Blu-ray disc and player sales were a weclome bright spot in the home entertainment sector during the first quarter with software sales up 74% from a year ago, and set-top players sales up 125% amidst an overall 8% decline in home entertainment spending to $4.8 billion, according the Digital Entertainment Group’s Home Entertainment Report.
Blu-ray disc sales were up a whopping 124% in March alone.
Blu-ray rentals were also up 36% in the quarter compared to an overall 14% decline of the DVD and Blu-ray rental market, according to Rentrak Corporation’s Home Video Essentials.
Ron Sanders, President, DEG and President, Warner Home Video, said in a statement, “We are encouraged to see consumers continue to realize the tremendous value of Blu-ray…”
About 34 million Blu-ray Discs shipped to retail, according to figures compiled by Swicker & Associates on behalf of the DEG, representing a 72% increase over the same period last year. Household penetration of all Blu-ray Disc compatible devices, including set-top players, PC drives and PlayStation 3 consoles has now reached 18 million U.S. homes.
According to figures compiled by the DEG based on data from CEA, retailers and manufacturers, some 75 million HDTVs have sold to consumers. With some 4.7 million HDTVs selling in the first quarter, U.S. household penetration is at approximately 50 million. Nearly 34% of all HDTV owners have more than one set.