Las Vegas – The dollar volume of DVD software sales rose 33 percent in 2003 to $11.6 billion, while DVD rental volume grew 55 percent to $4.5 billion, the Digital Entertainment Group announced .
In addition, almost 34 million DVD players were sold to consumers during that time, up about 34 percent, the group said. It based its conclusions on data from the CEA, manufacturers, and retailers. In 2004, the group projects that sales will drop to 30 million, but that will nonetheless expand household penetration to about 65 percent.
In 2003, about 37 percent of the almost 57 million DVD households onwed more than one player, whether a standalone set-top model, a portable model, or integrated with a TV, VCRs, or home-theater-in-a-box system.
Music on DVD also gained in 2003, the DEG and the DVD-Audio Council said. Sales of DVD music videos jumped 102 percent to 17.2 million units in 2003, DEG said in citing Nielsen SoundScan statistics. More than 4,000 music video and DVD-Audio titles are currently available, the group noted.
The DVD-Audio Council said the number of DVD-Audio titles doubled in 2003 to more than 700 in the U.S. and that 160 different DVD-Audio players are available from more than 35 suppliers.
