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DVD VIDEO EXPERIENCES EXPLOSIVE GROWTH DURING FIRST HALF 1999 MORE THAN 1.1 MILLION DVD PLAYERS SHIPPED TO RETAIL, SOFTWARE UNITS SHIPPED Tops 25 Million
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Story Filed: Friday, July 09, 1999 6:00 AM EST
LOS ANGELES, Jul 9, 1999 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- More than 1.1 million DVD Video players were shipped through the first half of the year, according to figures compiled by the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA).
DVD Video experienced 300 percent growth in second quarter 1999, shipping more than 730,000 hardware units compared to 170,000 in the second quarter 1998. Further, the shipments for the first six months of 1999 are an increase of 881,000 units over the same period in 1998, representing more than 300 percent growth. In the first half 1999, 1.1 million units shipped compared to the first six months of 1998 when slightly more than 260,000 unitsshipped.
Available to consumers for just over two years, there are now more than two million players installed in consumer homes whereas mid-year 1998, there were less than 500,000 units in homes. CEMA estimates that total shipments for 1999 will exceed three million hardware units. The installed base is expected grow to 3.5-4 million hardware units by year end 1999.
"Obviously, the consumer continues to embrace DVD Video as their video experience of choice," said Emiel N. Petrone, Chairman of the DVD Video Group and Executive Vice President of Philips Entertainment Group, a unit of Philips Electronics. "Sales of both DVD Video hardware and software have been extremely successful making DVD the fastest growing consumer electronics product in history."
The DVD Video Group includes eight of the leading consumer electronics manufacturers whose products represent more than 95 percent of the players in the market. The DVD Video Group's figures are based on member company shipment numbers and are updated on a regular basis.
Software Sales Riding Wave of Hardware Growth According to figures released today by the DVD Video Group, more than 25 million discs have been shipped to retail thus far in 1999, nearly thesame amount that shipped in all of 1998. More than 56 million units of DVDvideo movies and music video titles shipped to retail since the format launched in spring 1997.
The figures were compiled by the accounting firm of Ernst & Young, LLPand is part of a series of research projects conducted for the DVD Video Group.
"The explosive growth underscores consumers' appetite for DVD-based entertainment," said Paul Culberg, President, DVD Video Group and Executive Vice President - Worldwide, Columbia TriStar Home Video. "Additionally, we're pleased to see consumers' tastes expanding toward broader family oriented and classic titles."
Disc sales are expected to remain strong throughout the year, as witnessed by the more than 200 new titles being released each month. Currently, there are more than 3,300 titles available and the DVD Video Group projects thatby the end of 1999 there will be nearly 5,000 available for rental and sellthrough.
The DVD Video Group software member companies provided the requested information directly to Ernst & Young, LLP, who compiled the data and provided it to the DVD Video Group. The participating companies represent more than 90 percent of the North American DVD Video software market.
The DVD Video Group is a Los Angeles-based, industry-funded, nonprofit corporation that exists expressly to promote consumer awareness of the benefits of DVD Video and to provide updated information to the media andthe retail trade about DVD Video players, movies and music videos.
Regular members of the DVD Video Group are Artisan Entertainment, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Columbia TriStar Homo Video, DreamWorks Home Entertainment, Image Entertainment, MGM Home Entertainment, New Line Home Video, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, Paramount Home Video, Philips Consumer Electronics Company, Pioneer Electronics (USA), Sharp Electronics, Simitar Entertainment, Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Music/Sony Wonder, Thomson Consumer Electronics, Toshiba America Consumer Products, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, U.S.A. Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video and Yamaha Electronics Corporation.
Associate members are Alpha Enterprises, Americ Disc, Cinram, CMC Magnetics, Crest National, Crush Digital, CVC, Disc Graphics, JVC Disc America, Nimbus CD International, Panasonic Disc Services Corporation, Pioneer Video Manufacturing, Sony Disc Manufacturing, Sony Pictures DVD Center, Technicolor and Warner Media Services.
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