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Cheap Blu-ray players seen scarce in Europe
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Cheap Blu-ray players seen scarce in Europe
Screen Digest said on Wednesday that supply problems early in the year had led to a shortage of affordable Blu-ray players, and most of those available were being channeled to the more developed markets of the United States and Japan.
"A shortage of cheaper Blu-ray players means that the sub-$300 machines that are already appearing on U.S. shelves are unlikely to materialize in Europe this Christmas," Screen Digest analyst Richard Cooper said in a report.
"Combined with the recession, this means the format is unlikely to move much beyond the early adopter market this year," he said.
Toshiba`s withdrawal of rival HD DVD video format early this year left the market exclusively to the Blu-ray camp, led by Sony, but caught Blu-ray components makers by surprise, leading to the shortage, Screen Digest said.
Sony said last week Blu-ray disc players would fall short of a worldwide target of 5 million units, most of which had been expected to sell in the United States, due to the tough economy.
Experts say electronics retailers are expected to slash prices of Blu-ray players, which sold for as much as $1,500 in 2006, to as little as $150 after Thursday`s Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.
Major film studios such as Time Warner`s Warner Bros or Sony Pictures relied on video sales for 41 percent of their movie-related revenues last year, Screen Digest said, with rentals generating a further 10 percent.
European consumers are expected to spend 11.4 billion euros ($14.8 billion) buying videos this year, the research firm said, with Blu-ray accounting for just 3 percent of that total.
But by 2012, Screen Digest estimates the European Blu-ray market will be worth 5.4 billion euros, as high-definition viewing gradually becomes the norm, helped by the increasing availability of HD programs from broadcasters.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE4AP3RI20081126
