Current sales of DVD players capable of playing high-resolution audio formats have risen, compared to 2002, according to figures released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
“Historically, there is a similarity between the introduction of high-res audio and that of the compact disc. Each product—CD, DVD, DVD-Audio and SACD—met the 250,000-units shipped mark by the third year,” said Sean Wargo, senior industry analyst for the CEA. “The audio industry tends to cycle through periods of growth as each new and improved technology is introduced: Witness the move from turntables to tape to CDs and now to music DVDs.”
According to CEA market research, manufacturers shipped 148,000 DVD-A and 100,000 SACD players to retailers through May of this year.
“If DVD-A and SACD players are going to truly mimic history, we could see the majority of consumers enjoying high-res audio by the year 2015, with an even more rapid acceptance of the new audio technologies across the next decade and really driving growth in the audio market,” added Wargo.
For more industry market research, visit CEA online at www.ce.org.
