Blu-ray disc production on the rise
Blu-ray is poised to cement its position in the entertainment space.
This year, worldwide “pre-recorded” Blu-ray disc production is expected to reach more than 400 million units, representing a 60 percent increase over 2009 production, research firm Futuresource announced today. But that figure will pale in comparison to Blu-ray shipments just a few years from now.
Futuresource said that in 2014, it expects 2 billion Blu-ray discs to be shipped worldwide.
Much of the growth in the Blu-ray market is due to “growing player ownership and falling disc prices,” Futuresource senior consultant Michael Boreham said in a statement. Boreham also said that increasing Blu-ray popularity is helping to drive more “copy depth” in retail stores.
However, it’s the prospect of 3D that could play an integral role in the popularity of Blu-ray going forward.
Fiona Hoy, a market analyst at Futuresource, said in a statement that “3D is ideally suited” to Blu-ray, and starting in 2012, the analyst believes there will be “very strong demand for 3D content, which will fuel additional [Blu-ray sales] growth.”
Futuresource’s prediction wasn’t arbitrarily decided. Reports surfaced earlier this week, claiming Panasonic would hold the exclusive rights to the 3D Blu-ray version of “Avatar” through February 2012. After that time, the film will be made available as a standalone product. Futuresource said “Avatar” is already boosting demand for 3D Blu-ray content, indicating that it could have sizable impact on the market after Panasonic’s exclusivity deal ends.
As successful as Blu-ray is expected to be in the coming years, the technology it’s replacing, DVD, won’t have the same luck.
Research firm In-Stat released a study recently that found total disc sales are expected to drop by $4.6 billion between 2009 and 2014. The research firm confirmed that Blu-ray sales will increase over that period, but they won’t grow enough to offset the significant sales declines of DVD.
Three consumer electronics companies Samsung Sony and Panasonic have detailed their release schedule and pricing for their 3D HDTVs this year and Wal-Mart reported it will carry 3D HDTVs by Christmas.Panasonic announced March 10 that it had sold the first 3D HDTV in New York. Other reports have indicated that a 3D firmware upgrade for the PlayStation 3 will come in June when Sonys 3D HDTVs are available.