Data from the American video market concerning physical media for the year 2023 are now known, published by the media Media Play News and compiled by the organization NPD VideoScan. On the program, an unprecedented market share for 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray discs.
From January 1 to December 31, 2023, sales of 4K Ultra discs in the USA represented 14.6% of the physical media market. A figure never reached for the format since its launch. At the same time, classic Blu-Ray accounted for 30.3% of volumes, 55.1% for DVD. If DVD had experienced a boost during the Covid-19 period, in 2023 it will return to a level comparable to that of 2019. Nothing new under the sun for the SD cake, which is not far from being hopeless. The increase in sales of 4K Ultra HD discs is therefore occurring to the detriment of Blu-Ray via a phenomenon of communicating vessels. The latter nevertheless remains measured and the orders of magnitude between Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD hardly change from one year to the next, i.e. between 2022 and 2023.
4K market shares Ultra HD 2022 forecast ££££ Another graph presented by the NPD VideoScan organization demonstrates that 4K Ultra HD support achieved its best quarter of all time for the last three months of 2023 with a market share of 20.3%. A score that bodes well for the year 2024. The graph below also shows that it is during the holiday period that 4K Ultra HD media experiences its strongest sales, unlike DVD.
Physical video market United States: price or quality££££ The study of these graphs illustrates the duality of the physical video market in the United States. A first category of consumers, the majority, sensitive primarily to the price of the product, favors DVD media; another category looking for superior audio-video quality turns to Blu-Ray and/or Ultra HD media. The prices displayed by DVDs explain its incredible commercial dynamism throughout recent years. Curious that publishers, obviously aware of this situation, are playing to maintain the prices of 4K Ultra HD titles... We must believe that this market structuring suits them... Namely, the market shares compiled by the NPD organization VideoScan are understood in volume (in number of units sold), and not in value.
