Audio Growth Exceeds Video In '00 Home Theater
By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 2/26/2001
ARLINGTON, VA. -Factory-level sales of home theater components grew 5 percent in 2000 to $9.98 billion, led by a double-digit gain in home-theater audio sales, statistics from the Consumer Electronics Association show.
Sales of A/V receivers and speakers grew 26 percent to $1.09 billion, CEA said. Sales of home-theater-related video, on the other hand, rose a meager 2 percent, but at $8.89 billion, their volume exceeded audio volume by more than eight times.
The CEA's definition of a home theater consists of:
- A projection television or direct-view TV set with a diagonal screen size of at least 25 inches.
- A video source such as a HiFi/stereo VCR or a DVD player.
- A surround-sound-equipped receiver or compact shelf system.
- And four or more speakers.
In audio components, A/V receiver sales rose 16 percent in 2000 to $551 million, while sales of speakers and speaker packages rose 38 percent to $539 million.
Sales of direct-view TVs with a minimum 25-inch screen size were flat at $4.58 billion, and sales of analog projection TV fell 9 percent to $1.48 billion.
DVD player sales, on the other hand, grew 56 percent to $1.71 billion, but HiFi VCR sales contracted 18 percent to $1.12 billion.
Fourth-quarter home theater growth slowed considerably, posting a gain of only 2 percent to $3.09 billion. Again, video growth lagged audio growth. Video sales were flat at $2.76 billion, while audio sales rose 24 percent to $328 million.
Fourth-quarter video sales were dragged down by a 22 percent decline in analog projection sales to $420 million and a 20 percent decline in HiFi VCR sales to $345 million. Analog direct-view sales were flat at $1.37 billion. DVD sales, however, surged 47 percent to $627 million.
In audio, fourth-quarter sales of speakers rose 45 percent to $176 million, while receivers grew 6 percent to $152 million.
4th Quarter 2000 | 4th Quarter 1999 | % chg. | Year-to-Date 2000 | Year-to-Date 1999 | % chg. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25" & over analog direct-view TV | $1,371 | $1,371 | 0% | $4,580 | $4,578 | 0% |
Analog projection TV | 420 | 541 | -22% | 1,481 | 1,632 | -9% |
DVD players | 627 | 427 | 47% | 1,713 | 1,099 | 56% |
HiFi VCRs | 345 | 432 | -20% | 1,118 | 1,370 | -18% |
Total video | $2,764 | $2,771 | 0% | $8,891 | $8,680 | 2% |
A/V receivers | 152 | 144 | 6% | 551 | 475 | 16% |
Speaker separates and packages* | 176 | 121 | 45% | 539 | 391 | 38% |
Total audio | $328 | $265 | 24% | $1,090 | $866 | 26% |
Total home theater | $3,092 | $3,037 | 2% | $9,981 | $9,546 | 5% |
* Includes home-theater-in-a-box.
Note: Totals may not equal the sum of the detail due to rounding.
Source: Consumer Electronics Association, Arlington, Va.cTWICE 2001
