Consumers spent $24 billion buying and renting DVD and VHS titles in 2004, more than twice as much as they did buying tickets at movie theater box offices, according to the Video Software Dealers Association's (VSDA) 2005 Annual Report. The major studios generated $21 billion from home video in 2004, representing 47 percent of their combined worldwide film revenues. Estimates of consumer spending on used DVDs and videocassettes for 2004 ranged from $658 million to $2 billion. The VSDA said that 73 percent of U.S. households had the capacity to view a DVD by the end of 2004, while VCR penetration declined for the first time during the period. The group also said that 2004 video game rentals totaled $700 million, adding that 53 percent of all games rented were rated "E" (Everyone). Mass merchants had a 50 percent market share of sell-through consumer spending on home video. The top three rental chains (Blockbuster, Hollywood, and Movie Gallery) collected more than 50 percent of consumer dollars spent on video rental transactions. Video-on-demand was available in approximately 22 million U.S. households. Digital video recorders were in fewer than 7 million U.S. households.
The personal computing device market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience despite recent fluctuations. According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), global PC shipments are projected to reach 273 million units in 2025—a modest but significant 3.7 percent increase over the previous year. This growth reflects the market's adaptation to post-pandemic realities and evolving technology needs across the globe. Personal Computing Market Development While COVID-19 initially triggered unprecedented demand for computing devices during the shift to remote work and online education, we now see a more measured growth pattern. IDC has slightly adjusted its projections downward, indicating a market growing steadily rather than explosively. "In light of so many challenges around the world, Japan is a much-needed source of double-digit growth this year. Enterprises there as well as SMBs have been quickly replacing PCs in advance of the Window...