DTV Sales Top 100,000

Factory-to-dealer sales of digital television (DTV) products posted their fourth consecutive month of growth in November by topping 22,000 units, and bringing total year-to-date sales to 97,481, according to numbers released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA, formerly CEMA). November's record sales brought total sales since introduction (in August of 1998) to 110,657.Actual DTV sales in November were 22,634 units, an increase of six percent over Octoberís sales. Fourth quarter DTV sales have already reached 44,066 units, representing an increase of 67 percent over total third quarter sales, and 303 percent over second quarter sales, with one month still remaining. ""DTV sales have taken off this quarter, pushing sales levels ahead of our projections,"" said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CEA. ""There is no question that the future of television is digital. These sales figures show that more and more consumers arerealizing DTVís benefits everyday.""CEA's projection that DTV product sales since introduction will reach 120,000 units by the end of 1999 appears to be on target. CEA estimates sales will reach 600,000 in the year 2000, and projects that the first 10 million sets will be sold by 2003, the next 10 million in 2004 and 2005, and 10.8 million to be sold in 2006.

Source: CEA (Consumer Electronics Association)