DVDs still not the common household item?

[bahn]

I remember when there was the big revolutionary boom when Betamax was kicked to the curb in favor of the VHS. In the years to come, it would be superceded by the DVD player. Or is it?

According to a recent reported conducted by Centris, DVD players aren't just replacing the VCR on top of the living room TV set. The DVD technology is permeating numerous consumer electronics products as well as the PC universe. Here's the breakdown as expressed in a press release issued earlier this afternoon...


For the first five years since console players hit the street in April 1997, the focus has very much been on the installed base of these set-top devices, which according to CENTRIS's most recent monthly report in early June 2003 (over 6 years after launch) is 41.7 million households.

This should not be confused with other widely published supply-side industry numbers that reflect unit shipments. This consumer data shows that 25% of the 41.7 million homes own multiple DVD console players. "As the rate of growth in console sales slows --sales do continue as the price drops and multi player households increase -- expansion to the installed base is coming from other platforms, which the studios simply cannot ignore," says Jerilyn Kessel, Co-founder of CENTRIS.

The specific devices are DVD ROM drives in PCs, DVD-enabled video game players such as Sony Playstation 2 and the Microsoft X-Box and the more recent surge of portable (including auto) DVD players. "Growing ownership of these devices expands the DVD console installed base by 45%, to what we refer to as the 'DVD enabled' installed base of 60.3 million households," Kessel reports.

<b>Expanded DVD Installed Base - An Abstract</b>
<ul type="square">
<li> 16% of all households have a DVD console only and no other DVD

devices; 7% have a DVD ROM only, 5.4% have a DVD-enabled Video

Game system only and 2.5% have only a Portable DVD player.

<li> DVD ROM only households really do watch DVDs on their PCs. In

fact, about 800,000 rent at least one DVD each month and about

900,000 purchase at least one DVD each month.

<li> The largest pairing of devices is console and ROM at 8.1% of all households followed by console and video game at 5.1%. From another CENTRIS analysis we know that DVD console & ROM combo owners are the most active in the software market.

<li> Sony Playstation 2 owners are 3-4 times more likely to put a
DVD in their game console than are X-Box owners.
</square>

[Tones]

Many people still have VCRs for recording purposes, and simply do not care about other means of recording, such as DVD recording (DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM in either computer or component based use) or PVR recording. Others simply can't see the difference between DVD and VHS, so they do not see a reason to upgrade. I don't think that price is really a big consideration, because there are DVD players that can be had dirt cheap.

[bahn]

Good point, but that may very well change when the PSX launches. CDs are a LOT cheaper I am sure than blank VHS tapes.

[voltz]

Also factor in how many people would rather watch their movies in fullscreen vs widescreen and you'll see a big enough reason to keep the vcr handy.

Plus there's a good deal of households that prefer to rent a video, only to record it for their library rather then to be wasting money on buying new at the store.

I've known enough people who do this to know for a fact. Otherwise giving up the record option would have been easy.

Originally posted by bahn
Good point, but that may very well change when the PSX launches. CDs are a LOT cheaper I am sure than blank VHS tapes.

They're cheaper to make, but as far as the RIAA is concerned, we should be spending our life-savings for them.

[bahn]

Man. I HATE full-screen. My friend couldn't understand the difference between fullcreen and widescreen (or at least why I preferred the latter).

[Tones]

Bahn, I agree with you whole-heartedly about fullscreen. Most people don't understand the difference between fullscreen and widescreen other than widescreen having "the black bars". I watched 28 Days Later just a few days ago, and remember thinking how it would be impossible to recreate a certain scene where two characters were talking, and they were both at the edges of the screen. In Pan-and-scan, they would probably have to show one person talking, then switch to the other, etc. In many films, the composition is optimized into one aspect ratio, and it will be ruined when the edges are chopped off.

However, there are some films that were originally filmed in the "fullscreen" aspect ratio, 1.33:1. These usually include concerts and older movies. There probably hasn't been a major feature released for 40 or so years that wasn't in 1.85:1 or wider, though.

The PSX has a DVD burner, right? I just don't see this selling well, because with a 100 GB HD, PS2 drive, DVD drive, etc., it's going to be at least 5- or 6 hundred dollars.

[bahn]

YUP. you hit it right on the head (re: fullscreen vs. widescreen).

I made the mistake by impulsively buying Star Wars: ATOC and getting home only to realize that I got the fullscreen version. I had seen it enough in theatres to know what was cut from the WS edition. Pissed me off and I went back the next day and switched.

[Tones]

It's really annoying when "fullscreen" or "widescreen" is hidden somewhere on the back in small text. Luckily, I haven't picked up the wrong version yet. Heh, whenever I'm looking for a movie and I notice that there are both fullscreen and widescreen in the same rack, I always make sure to stick the fullscreen editions all the way in the back.

[gamevet]

I don't think that fullscreen VS. widescreen, is the reason that people have stayed with VHS. You can get VHS movies in wide screen as well. I think it has more to do with the average person, not having a decent theater system to take advantage of DVD.


How often do you see people at Walmart, flocking for the $150, 25" television that only has an RF input. Is that television really going to show any advantages to DVD?

[bahn]

gamevet: That's one factor, but I don't believe it's the primary reason. Besides, if people still have an old TV with an RF unit, there's something wrong