Audio Video News

Consumers apparently paid no attention to the habitual summer slump that affects electronics dealers, according to sales statistics released August 15 by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

One of the most successful consumer electronics categories ever, DVD players continue to gain momentum, with a 29% increase in unit sales in July. The CEA reports that more than 693,000 units were sold during that peak summer month, making it the 39th consecutive month that DVD players have posted gains. On a year-to-date basis, DVD players gained 57% over the same period in 2001, with 5.1 million sold through the end of July, for a total dollar volume of $762 million. (By those figures, the average DVD player sold for approximately $150.)

In June, sales of digital television (DTV) products grew by 90% in dollar volume over the same period in 2000, to $159.5 million. Sales of DTVs for the second quarter of 2001 hit $375 million, with the year-to-date figure at $868.7 million, an increase of 105% compared to the same period a year earlier.

CEA analyst Sean Wargo predicts a slowdown in overall video sales as digital products begin to overtake analog models. The long view is excellent, however. "Consumers are definitely taking part in the transition to digital video and the long-term outlook is very strong," he said.

According to figures released by the CEA on August 17, home theater products sold very well during the second quarter of 2001—a phenomenon directly associated with the DVD/DTV boom, in all probability. During the second quarter, factory sales for home theater-in-a-box systems rose by 101% to $135 million, with year-to-date dollar sales up 116% to $264 million.

Manufacturer-to-dealer sales of speaker separates and bundled speaker systems went up 46% to $61 million for the quarter and 35% to $111 million on a year-to-date basis. "The home theater experience will continue to gain popularity with consumers," stated CEA president Gary Shapiro. "It is an affordable, easy way for the buying public to enjoy a high-impact motion picture experience in the home, without sacrificing sound or video quality."