MUMBAI: Americans spent $22.8 billion renting and buying DVDs in 2005. The DEG: Digital Entertainment Group has come out with a report on DVD sales.
Consumer spending for DVDs was up around eight per cent. DVD retail sales grew five per cent to $16.3 billion in 2005, with unit sales up 10 per cent .
In addition, consumers also spent $6.5 billion renting DVDs, an increase of 14 per cent over last year. When including VHS sales and rental, the spend on home video was relatively flat from last year. Consumers spent $24.3 billion renting and buying DVD and VHS.
According to figures compiled by the DEG based on data from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), retailers and manufacturers, an estimated 37 million DVD players were sold to U.S. consumers in 2005. Nearly 17 million DVD players sold in the fourth quarter alone
In the fourth quarter of 2005, 536.7 million DVDs shipped to retail. More than 1.6 billion software units shipped throughout 2005, a nine percent increase from 2004, bringing the total number of units shipped since launch to 5.6 billion discs.
Since launch, more than 164 million DVD players, including set-top and portable DVD players, home-theater systems, TV/DVD and DVD/VCR combination players, have sold to consumers, bringing the number of DVD households to 82 million (adjusting for households with more than one player). Fifty percent of DVD owners now have more than one player.
When accounting for computers with DVD capability and DVD-enabled video game consoles, an estimated 89 million households currently have the capability to play DVD (more than 80 per cent of US. TV households). Of these, less than 20 million (17 per cent) rely solely on the standard set-top box in the living room for watching DVDs. More than 80 per cent of DVD-capable households have either multiple players or alternative DVD devices, such a portable players, DD-enabled video game consoles or DVD-capable computers.
DEG: As an industry funded, nonprofit organisation, the Digital Entertainment Group serves to advocate and promote the many benefits associated with DVD while providing updated information regarding the format to both the media and the retail trade.