread appeal of DVD into the high-definition marketplace."

Still, Rubin stressed the need for more promotion of the format. Currently, leading driver of Blu-ray purchase intent is "recommendations from friends, family or co-workers," whose demonstrations of the technology "are selling the benefits in a way that is far more effective than simply viewing an advertisement or seeing it demonstrated at a retail store."

NPD also observed that "recent BD player buyers report being influenced most often by pricing, promotions, and sales." For example, consumers who claimed that they are likely to buy in the next six months expect to pay $214 on average, NPD said.
Just yet another good sign for our favourite media.