You may not be surprised to know that in American households today, DVD players are nearly as ubiquitous as televisions. In fact, a 2006 Neilsen Media Research report indicated that 81.2 percent of all U.S. households own at least one DVD player – with many having two or more. The DVD is an integral part of home entertainment. According to The Digital Entertainment Group, 33 million DVD players were sold to U.S. consumers in 2007, putting the total number of DVD players in U.S. homes to 230 million, counting portable units and televisions with built-in DVD players.

 

There are several factors contributing to the growth of the stay-at-home movie industry. Beyond the growing number of available titles, today the motion picture industry is releasing new movies into the home market faster than ever before – with an increasing number of film titles bypassing theaters altogether.

Technology has played a major role as well. The quality of the home-theater experience has grown tremendously over the past several years, while the costs have been rapidly coming down. Large screen, flat-panel, high-definition televisions are one of the hottest electronic consumer products in the market today. Every year the screens get larger and the quality better. Add any one of the sleek, powerful and affordable surround sound systems on the market and any room can be easily transformed into an impressive home theater without spending a fortune. A high-end home theater is no longer a luxury available only to the wealthy.

 

It’s interesting that as home theater screens are getting larger and less costly, the screens at most movie theaters are shrinking while average ticket-prices are going through the roof. Moviegoers are choosing to gather with friends in the comfort of their hometheaters or snuggle-up on the couch with a glass of wine and their choice of gourmet snacks.

 

Patrick Avery, editor, Self-Service World and Kiosk Marketplace