The ability to transfer digita
Based on new consumer survey information from The NPD Group, U.S.
consumers who have purchased a video on DVD or Blu-ray Disc (BD)
are enthusiastic about Digital Copy, which is a new feature
available on many new video releases. In addition to the ability
to play the video on a DVD or BD player, Digital Copy provides
owners with a legal digital duplicate of the content, which can be
played on their iPods, smartphones and other portable devices, as
well as on personal computers.
According to NPD more than half of DVD or BD buyers have watched a
full-length TV show or movie on a portable device. One-third of
DVD or BD buyers in the U.S. are aware of the Digital Copy
feature. Three out of four DVD or BD buyers who view movies or TV
shows on a portable device expressed interest in buying a physical
disc with Digital Copy. More than 80 percent of consumers who have
already purchased a Digital Copy version claimed they were
interested in purchasing other titles published with this feature.
"At this point every major studio is offering video buyers the
option for a portable, digital copy of films and TV shows," said
Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD. "For
consumers who don?t have the time or know-how to download
full-length movies or TV shows, Digital Copy provides a flexible
and safe solution for transferring a legal version from a
purchased disc to a portable device."
By large margins consumers prefer to receive a digital copy on a
video they?ve purchased (79 percent), rather than by downloading
from the Internet (21 percent) ,NDP saiid. Among consumers who are
interested in the feature, 38 percent also pointed to the benefit
of having the disc as a back-up for their Digital Copy. In
addition, 27 percent of interested consumers said they?d be more
inclined to buy a portable device, in order to take advantage of
the Digital Copy feature.
"The consumer preference for moving their Digital Copies to other
devices, as opposed to downloading via the Web, shows there are
still opportunities for the industry to promote and extend the
value of the physical DVDs and BD platforms," Crupnick said.
NDP's report is based on surveys of more than 1,500 U.S. consumers
(age 13 and older) who had purchased a DVD or Blu-ray Disc within
the past year.