DVDs Versus VCRs

With the rise of new breed video electronics, are old-fashioned technologies disappearing? Are DVDs killing off VCRs? New TGI data from Spring 2002 helps find the answers. Only one in ten (14 percent) of UK homes owns a DVD player at present, compared to nearly all (90 percent) households owning a VCR.

The latest research also shows that two thirds (64 percent) of those with a DVD player acquired it in the last 12 months. In contrast, over half of all VCR owners bought their VCR more than 2 years ago. And over 40 percent of VCR owners have bought a VCR within the last 2 years.

Studying TGI data from 2001 underlines just how fast the DVD market is actually growing in the UK. The figures reveal that only 2 percent of homes contained a DVD player up until Spring last year. Just over half of these had actually acquired it within the previous 12 months. However, three months and into the Summer of 2001, five percent of homes claimed to own a DVD player. Ownership continued to grow to nearly ten percent by Autumn 2001, reaching 12 percent by the year-end.

In terms of the retail tags, prices for the players are thought to have been higher in 2001 than now, with just 14 percent of households having spent under £250 on their DVD player. This compares to a level of only a quarter during 2002 so far.

Purchase of software is also tracked by TGI. Of those adults who have a DVD player, just under a fifth were heavy buyers, having purchased nine or more discs over the last 12 months. A far greater proportion (nearly half) bought three or more though. Among VCR owners, far fewer light software buyers are evident, with only a third having bought a few (3 plus) videotapes over the year.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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