David Walker on the decline of the DVD format
If we told you that the DVD format was in decline, you would probably reply 'so what?' But if we told you that the decline of the DVD isn't being matched by a rise in Blu-ray sales, you might well raise an eyebrow.
That's the finding of the British Video Association (BVA), which reported that DVD sales in the UK for the first six months of 2009 were down 9.5 per cent by volume, much more in terms of value. By contrast, Blu-ray sales were up year-on-year by 231 per cent. Those BD sales sound impressive, but the total sales were only 3.1 million - compared to 99.6 million DVDs sold in the same period.
So by our rough maths, we reckon that's a drop of over 9 million DVDs in comparison to a rise of 1.8 million Blu-ray discs. In our opinion, that's a serious decline in the market. Obviously the recession has played a part - for many, DVDs are luxury items and perhaps the first thing to go when things get tight. The closure of two major outlets (Woolworths and Zavvi) hasn't helped the industry's cause either.
But worryingly for the industry, Blu-ray is still very much a niche format in mid-2009, despite players being widely available for £100 or less and the number of PS3 consoles in UK homes being considerable. The BVA are putting on a brave face: 'The continuing success of Blu-ray is testament to the growth of consumer confidence in the high-definition format,' it said in a statement. Let's hope a Christmas price war and some blockbuster titles can usher in genuine success for 2010.
Link: British Video Association (via The Register)
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