LAS VEGAS – Despite the rapidly accelerating popularity of video streaming, the Blu-ray Disc format continues to endure and evolve, and it will soon help lay the foundations for native Ultra HD viewing in the home.
That was the assessment of two ranking members of the multi-industry Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), whose members recently approved plans to expand the specifications to include Ultra HD support, requiring greater disc capacity, new content protection, and potentially new connectivity solutions.
TWICE recently reached out to Andy Parsons, BDA spokesperson, and Victor Matsuda, the BDA’s global promotions committee chairman, for an update on where the Blu-ray format stands today and where it’s headed.
TWICE: How did Blu-ray Disc player sales fare in 2013, and what should we expect this year?
Parsons: According to Futuresource, the number of dedicated Blu-ray players in homes is projected to have increased by 23 percent over last year. This is remarkable considering how many options consumers have to consume content. Looking at total hardware, which includes dedicated Blu-ray players, PS3/4 and Xbox One, there’s been a 14 percent increase in sales over last year, and sales are projected to increase by another 14 percent next year. For the five largest markets in Europe, projections indicate an increase in sales of 9 percent for 2013 and 14 percent for 2014. Sales growth in Japan is projected at 6 percent for 2013.
TWICE: What will the introductions of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One mean for the format going forward?
Matsuda: Well, the population of Blu-ray-capable hardware will grow that much faster. We’re particularly happy to see Blu-ray playback added to the Xbox platform, and are hopeful this will introduce the format to a portion of that audience that might be experiencing it for the first time. In the U.S., by end of 2013, FutureSource projects that more than 5 million Blu-ray compatible game consoles will have been sold. Projections for 2014 sales [Continue reading…]
Source: Twice.com