March 2010 Industry Trends TEMPLATEJuly 2009 Industry Trends in Blu-ray, DVD, Optical Disk Storage Markets

Demand for Recordable Blu-Ray Discs to Double in 2011

March 1, 2010

Global demand for recordable Blu-ray discs is expected to expand sevenfold from fiscal 2009 to 310 million discs in fiscal 2012, according data released on Wednesday by Japan Recording-Media Industries Association (JRIA).

JRIA said that the global demand for recordable Blu-ray discs reached 44 million pieces in 2009, a 244% increase compared to 2008. JRIA estimates that the demand will reach 98 million piecies this year and the 310 million piecies by 2012.

In Japan alone, demand for Blu-ray discs for recording television programs and other data is projected to reach 210 million discs in fiscal 2012 to March 2013, said the Japan Recording-Media Industries Association.

JRIA also expects an increased demand for BD-R/RE discs in Europe by 2012, as the Japanese hardware makers are expanding their sales channels for BD recorders in the territory. Global demand for recordable DVDs (DVD+R/-R) is expected to decline 18 percent from fiscal 2009 to 4.57 billion discs in fiscal 2012, the association said. JRIA believes that it's time consumers to use to BD-R media instead of DVDs.

The popularity of 8cm recordable DVDs are also hit by the expansion of digital video cameras that have replaced these mini-DVDs with HDD and memory cards. The demand for 8cm DVDs is expected to be just 8 million piecies in 2012, 57% less than the demand in 2011.

Demand for CD-Rs for storing music and other data is projected to plunge 40 percent from fiscal 2009 to 3.3 billion discs in fiscal 2012 as smaller portable music players become more widely used.

Read the entire briefing about Demand for Recordable Blu-Ray Discs to Double in 2011 on CDInfo.com

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New BD players Will Drive 3D Forward

March 10, 2010

The BDA's announcement in December last year on the finalization of the 'Blu-ray 3D' specification has been cemented by Sony's release of a standalone 3D-Ready Blu-ray player, fixing the industry,s crosshairs on a 3D future.

Within four years, 50% of US homes will own a 3D-Ready display, and the uptake of 3D-Ready Blu-ray players won't be far behind, with one out of every three US homes owning one. This is according to Futuresource Consulting, with new research unveiled at their webinar, '3D: How Big, How Soon?', which took place on Thursday 25 February.

"Our research shows an imminent upsurge in the adoption of 3D-capable High Definition and Blu-ray hardware, now strengthened by a clearly defined 3D roadmap," says Jim Bottoms, Director at Futuresource. "We expect that a high percentage of BD players will ship with 3D capability next year, and within a few years it will be difficult to buy a player without 3D."

Hunger for 3D content will also be driven by owners of PS3 consoles who will be able to play 3D Blu-ray content via a firmware upgrade. For those consumers not yet convinced by the HD experience, 3D will be a highly persuasive reason to upgrade. Combine this with other premium features, such as connected TV and Entertainment Database Browsing, which allows users to browse actor and production information, and consumers in the early adopter and early majority segments will begin to upgrade fairly quickly.

According to data received by Futuresource Consulting, 72% of Americans surveyed in February want 3D in the home, now. However, only 39% are willing to pay for it.

By 2015, Futuresource believes all large-size HDTVs will be 3D-ready, and that by 2013 the $2,500-$4,500 entry level price for a 3D HDTV will have dropped by $1,000 or more. Futuresource predicts 70% of households in the United States will have a 3D-ready HDTV by 2015.

"With a number of leading hardware brands all vying to carve out an early position in the 3D TV and BD market, 3D Ready TVs and players will seed the 3D market in much the same way as the HD market was primed five years ago," says John Bird, a leading strategy analyst at Futuresource. "By 2015 we expect the majority of TVs available will be 3D-Ready and the normal replacement cycle will result in a good proportion of households in the US, Japan and Europe having a 3D-capable display," says Bird. "There is a real feeling of excitement surrounding 3D and here at Futuresource we believe the new unified approach will translate into commercial success within the course of the next few years."

Read the entire briefing about New BD players Will Drive 3D Forward on CDRInfo.com

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Hard Drive Market to Continue Growth in 2010

March 15, 2010

Hard disk drive (HDD) manufacturers repositioned themselves in this Great Recession, managing to show growth in 2009, according to the report "The Hard Disk Drive Industry: Market Analysis and Processing Trends", recently published by The Information Network.

The market grew nearly 11% on a unit basis in 2009 and is slated to grow another 11% in 2010 according to our analysis. Desktop PC sales were stronger than many industry executives and analysts had expected. What happened in Q4 2009 was a big rush to desktop PCs. There was strength in China -- full-size desktop PCs are a status symbol in that nation, as compared with smaller notebooks or netbooks.

“The market for 2009 was about product mix,” noted Dr. Robert Castellano, president of The Information Network. “Seagate leads in the desktop and the enterprise markets, which are down for 2009, while Western Digital has focused on non-desktop applications, primarily the 2.5-inch form factor for mobile and CE, which are up in 2009.”

Seagate ended the year as the market leader again, with shipments of 174.8 million drives, slightly ahead of Western Digital which shipped 165.2 million drives. Seagate and Western Digital have also benefited from paring costs in the downturn, helping to make the profit turnaround so dramatic.

The 1.8-inch form factor drives used in the smallest mobile devices took the greatest hit. Shipments dropped in half to less than 11 million units, as solid state drives have taken over the sector.

Read the entire briefing about Hard Drive Market to Continue Growth in 2010 on Tekrati.com

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