Global shipments of Blu-ray disc players, excluding PS3, are expected to total nearly 12 million units this year, according to the latest market study by Futuresource Consulting.
In last year's crucial Q4 period, three million BD players were shipped globally, which represented more than 50 percent of the total for the year. And the trend is continuing, with our projections showing shipments for Q1 2009 will reach 1.2 million units, significantly up on Q1 2008.
All eyes will be on Q4 this year, with Futuresource predicting shipments in excess of six million units in that quarter alone, a healthy year-on-year growth that will successfully propel BD into the next decade.
Sales of HD-capable LCD and plasma TVs, and continued dramatic reductions in BD player prices also continue to fuel interest. In the last quarter of 2008, average retail prices for standalone Blu-ray players fell by 15 percent in most major markets and they're going fall by another 25 percent during the course of this year.
Add to that the raft of movie titles being issued on Blu-ray -- over 1,100 at the end of last year, on track to more than double this year -- coupled with the increase in promotional activity and the continued benefit of growing PS3 ownership, Blu-ray continues to gather momentum in all major markets.
With a lucrative roadmap stretching out for at least the next five to ten years when you factor in the rise of 3D and its associated technologies, which are ideally suited to the BD delivery platform, and there is clearly a long-term opportunity for the industry to further sustain consumer interest in Blu-ray.
In last year's crucial Q4 period, three million BD players were shipped globally, which represented more than 50 percent of the total for the year. And the trend is continuing, with our projections showing shipments for Q1 2009 will reach 1.2 million units, significantly up on Q1 2008.
All eyes will be on Q4 this year, with Futuresource predicting shipments in excess of six million units in that quarter alone, a healthy year-on-year growth that will successfully propel BD into the next decade.
Sales of HD-capable LCD and plasma TVs, and continued dramatic reductions in BD player prices also continue to fuel interest. In the last quarter of 2008, average retail prices for standalone Blu-ray players fell by 15 percent in most major markets and they're going fall by another 25 percent during the course of this year.
Add to that the raft of movie titles being issued on Blu-ray -- over 1,100 at the end of last year, on track to more than double this year -- coupled with the increase in promotional activity and the continued benefit of growing PS3 ownership, Blu-ray continues to gather momentum in all major markets.
With a lucrative roadmap stretching out for at least the next five to ten years when you factor in the rise of 3D and its associated technologies, which are ideally suited to the BD delivery platform, and there is clearly a long-term opportunity for the industry to further sustain consumer interest in Blu-ray.