Despite the industrial battle lines that have been drawn between Blu-ray DVD and HD (high-definition) DVD, standard DVD burners will remain the dominant volume product of choice among consumers in the optical/removable storage market until 2011.
This will be due to commodity prices and the universal compatibility of DVD burners, said analyst IDC.
However, significant momentum behind rival next-generation blue laser formats like Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD is mounting.
Marketing activities in both camps are accelerating and more companies are joining one of the two or more format groups in a battle reminiscent of the VHS versus Betamax rivalry of the Eighties.
“Similar to DVD and DVD burners, blue laser DVD will need a three- to five-year ramp to reach mass-market volumes,” said Wolfgang Schlichting, research director for Removable Storage at IDC.
“HD DVD needs to aggressively push volumes to neutralise Blu-ray Disc’s advantage in support from consumer electronics (CE) and content companies.”
IDC predicts continued PC market growth that will give the CD/DVD drive market a positive outlook in 2007 and beyond, particularly in the market for slim drives for laptops.
Blu-ray Disc, IDC warned, will need to maintain support from its impressive line-up of CE champions and content companies, and this will ensure that the PlayStation3 generates additional momentum and stays in easy reach of consumer pricing.
HD DVD will need to show a clear price advantage over Blu-ray Disc products, be more consumer-friendly and provide easy licensing to second tier manufacturers, IDC concluded.
By John Kennedy
