The European Information Technology Observatory says that Blu-ray player sales are about to take off in Europe, with Germany and the UK jointly leading the field.
EITO says that sales are set to double in the EU to 4.6 million units in 2010, up 110% over sales during 2009, with prices on Blu-ray devices falling by around 25% over the year.
EITO is basically a trade association which cuts deals with local market research companies to integrate their local research into Europe wide numbers and forecasts.
Sales of dedicated Blu-ray players will rise just 49% in revenue terms in 2010 to €770 million and the growth will continue through 2011.
EITO suggests average prices will hover at around €166 during 2010, a fall of 29% with prices in Germany and France, slightly higher averaging €170. Italy and Spain have the lowest priced devices with average prices at the €150 level.
‘The Blu-ray disc is well on its way to replacing the DVD. Many consumers already have HD-capable flatscreen TVs and now want to reap the full benefits of the technology,’ says EITO chairman Bruno Lamborghini.
Germany and the UK together account for almost half of all sales in the European union. In Germany, sales are set to double in 2010, up 105% to 1.1 million units, worth around €183 million, a value jump of 59% while in the UK sales will also rise to 1.1 million units, up less, at 87% and bringing in slightly more at €190 million, a value rise of 57%. The French market will be the next largest at 700,000 units and revenues up 84% to €119 million. EITO forecasts that sales will double in Italy, climbing 61% to €42 million. The currently low figure in Spain, meanwhile, looks likely to rise by 89% to 100,000 units. Sales there should increase by 18% and bring in €15 million of revenue.