Posted Tue May 3, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by Dick Ward
Things are looking good for Blu-ray this year, with both hardware and disc sales expected to rise.
If you've been to a Best Buy recently, you've probably noticed that Blu-ray has all but taken over for DVD in electronics stores across the country. Stores with a broader appeal - like Walmart or Target - still carry quite a few DVDs, but Blu-ray is on the rise again this year according to analysts.
The folks at IHS Screen Digest expect a 93 percent increase of Blu-ray hardware in households this year and FutureSource says that by the end of 2011 there will be nearly 50 million Blu-ray playback devices in homes across the country. Doubling the hardware would, of course, result in increased software sales.
FutureSource has a prediction there too, stating that software sales are projected to reach 120 million units, up from 85 million last year. Streaming and VOD services may be up, but Blu-ray and DVD sales still make up for 80 percent of the average entertainment budget.
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