Audio Video News

Speaking last week at a meeting of the Association of Local Television Stations (ALTV) in Las Vegas, Consumer Electronics Association's Gary Shapiro announced that actual unit sales to dealers (not to end consumers) of digital television (DTV) displays and integrated sets reached 648,429 in 2000, surpassing earlier industry estimates and accounting for $1.4 billion. Shapiro says that these figures represent more than 400% growth over 1999 sales. In addition, 36,794 stand-alone set-top receivers were sold to dealers in 2000, says Shapiro.

The ever-optimistic Shapiro added that "2000 sales exceeded expectations and demonstrate the robust consumer interest in DTV. With an increasing variety of products expected in 2001 and the certainty of a re-affirmed broadcast standard, 2001 is going to be another extraordinary year for DTV." In spite of the sluggish public acceptance of the new sets, the CEA says that annual unit sales growth and dollar sales for DTV during its first four years on the market (1998-2001) are projected to surpass those of computers, VCRs, CD players, and color TVs during their same-period introductions.

DTV was launched at retail in late 1998. Unit sales of sets and monitors reached approximately 14,000 in 1998 and 121,000 in 1999. CEA projects sales of DTV sets and displays to continue rapid growth in the coming years, with unit sales of 2.1 million in 2002, 4 million in 2003, 5.4 million in 2004, 8 million in 2005, and 10.5 million in 2006.