By : Erik Gruenwedel | Posted: 25 Jan 2010
egruenwedel@questex.com

Ongoing price drops for Blu-ray Disc players will help the high-definition format realize 80 million Blu-ray Disc player/recorder unit shipments by 2013, according to a new report.

 

In-Stat, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based research firm, said higher volume shipments of Blu-ray players with Internet connectivity finally are making an impact, although they still lag behind shipments of standard DVD players.

 

Indeed, DVD player unit shipments will reach 90 million by 2013, according to In-Stat, while higher average selling prices for Blu-ray players will push revenue to more than four times that of DVD player revenue.

 

“In North America significant price drops of Blu-ray players drove unit shipments to triple in 2009,” said analyst Michelle Abraham. “The cost differential between standard-definition DVD and Blu-ray is becoming much smaller and new features such as IP/network connectivity are becoming increasingly important. Blu-ray is finally starting to make significant advances.”

 

The report also found that Japan is the largest market for Blu-ray recorders and that Europe generates the most revenue from BD player sales due to relative higher prices at retail.

 

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