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Tag: blu-ray-player

  • Blu-ray Player Shipments to Exceed 62.5 Million in 2011

    Worldwide Blu-ray player shipments are expected to more than double between 2009 and the end of 2010, and the numbers from ABI Research forecast continued growth next year, for a total of more than 62.5 million shipments in 2011.

    In North America standalone Blu-ray players are expected to reach almost 18% penetration among TV-owning households, up from just over 7% in 2009.

    As interesting as this estimate is, it is just part of a larger picture. According to industry analyst Mike Inouye, “The solid growth in Blu-ray player shipments highlights a trend within the wider consumer electronics market. Larger, fixed-location devices such as Blu-ray players and flat panel TVs are enjoying rapid adoption relative to many classes of small, portable devices. Specifically, portable gaming devices are leveling out, while we are seeing actual declines in shipments of portable audio players. Digital picture frames are showing only mild growth, and compact digital camera shipments are declining in North America and Japan, though they continue modest growth elsewhere.”

    What is behind these shifts? “In addition to price declines, the greater growth potential of TV-centric devices may be due to some of the recent exciting innovations in TV technologies: larger, flatter panels, Internet connectivity, and 3D,” says Inouye. “Aside from the economic/job environment it could be that dedicated portable device markets are simply maturing, or it could be due to the greater competition they face from smartphones and other multi-function portable devices.”

    ABI Research believes that CE device vendors can improve their chances of success in this very competitive marketplace by, on one hand, continuing efforts to educate consumers about what they can do with the latest devices, and on the other by striving to keep the user-experience as seamless and painless as possible.

  • Toshiba Blu-ray Player By Year End as Format Sales Grow


    More flesh has been added to Toshiba’s plans to bring out a Blu-ray player – it is likely to be called the BD-18 and could be available as soon as the year end.

    The company, which backed the HD DVD high-definition format that eventually lost to Sony’s prevailing Blu-ray, had stubbornly maintained it would not bring out a Blu-ray player and instead focused on its XDE DVD-upscaling technology.

    Then it emerged last month at its annual shareholder meeting in Tokyo that Toshiba had finally accepted it could no longer ignore the opportunities Blu-ray products offer.

    Now the Japanese electronics giant is planning a Blu-ray player, for its home market initially, according to the Japanese paper Yomiuri.
    A Blu-ray recorder is also being considered.

    A rumored USD $1B financial hole caused by the HD DVD failure appears to be a big motivation for Toshiba’s shift in stance to Blu-ray.

    The development comes as the Consumer Electronics Association publishes a reports pointing to burgeoning shipments of Blu-ray disc players in the second half of the year.

    These are expected to contribute to a 112 per cent increase in unit sales by the end of 2009.

    The growth in unit shipments should take the total to nearly 6 million for the year, which despite falling prices will ensure revenues top USD $1 billion, an increase of 48 per cent over 2008.

    Average Blu-ray player unit prices have falled closer to the USD $200 price point.

  • Price Barrier to Blu-ray Falling Away?


    There are several arguments put forward as to why Blu-ray has been slow to reach mainstream adoption – but price can surely no longer be a major factor.

    Best Buy in the US is now offering the Insignia NS-2BRDVD Blu-ray player for US $129.99 shipped.

    While that is still more expensive than your bargain basement DVD player, it is a vast improvement compared to where Blu-ray player prices were even just a short while ago.

    Figures released in May from NPD showed the average price of Blu-ray players was USD $261 in Q1 2009.

    Granted that’s the average price, but the next set of quarterly data should show that has dropped significantly if the Insignia deal is anything to go by.

    Featuring, among other things, 1080p output and upconversion, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD audio, the Best Buy own-label Insignia also comes with a one-year warranty.

    It supports Blu-ray Profile 1.1 but requires a software update, which can be downloaded and installed on the player using a disc.

  • LG Offers First DivX HD 1080p Certified Blu-ray player


    LG has launched the first DivX HD 1080p certified Blu-ray player.

    The BD390 – originally displayed at CES in January – has an 802.11n WiFi module and support for DivX streaming from a DLNA server.

    It includes BD-Live support, 7.1-channel audio output, 1GB of inbuilt memory and a USB 2.0 socket.

    The BD390 also features support for Netflix, CinemaNow, NetCast, and YouTube streaming, and comes bundled with Nero MediaHome Essentials to connect the player to household PCs and media servers.

    In April, LG announced that its new range of HDTVs will be capable of playing full DivX HD 1080p videos.

    While DivX support may not be on everyone’s wish-list it will certainly appeal to the more tech-minded consumer.

    With DivX 7, a full two-hour HD film can be compressed to around 8 GB – so capable of being stored on a double-layer DVD.

    It also sets LG’s latest high-def player apart from the competition – certainly not a bad thing in today’s busy marketplace.

    Simon Kang, CEO and President of LG Home Entertainment, said incorporating support for DivX HD 1080p video is a key product differentiator.

    The player is available now for USD $399.95.

  • Panasonic Takes Blu-ray Portable


    Panasonic has unveiled the first portable Blu-ray player at the CES in Las Vegas.

    The DMP-B15 features an 8.9-inch WSVGA display and along with the ability to play Blu-ray discs it also has access (via Ethernet connection to the Internet) to VIERA CAST.

    Fully Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) compliant it also features an SD card.

    The DMP-B15 offers three hours of playback time through a built-in rechargeable battery.

    It can also be connected to an HDTV using an HDMI connection, which means that it could technically be used as a stand-alone player in the home, or even while on the go.

    The DMP-B15 will be available beginning in May 2009, no details yet on the expected cost.