"This is the Year of Blu-Ray." Does that sound to you like a train that's long overdue in the station?
Sure, Japan's media association (JRIA) claims 98 million will be sold this year and 310 million by 2012. And Bitkom claims Europe will sell 890 million euros this year, up 70%.
But it is hard to trust these statistics when so many have predicted so much for Blu-Ray, and all has fallen short.
So when we hear that one of the Top 5 European BD-R brands (June 2009 report by the GfK) says it is expecting more than 300% sales growth this year (after 400% last year), maybe it's time to listen.
MediaRange's Markus Speer, CEO and Purchasing Manager, says prices for Blu-ray hardware are falling sharply leading to increased demand. Blu-ray is not only the new standard in our living rooms. Today, BD-ROM drives or burners are also found in most desktop PCs and Notebooks. Additionally, more and more games and films are appearing in Blu-ray format.
And it's time for all those consumers who held back in the recession to renew their aging home systems.
Will 2010 be the year of Blu-Ray? Once in a Blu-Moon, the market research companies get it right and we're betting MediaRange is right. Both 2010 and 2011 will be good years for Blu-Ray and BD-R media.
Go MediaRange
