Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Shifting Gears To Boost PVR Sales

25-Mar-03

Although blessed with glowing testimonials from a wide range of users, Personal Video Recorder (PVR) products continue to be a rarity in today's living room, according to In-Stat/MDR. However, the high-tech market research firm finds that, while acknowledging this fact, most consumer electronics manufacturers remain committed to PVR products and are currently retooling their marketing and product development strategies. Manufacturers are now focusing on the development of PVRs for pay TV service providers and are further integrating PVR functionality into existing consumer electronic platforms. ""While the market for PVR products remains modest, annual worldwide unit shipments finally passed the 1 million mark in 2002,"" according to Mike Paxton, a Senior Analyst with In-Stat/MDR. ""This was a significant milestone that underlined increasing consumer awareness about the attractions of 'time shifted' video services."" In-Stat/MDR has also found that:- Worldwide unit shipments of PVR products will increase from 1.5 million in 2002 to over 11 million in 2005. Increasing demand for PVR-enabled Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) boxes will be the primary driver for growth during this period. - North America will account for over 80 percent of worldwide PVR shipments in 2003. This percentage will drop to 55 percent in 2007, as demand for PVR products increases in Europe and Asia. - One of the most promising new PVR product segments is the combination DVD player/PVR. Introduced in late 2002, In-Stat/MDR projects that unit shipments of these combination products will reach 2.5 million by 2005.- The satisfaction rate among current PVR users is extremely high. An In-Stat/MDR survey of existing PVR users showed that 83 percent of the respondents were either ""extremely satisfied"" or ""very satisfied"" with their PVR service.The report, Personal Video Recorders: Taking The Slow Road To A Bright Future, covers the development and functionality of today's PVR products and offers an in-depth look at key PVR manufacturers and service providers. The report provides worldwide PVR unit shipment and revenue forecasts, unit shipments to specific geographic regions, and unit shipment forecasts by product segment, to include DBS set-top boxes, standalone PVR products, cable set-top boxes, and other PVR products. The report also contains the results of a PVR consumer survey conducted in late 2002. For more information about In-Stat/MDR, visit www.instat.com.

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