U.S. DVD sales slip 3.6% in 2007
Even as Blu-ray celebrates the future, our present format leader, DVD, had a noticeable sales slippage in 2007. Following a slide in the amount of DVD player sales this should surprise no one, but may give insight to Warner Bros. reasoning in abandoning its dual-format release schedule. A drop in U.S. spending on DVD purchases by 3.6% according to DEG wasn't as bad as expected but studios are definitely looking for the next big thing to make up for DVD's lack of growth.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JP23 @ Jan 7th 2008 9:20PM
I've stopped buying DVD's until I buy a Blu-Ray later in the year.
LiqwidZero @ Jan 7th 2008 9:36PM
WB also blamed high gas prices...
LiqwidZero @ Jan 7th 2008 9:37PM
Just so everyone knows, I am serious. It's in a Reuter's article.
LiqwidZero @ Jan 7th 2008 9:37PM
Just so everyone knows, I am serious. It's in a Reuter's article.
Sean @ Jan 7th 2008 9:39PM
Cant wait for BD-25 media and burners to drop.
Andy @ Jan 7th 2008 9:57PM
I blame this on a lack of good movies.
Daniel @ Jan 7th 2008 10:11PM
The MPAA will probably think it's because of p2p and sue another 20,000,000 people, including space aliens, deaf-mute-blinds, and dolphins.
Sam Winter @ Jan 8th 2008 1:42AM
HAHAHAHHAHA. that made my day.
Freddy.cloud @ Jan 7th 2008 10:11PM
Wouldn't this be caused by rental vs. purchase? Not counting the bootleg man on the corner ... hmmm .. that may be part of it as well ...
Freddy C.
John Henderson @ Jan 7th 2008 11:22PM
it is because the movies suck i am stuck buying criteron art house stuff which is better than the new stuff actors actually had to act and have a story line with no cgi to help them out
GamerG @ Jan 8th 2008 3:23AM
WAs it because 3.6% of people started buying HD media?
J-Horror31 @ Jan 8th 2008 3:46AM
Maybe they should take their progressive "double-dipping" tactics into consideration when wondering why there was a sales decrease. This combined with HD media being readily available through cable/satellite providers - and there have been study results showing that people could care less what content their watching as long as it's in Hi-Def. Instead a decrease leads to Warner making a quick decision to drop neutrality in order to cash in and gather up a quick buck from HD media. In a ideal situation every studio would have lent their support for both formats, and there is no reason why they could not co-exist along side each other. Unfortunately everyone is always looking to take the quickest road to success and this has obviously bled into Hollywood movie making in the biggest way as well. Considering all of the mindless and useless filler that "blockbuster" movies provide, it's evident that the true art of movie making is extinct. And when a movie that has true art value does succeed it gets buried at the box office and it's following media presentation. This instant gratification outline is exactly what Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have followed through their HD adaptation. And since Sony seems adamant on acquiring all of the major U.S. movie studios, it would be nice to see that market stick to those filler flicks and allow HD-DVD to at least cater to the smaller studios and any independent movies considering the manufacturing price point which would benefit them. I know it's probably never going to happen and we will just continue to see amazing blockbusters such as National Treasure: Book of Secrets in HD (note my sarcasm please), but it would be extremely beneficial to the independent movie scene IMHO.
Jay @ Jan 8th 2008 8:45AM
This surprises who? If you hadn't noticed, the economy is in rather poor shape
Larry @ Jan 8th 2008 8:50AM
I don't think it is coincidence that video game market continues to climb while the dvd sales go down. You also have to factor in that dvr is killing the need for many to go out and buy of a movie that comes on five times a month on the movie channels.
mrhammerstein @ Jan 8th 2008 3:20PM
just for those who didn't read the article...
$23.4 billion in consumer spending on DVD
$0.3 billion in consumer spending on HD (didn't break it down between formats)
i don't think we should be worried about DVD's quite yet. what a joke all the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray headlines are when you put it in perspective.
Truth Teller @ Jan 8th 2008 3:24PM
Satellite/cable PVR/DVRs are why - with a heafty helping hand from a publicv turned off by the sequel-laden, unimaginitve, infantile, shallow, instantly forgettable sh!te the studios keep churning out.
It has nothing to do with file-sharing or pirates.
BenW @ Jan 8th 2008 9:56PM
The novelty of owning movies on shiny discs has worn off. I rarely have time to re-watch movies I have purchased, so I rarely purchase. I don't think HD media will change that. Rental is the way to go.