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More than half of consumers have heard of Blu-ray - April 15, 2008

More good news for Blu-ray: 60% of US consumers now know it exists, according to a new study by research firm Interpret. 
Far fewer are buying players, though, with Blu-ray penetration in the U.S. at 9%. The format is somewhat limited by the number of consumers with HDTVs, which is estimated at 39% of U.S. households, according to Interpret. Format awareness is rising in other countries also. In the U.K., 56% of consumers are aware of Blu-ray, while in Japan 45% are aware. But in France just 30% of consumers have heard of it. High def penetration is much lower there, with just 21% of French households owning an HDTV.
Even as they upgrade, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD owners are still buying standard def DVDs in the U.S., the U.K. and Japan, Interpret says. In the U.S., consumers are buying 8.7 HD discs versus 7.7 DVDs over the last six months. In the U.K. and Japan, consumers are buying more DVDs than HD discs.
"Winning the format war was just the first step for Blu-ray. Now, movie studios worldwide need to work together to address the structural challenges to the format's growth," Interpret CEO Michael Dowling said. -J.N.
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