The DVD Entertainment Goup has just released the latest numbers surrounding the DVD format, and hardly surprising, DVD is still growing impressively and has seen a 188 percent growth over last year. Experiencing yet another record breaking quarter, an additional 1.18 million DVD-Video players were shipped to retail in the first quarter 2000 bringing the total units shipped in North America since the format’s launch to nearly 6.7 million according to figures compiled by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). DVD-Video experienced a 188 percent rate of growth in the first quarter 2000 vs. the first quarter 1999 — shipping 772,000 more hardware units than shipped in the first quarter 1999. If growth continues at this rate, there could be as many as 11 million DVD-Video players shipped to retailers in North America this calendar year.

Available to consumers for nearly three years, the DVD-Video installed base in North America (United States and Canada) has reached nearly 6.5 million players. According to the DVD Entertainment Group, the total installed base is expected to reach more than 12 million by year-end. There are now nearly 70 DVD-Video player models marketed under 30 different consumer electronics brands. DVD-Video players are widely available at mass merchants, electronics specialty stores, over the Internet and many other locations throughout the United States.

According to figures compiled by Ernst & Young on behalf of the DVD Entertainment Group, nearly 30 million DVD movies and music videos shipped in the first three months of 2000. This figure represents a 200 percent increase over the number of titles shipped in the same quarter last year. Since the format’s launch in 1997, software shipments have reached more than 160 million units, according to the DVD Entertainment Group. As earlier predicted by the DVD Entertainment Group, the industry is on target to double its 1999 sales by shipping at least 200 million DVD movies and music videos this year, representing $4 billion in revenue for the retailers selling DVD-Video, approximately half of the total revenue generated from the VHS sell-through. With all the major movie studios and music labels supporting the DVD-Video format, there are nearly 6,000 titles now available. The DVD Entertainment Group predicts that number to grow to more than 8,500 by the end of 2000.