Blu-ray Making Gains Like A-Rod

According to NPD Group, Blu-ray is muscling its way into mass market acceptance. The format was kicking disc and taking names in the first quarter of ’09 with standalone player sales growing by 72 percent in the US. That’s 400,000 more “standalone” players in homes than the same quarter last year. But I wonder if by standalone player NPD Group includes PlayStation 3?

NPD released its Blu-ray Report for March 2009 and it concluded that BD awareness in the US has reached 90 percent in the past six months. The increased numbers over last year’s first quarter amount to a 14 percent increase in dollar sales of Blu-ray devices. That pushed Blu-ray player sales up to $107.2 million according to NPD’s retail and Point-of-Sale tracking service. 

It didn’t take a Ghost Whisperer to predict that cost is a factor to mainstream acceptance, I’ve been hearing it all along in our forums. NPD’s numbers support this contention. It seems that roughly proportionate to the rise in acceptance is the decline in price. 

NPD Blu-ray Report Details:

Data for NPD’s “Blu-ray Report” was collected via an online survey of 6,994 consumers, which was fielded from February 25 through March 6, 2009. Final data for the nationally representative sample was weighted to represent the U.S. population of individuals age 18+.  All findings are statistically tested at the 95 percent confidence level.

According to the report the average price of a Blu-ray player dropped almost 34 percent since last year. So, in Feb. ’08 we were shelling out an average price of $393 bucks for a player. Last March we could snap one up at an average price of $261. 

In case there is any doubt, these NPD boys (and probably girls – no gender bias here) do their homework – the official Blu-ray Report even has a sequel. NPD BD Report Update says consumers that have stated they intend to go Blu sometime in the next six months expect only to pay an average price of $214 per player. 

“The leading driver of Blu-ray purchase intent is recommendations from friends, family or co-workers,” said NPD’s entertainment industry analyst, Russ Crupnick.  “Blu-ray’s superiority used to be difficult for many consumers to grasp, but when friends rave about it, or demonstrate Blu-ray in their homes, they are selling the benefits in a way that is far more effective than simply viewing an advertisement or seeing it demonstrated at a retail store.” 

It seems John Q. Public is most swayed into BD acceptance by word of mouth. When your no-tech buddy is trying to understand of what 1080P resolution and … ho hum… hi-res audio codecs are and why they make for a more compelling viewing experience it’s YOU that influences him the most. Advertising, in-store demos and schlocky BD-Live content features add up to a hill of beans compared to you blowing your pal’s mind with that aerial fight scene on your copy of the Iron Man Blu-ray disc.

Keep up the good work Audioholic Blu-ray fans… we’re getting the message through loud and clear.