DVD Sales Rise During the Holidays Dec 16, 2003

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DVD burner sales continue to rise with holiday shopping, as prices continue to drop. According to analysts, the same multi-format DVD burners that retailed for up to U.S. $500 in 2002 are now less than $200, making them popular gifts for the holidays. Blank DVD disc prices have also dropped, often less than $1 per disc.

Analysts predicted that 2003 would be the year of the DVD burner, estimating that some 19 million units would be shipped by year's end. By contrast, only about 5 million shipped in 2002. Last year's sluggish adoption was attributed to not only higher prices, but also to the confusion over the various DVD-recordable formats. Consumers who worried about getting locked into a dead-end technology in 2002 now have safer options with the numerous multi-format (DVD +/- RW) DVD burners that have pervaded the market.

A recent analyst survey by International Data Corporation (IDC) indicated that one out of four PC users are likely to buy a DVD burner in the next year for such applications as storing camcorder footage and transferring self-recorded VHS tapes to DVD.

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