HD disc market shows better growth than DVD

Austin (TX) - In their first year and a half on the market, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc have reached higher adoption rates than DVD did during the same time.

According to research firm Displaysearch, DVD took well over two years to reach the point where the high-def disc market is now. The firm’s director of DVD market research Paul Erickon said this is because of increased consumer awareness and falling prices on players.

"There is a much larger spike at the end of the year for next-generation DVD due to strong performances by both formats for November and December," said Erickson to trade publication Video Business.

"People pay much for attention to [the format war] now than they ever did in the past," NPD vice president Stephen Baker told us in an interview. Baker also noted that this could be the "last run for physical media" and that even though there is confusion over the format war, there is a widespread expectation that one of the formats will be a new standard.