One-Billionth DVD To Ship This Month; More Than 270 Million DVDs Shipped In First Half 2002, Up 80 Percent Over Same Period Last Year

Nearly 50 Percent Of U.S. Homes To Have DVD Capability By Year-End

19-Jul-02

As DVD celebrates its fifth year in the marketplace, the one-billionth DVD software unit is anticipated to ship to retail this month, according to an announcement made by the DVD Entertainment Group (DEG) at the Video Software Dealers Association conference (VSDA) in Las Vegas. This milestone heralds DVD as the most successful format launch in history for the industry, with prerecorded videocassettes taking nearly ten years to reach this benchmark (Adams Media Research). According to figures compiled by Ernst & Young on behalf of the DEG, more than 272 million DVD movies and music videos shipped in the first six months of 2002, an 80 percent increase over the same period last year. Since the inception of the format in 1997, software shipments in North America have reached more than 947 million units, according to the DVD Entertainment Group.""This is a format that has truly reinvigorated our industry on both the hardware and software ends of the business and is changing the way Hollywood makes movies and the way people watch them at home,"" said Bob Chapek, President, DVD Entertainment Group and President, Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Recent growth areas for DVD-Video include family programs, concerts and music videos, and TV programming, all embracing DVD's superior quality, interactivity, and added-value features. More than 16,000 titles are currently available, with more than 100 new DVDs released each week. In response to growing consumer excitement and the expanding variety of titles, retailers continue to add more shelf space for DVD product.Hardware Continues Record GrowthIn the first half of 2002, 8.1 million DVD players shipped to retail, a 53 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the DVD Entertainment Group (DEG), bringing the total players shipped since the format's launch to 40 million. The DEG estimates that 20 million DVD players will ship to retail this year alone.Additionally, according to figures compiled by the DEG based on retail and manufacturer data, DVD players sold through to U.S. consumers have reached nearly 39 million, with the format currently in nearly 30 million households (adjusting for homes owning two or more DVD players). ""If growth continues at the current rate, DVD will be in more than 40 million households by the end of 2002,"" says Reid Sullivan, DEG board member and Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co. Vice President, Entertainment Group. ""When you also include the growing number of PCs with DVD-ROM drives and game consoles with DVD capability, nearly 50 percent of U.S. homes will have the format by year-end."" There are now more than 250 DVD player models marketed under 60 different consumer electronics brands. DVD players are available at most consumer electronics retailers and have become the focal point of the home theatre category. There are also an expanding variety of DVD players available, with home theatre-in-a-box systems, car players, DVD-Video/Audio combination players, portables, recordable units, and TV/DVD combination systems all growing in popularity.

For more information about the DVD Entertainment Group, visit www.dvdinformation.com.

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