While theatrical and DVD revenues declined in 2011, Blu-ray Disc sales were up 20% for both new and catalog titles to cross $2 billion for the first time, according to DEG: Digital Entertainment Group.

A 38% jump in Blu-ray household penetration push Blu-ray compatible devices into 40 million U.S. homes by the end of the year.

Helping spark Blu-ray sales were the continued growth of HDTV sales, another 27 million sold in 2011, expanding penetration to more than 74.5 million U.S. households.

Also contributing to Blu-ray sales, the number of 3D Blu-ray releases tripled to 45 (65 overall in market now), with unit sales increasing more than six times in the same period.

The five top-selling titles of 2011 sold more than 2 million copies each. The top-selling Blu-ray titles in 2011, according to Nielsen VideoScan First Alert:

1. Harry Potter – Deathly Hallows, Part 1
2. Harry Potter – Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (available in 3D)
3. Tangled (available in 3D)
4. Cars 2 (available in 3D)
5. Transformers – Dark of Moon
6. Bridesmaids
7. Rio
8. The Help
9. Lion King (available in 3D)
10. Hangover Part 2

Total consumer spending on home filmed entertainment in 2011 was down more than 2% to $18 billion, including digital and electronic downloads and video-on-demand services, but it rose nearly one percent in the second half of the year and 5% in the third quarter alone — the first quarterly increase since 2008.

– By Scott Hettrick

Panasonic is expanding its pioneering commitment to 3D and Blu-ray, and was rewarded with several awards at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The company says the 3D business, including 3D TVs, is expected to grow into a market worth $60 billion by 2020 as full-scale expansion takes off.

Among examples of Panasonic’s new 3D products:

• Panasonic and NBC Sports Group will partner to make the London 2012 Olympic Games available in 3D to all cable, satellite and telco systems, the first time that the Olympic Games will be distributed in the U.S. in 3D. More than 200 hours of 3D broadcasts will be produced by Olympic Broadcasting Services and shown on next-day delay, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, gymnastics, diving and swimming.
• Sixteen of the manufacturer’s 17 plasma TVs for 2012 feature the 3D technology.
• Five of the 14 LED/LCD HDTVs provide 3D capability.
• Four of the six Blu-ray Disc players in the 2012 line are Full HD 3D.
• Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory (PHL) authors and masters many 3D Blu-ray Discs.
• Panasonic’s AG-3DA1, the industry’s first fully integrated 3D camcorder recording to SD Memory cards, was used aboard the historic, final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle voyage and is routinely used in sports and other 3D television production.
• A full line of 3D capable consumers and LUMIX digital cameras are available, and their images can then be easily shown on a Smart VIERA 3D HDTV.
• Panasonic’s first Full HD 3D home theater projector, the PT-AE7000U.
• Panasonic formally establishes its 3D Innovation Center this week, located in Hollywood at PHL, to engage with the entertainment and broadcast communities to enhance 3D production technologies and work flow and to foster collaboration with industry partners to develop new applications for 3D technologies.

“Panasonic is in the unique position of being involved in all areas of 3D, from production to what you see in your living room. We are 100% committed to the technology and confident in the knowledge that 3D TV is actually of to a faster start than the implementation of HDTV. For example there are multiple full time 3D channels available on cable and satellite, not to mention the large and varied content on 3D Blu-ray Discs. Also, the continuing popularity and number of theatrical releases can only bode well for the in-home acceptance,” said Eisuke Tsuyzaki, Panasonic Corporation of North America Chief Technology Officer. “

Regarding Panasonic’s commitment to bring the Olympics to home viewers in 3D, Panasonic North America Chairman & CEO Joseph M. Taylor said, “Full HD 3D is ideal for capturing the true spectacle of Olympic competition and the pageantry of Olympic ceremonies, and we are excited to… deliver to home viewers an unprecedented 3D Olympic experience that will make them feel as though they are right there with the world’s finest athletes as they compete.”

Among the International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards collected by Panasonic this week:

• Video Displays category honoree: TC-P55VT50, 55-inch class Full HD 3D Plasma HDTV, which converts 2D-to-3D
• Video Components category Best of Innovation winner and Honoree in the Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies category: Panasonic DMP-BDT320 3D Blu-ray Disc player, half the size of previous models.

Panasonic’s DMP-BDT310 3D Blu-ray Disc Player won the DEG Emiel N. Petrone Digital Innovation Award for Best Physical Media Product award  from DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, it was announced today at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment‘s “Rio” was named Blu-ray 3D Title of the Year in the DEG Creative Excellence Awards for 2011.
Other winners included Theatrical Title of the Year “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group; and a tie for Classic Title of the Year: “Ben Hur: Ultimate Collector’s Edition” from Warner, and “Star Wars: The Complete Saga” from Fox.
Warner’s AC/DC: Let There Be Rock was named Music Title of the Year.
The judging panel for Blu-ray titles, nominated by the motion picture studio and music company members of the DEG, consisted of reviewers and industry reporters from trade, entertainment and daily consumer news organizations. In addition to overall sound and picture quality, all titles were considered for those features that best demonstrate the value-added nature of the format.

Other awards announced during the DEG”s 15th annual reception:

Pioneer’s Elite Music Tap System (X-SMC4-BK) won the DEG Emiel N. Petrone Digital Innovation Award for Best Digital Media Product.
Sony Electronics‘ VPL-VW1000ES Projector was the recipient of the DEG Emiel N. Petrone Digital Innovation Award for Most Innovative Home Enterainment Product.

– By Scott Hettrick