The DVD recorder market in the United States is poised for a major boom, as one in eight Americans wants to buy one of the devices, a new survey has found.
About 13 percent of people surveyed by TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence said they were likely to purchase a DVD recorder in the next 12 months, CNET News.com reported. The market researcher sampled about 2000 American adults for the report, which was released last week.
“It’s astounding that a very significant portion of the U.S. consumer population intends to buy a DVD recorder despite several irritants such as lack of universal standards and compatibility, and high price,” Technometrica analyst Constantine Kambanis told CNET. “This underscores the potential size and importance of this emerging market.”
Kambanis acknowledged, however, that there still is a great deal of confusion in the market over DVD recording formats.
TechnoMetrica found that consumers are sensitive to price; only 37 percent said they were willing to pay more than $300 for a DVD recorder. The average price of the devices hovers around $475.
Depending on how low prices drop, about 4.5 million units will likely be sold within the next 12 months, resulting in sales of approximately $2 billion, the research firm estimated.
For nearly 60 percent of the consumers surveyed, ease of use is the most important feature that they look for in a DVD recorder. Another 48 percent voted for image quality. In addition, one-third of interviewees wanted a DVD recorder capable of playing different media.
