In terms of mass marketing, the success of the basic DVD player was unmistakable this past year, as DVD player prices fell below $50 during the christmas holidays. As a result of the associated demand for DVD movies, which also reached astronomical sales figures, major retailers continued to shove VHS movies into the corner with some retailers discontinuing the sales of VHS movies althogether in favor of DVDs. For some great suggestions on how you can participate in the continuing DVD revolution in 2004, check out my favorite Budget DVD Players.
DVD Recorders Go Mainstream
Even as HDTV and Flat Panel TVs continued to make news, perhaps a more important trend was the DVD Recorder aggressively pushing the VCR faster towards its eventual demise. With Philips, Pioneer, and Panasonic leading the way with several models and lower price points, sales of DVD recorders experienced solid growth, despite the continuing concerns over the lack one standardized recordable DVD format. However, to that end, Sony introduced a DVD recorder, the RDR-GX7, that could record in three of the five currently available DVD recording formats. In addition, the emergence of DVD recorders combined with computer-type hard drives appealed to many consumers.
2004 is definitely going to be the breakout year for DVD recorders; if you aren't ready, check out some useful DVD Recorder FAQs as well as some of my DVD Recorder suggestions.
DVD/VCR Combos - The Marriage Of Old And New
Along with the success of DVD players, the success of the DVD/VCR combo continued to grow in 2003. With low pricing and obvious functional advantages over having to purchase both a DVD player and a VCR, many consumers replaced their old VCRs with DVD/VCR combos - preserving the old and gaining access to the new. If your old VCR is about to bite the dust in 2004 and you still have a lot of VHS tapes to play, you might consider the DVD/VCR Combo option.
However, just as DVD recorders and DVD/VCR combos have solidified in the market, a new variation "slipped in through the back door" at the end of 2003 as both Sansui and GoVideo brought DVD/VHS Dual Recorders to the market. In other words, instead of owning just a DVD recorder or a DVD player/VHS recorder combo, the consumer was presented with the added choice of buying a DVD recorder/VHS recorder combo. Although pickings are a little slim in this category, with only two models to choose from as of the posting of this article, be sure to be on the lookout as the major DVD player makers, such as Panasonic, possibly jump in with their own DVD/VCR dual recorders in 2004.
Home Theater Audio
Five channels, six channels, seven channels...home theater audio continued to offer options and flexibility in 2003 only dreamed of just a few years ago. Manufacturers, such as Yamaha, Onkyo, Marantz, Denon, and others continued to ramp up the power and increase the number of channels as AV receivers in the below-$1,000 price range featured increased performance and flexibility of receivers costing twice as much just two years ago. This past year, Marantz included SRS Circle Surround II in some of its AV receivers, in addition to Dolby Digital and DTS, while Dolby Labs unveiled its new Dolby Prologic IIx surround technology, which will be incorporated in new home theater receiver lines in 2004.
Lastly, the inclusion of such features such as complete video switching and second zone output capability built into more budget priced AV receivers was a welcome development this past year. Trends for both increased surround setup options and both audio and video convenience features will continue to benefit the consumer who purchases a home theater receiver in 2004. For examples of what is currently available in midrange home theater receivers, check out my current favorites.
However, for those that were looking for a more modest and affordable approach to home theater in 2003, the increase in the number and type of complete home theater-in-a-box systems on store shelves priced from $200 to $2,000 dollars, gave even the most gadget-phobia consumer access to the home theater experience. If you haven't experienced the joys of home theater sound, make 2004 your year to jump in. Here is a resource to get you started - Home Theater - Easy And Inexpensive. Of course, once you experience these "budget systems" it is only a matter of time until the "need" for a "better" system becomes evident...
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