Blu-ray player sales, thanks in part to 3DTVs and 3D Blu-ray players, will increase this year by 80% to 24 mil. in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, according to a new Blu-ray and DVD Hardware Performance report from Futuresource Consulting.
Those unit sales figures include the PlayStation 3, which has always been the primary driver of Blu-ray player sales, as conceptualized by Sony from the beginning.
Just as the fourth quarter of 2009 accounted for nearly half of all Blu-ray player sales, Jack Wetherill, Research Consultant at Futuresource, projects sales in excess of 11 million units in Q4 this year.
“Sales of HD-capable and 3D-capable TVs, coupled with dramatic reductions in BD player prices are continuing to fuel interest,” Wetherill said. “Add to that the burgeoning 3D Blu-ray market segment, and we’ll see the format continue to gather momentum in all major markets across the globe.”
At least 10% of all Blu-ray devices shipped this year are expected to offer 3D playback, rising to more than 25% in 2011. By 2014, nearly 40% of homes across the three key regions – Western Europe, the USA and Japan – will own a 3D Blu-ray player, recorder or home theatre.
— By Scott Hettrick