12 million Blu-ray players to ship in 2009, prices predicted to fall by 25 per cent

When it comes to Blu-ray the only way is up, says UK-based research outfit Futuresource Consulting. Player sales, excluding PlayStation 3 consoles, will top 12 million this year, a doubling of 2008's BD market.

Says Futuresource’s Jack Wetherill: ‘In last year’s crucial Q4 period, three million BD players were shipped globally, which represented more than 50 per cent of the total for the year. And the trend is continuing, with our projections showing shipments for Q1 2009 will reach 1.2 million units, significantly up on Q1 2008.’

Wetherill predicts that the run-up to Christmas will see global shipments in excess of six million units, and more price cuts. ‘Average retail prices for Blu-ray players fell by 15 per cent in 2008, and we’re going to see them fall by another 25 per cent during the course of this year. Add to that the raft of movie titles being issued on Blu-ray – over 1,100 at the end of last year, on track to more than double this year – coupled with the increase in promotional activity and the continued benefit of growing PS3 ownership, and we’ll see Blu-ray continue to gather momentum in all major markets across the globe.’

According to Futurescource, Blu-ray will fight off competition from downloads and should become a lucrative home entertainment technology for the next five to ten years. ‘When you factor in the rise of 3D and its associated technologies, which are ideally suited to the BD delivery platform, there is clearly a long-term opportunity to further sustain consumer interest in Blu-ray.’