Two studies conducted in 2011 found rising interest in both high-definition Blu-ray players and Blu-ray movies, said The NPD Group in a press release on Wednesday.
According to the research firm, a decline in DVD consumption (likely due to the simultaneous growth of online streaming options from Netflix and Hulu as well as a transition to Blu-ray) could be countered by old and new Blu-ray owners who are buying more content now than they did in the last two years.
The number of U.S. consumers using Blu-ray players increased to 15% from October 2010 to March 2011 - a 6% boost from results culled during the same time frame covered in the 2009/2010 version of The NPD's "Entertainment Trends in America" study. A complimentary "Blu-ray Disc Report" asserts nearly half of U.S. PlayStation 3 owners are using their systems for more than just video games (read: Blu-ray movies) and that stand-alone Blu-ray player sales rose 16% this year.
Russ Crupnick, an entertainment analyst with NPD, countered the "disappointing" news that the number of physical disc buyers dropped by nearly 15 million from 2009 by pointing out the relative lack of "hot titles" released in the first quarter of 2011. He admitted that while Blu-ray may never reach the level of success attained by DVD, the format is still "adding strength to the physical video-disc market."
"It wasn't too long ago that most consumers felt DVD was 'good enough,' and while it's true DVD is a terrific format, more consumers are now recognizing that Blu-ray does indeed deliver a superior experience," Crupnick said. "Certainly the fact that prices are now within the budgetary range acceptable to rank-and-file consumers is helping bolster the overall value proposition of the Blu-ray format."
Previous reports have also hinted at a bright future for Blu-ray. In April, The NPD published a study that stated DVD and Blu-ray led home entertainment spending, while Futuresource Consulting warned in March that a predicted increase in consumer interest could surpass the industry's capacity to satisfy it if steps aren't taken.
