According to the CEA, Blu-ray players have made the Top Ten list of “devices people want” for the first time this year. 2.7 million stand-alone Blu-ray players were sold in the U.S. last year; 3.7 million have been sold so far this year. Since 40-50% of all sales for the year happen in the 4th quarter, the CEA believes the final total of BD stand-alone players sold in 2009 could hit 6-7 million units, possibly as high as 10 million units depending on supply, bundling deals, and retailer aggressiveness. PS3 sales were also surpassed by stand-alone BD players for the first time in 2009.

In 2002 and 2010, which Futuresource has determined as year five for DVD and Blu-ray, respectively, DVD players (including PS2) reached 32.6% of households and Blu-ray (including PS3) will have reached 34.1%. According to Futuresource, Blu-ray penetration steadily rises through 2013 (year eight) to 67.8%.

According to Best Buy, their research shows that only 32% of its consumers are familiar with Blu-ray this year (up from 29% in 2008 and 19% in 2007) so there is a lot of room for upside. 60% of consumers who are familiar with Blu-ray have at least some intent to purchase the format in the next year, especially if the price is below $150.

A new Blu-ray player software solution from Related Content Database (RCDb) and Videon Central enables Blu-ray players to load applications and connect with third-party services and content. Currently, BD Live material is generally accessed through software embedded into Blu-ray discs. Users must insert BD Live-enabled discs into players to view Web-based bonus features. With design partner Videon Central, RCDb has come up with a disc-free solution that will increase the number of ways studios can offer content to Blu-ray hardware owners. Going forward, studios could offer extra content to Blu-ray households that isn’t tied to a specific Blu-ray disc.

At Blu-Con 2.0, Best Buy said they were expecting 95% U.S. household penetration of HDTVs by 2013. The CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) predicts 60% penetration by the end of 2009. And according to the CEA, despite popularity, DVRs are still only in about 30% of U.S. households.

At Blu-Con 2.0, InStat reported the percentage of consumers interested in 3D:
- 10% extremely interested
- 15% very interested
- 39% somewhat interested
- 26% not very interested
- 10% not interested

The interest is very price sensitive however…
- 25% said they wouldn’t pay any premium for a 3DTV
- 33% said they wouldn’t spend more money for a 3D disc over its 2D version

Along these lines, some CE manufacturers are planning “3D theater in a box” promotions: a 3D HDTV, a 3D-ready Blu-ray player, and 2 or 4 active shutter glasses.

According to Sonic Solutions, 3M Blu-ray players that support CinemaNow streaming will have shipped by June; 300,000 have shipped so far this year.

In related news, Best Buy also will be working with manufacturers of HDTVs, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes and gaming consoles to integrate CinemaNow streaming into their devices.