Podcast #423: Home Theater Market Trends

Every so often we like to take a look at the top sellers at Amazon.com in various Home Theater categories.  We use this information as a thermometer to roughly gauge the market as a whole (at least that's what our crack market research team tells us we can do).  There are always some interesting tidbits of information that emerge.

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Today's Show:

News:

• Hulu pushes forward with $9.95 subscription service
• 'Avatar' Is The Best Selling Blu-ray of All-Time
• Flat-Panel TVs in the U.S.
• Sony Said to Announce TVs With Intel Chips, Google Tools in May

Other:

• Boost your energy with an antioxidant-rich, 100% natural energy drink. Visit apfusjon.com
• HDtracks.com - High resolution audiophile music downloads
• PS3 3.30 Firmware Includes Optical Bitstream Output

Top Sellers at Amazon.com

TVs

1. Sharp LC19SB27UT 19-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Black
   
   • 4.4 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)
   • Price: $167.00
2. Toshiba 15LV505 15.6-Inch Widescreen LCD TV with Built-in DVD Player (Black)
   • 4.4 out of 5 stars (282 customer reviews)
   • Price: $176.72
3. Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
   • 4.8 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
   • Price: $809.99
4. Hitachi L19D103 19-Inch 720p LCD Flat Panel HDTV/DVD Combo, Black
   
   • 4.6 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
   • Price: $189.99
5. Samsung LN46C630 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
   
   • 3.8 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
   • Price: $989.00
6. Samsung UN55B8000 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV
   
   • 4.2 out of 5 stars (134 customer reviews)
   • Price: $2,199.00
7. Proscan 32LB45Q 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Black
   
   • 3.5 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)
   • Price: $348.00
8. Sharp LC22DV27UT 22-Inch LCD HDTV with Built-In DVD Player, Black
   
   • 4.4 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
   • Price: $289.99
9. ViewSonic VT2430 24-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
   
   • 4.0 out of 5 stars (68 customer reviews)
   • Price: $248.21
10. Sony BRAVIA S-Series KDL-32S5100/9 Professional 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Black
    
    • Only 13 days in the top 100
    • Price: $479.99

Interesting data points:

• All 10 TVs are LCD
  • Plasma doesn't show up on the list until #16 (and it's a Samsung, not a Panasonic)
• 40% are still 720p TVs, but that's probably because...
• 70% of the TVs are less than 40" screens. Five are less than 30 inches.
• 2 of them are 120 Hz, only 1 is a 240 Hz model
• There are no 3D TVs on the list
  • The first 3D TV appears at #12, so they'll start to make the top 10 very soon
• Samsung might be slipping, only 3 of the top 10 this time

Receivers

1. Sony STR-DH100 2-Channel Audio Receiver
   
   • 4.3 out of 5 stars (41 customer reviews)
   • Price: $127.45
2. Onkyo TX-SR608 100-Watt 7.2-Channel A/V Home Theater Receiver
   
   • 3-D ready HDMI 1.4
   • Price: $499.00
3. Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver
   
   • 4.4 out of 5 stars (77 customer reviews)
   • HDMI 1.3
   • Price: $212.23
4. Sony STR-DH810 7.1-channel Blu-ray Disc A/V Receiver with 7 HD Inputs
   
   • 5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
   • HDMI 1.3
   • Price: $285.35
5. Onkyo TX-8255 Stereo Receiver
   
   • 4.7 out of 5 stars (51 customer reviews)
   • Price: $169.99
6. Onkyo TX-SR508 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
   
   • 3-D ready HDMI 1.4
   • Price: $349.00
7. Onkyo TX-SR308 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
   
   • 3-D ready HDMI 1.4
   • Price: $229.99
8. Pioneer VSX-820-K Audio Video Receiver
   
   • Available for Pre-order
   • 3-D ready HDMI 1.4
   • Price: $299.00
9. Yamaha HTR-6240BL 525-Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver
   
   • 4.0 out of 5 stars (51 customer reviews)
   • HDMI 1.3
   • Price: $237.29
10. Sony STR-DH510 5.1-channel High-Definition AV Receiver
    
    • 3.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
    • Price: $189.72

Interesting data points:

• SONY and Onkyo Rule this list
• The most expensive receiver costs $500 
• 7.1 systems are slowly becoming the norm
• All of the Onkyo multi-channel units (3 total) and the Pioneer (pre-order) support 3-D ready HDMI 1.4
• There are actually two 2-channel receivers on the list.

Blu-ray Players

1. Sony BDP-S360 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
   
   • 4.0 out of 5 stars (226 customer reviews)
   • Price: $129.99
2. Panasonic DMP-BD70V Blu-ray Disc/VHS Multimedia Player
   
   • 4.3 out of 5 stars (89 customer reviews)
   • Price: $139.99
3. Samsung BD-C5500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
   
   • 3.5 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)
   • Price: $161.00
4. Sony BDP-N460 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)
   
   • 4.3 out of 5 stars (201 customer reviews)
   • Price: $159.00
5. Panasonic DMP-BD85K WiFi Enabled Blu-Ray Disc Player
   
   • 4.4 out of 5 stars
   • Price: $244.45
6. Samsung BD-C6500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
   
   • 3.5 out of 5 stars (52 customer reviews)
   • Price: $224.00
7. Samsung BD-C6900 1080p 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
   
   • 3.4 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
   • Price: $399.99
8. Panasonic DMP-BD65 Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black)
   
   • 3.9 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
   • Price: $150.89
9. OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD, DVD-Audio, and VRS Technology
   
   • 4.8 out of 5 stars (235 customer reviews)
   • Price: $499.99
10. LG BD550 Blu-Ray Disc Player
    
    • 4.1 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
    • Price: $152.95

Interesting data points:

• Oppo BDP-83 is the most expensive unit on the list and its rated 4.8 stars by 235 users
• The top ten consists of 5 different manufacturers 
• Samsung has the most units on the list with three
• Eight of the top ten offer some sort of streaming service (Netflix, Amazon, Blockbuster, etc)
• There is, in fact, one 3D Blu-ray player on the list
• The Sony BDP-S360 has been in the top 100 for 388 days, despite the lack of streaming service.

Download Episode #423

Comments

[Tom in Sebring]

I wish there was way to see PS3 sales in relation to the Blu-Ray player list.

[NCCaniac]

Interesting trend numbers from Amazon, but I think there are some built in assumptions.

1) Top 10 TVs being under 40" (and most smaller than that)

This list shows, I think, people buying small LCD TVs to replace old small CRT TVs in other rooms of their house, not the main viewing room or home theater. These smaller TVs are much like ordering a PC monitor and I expect people are nervous to have large LCD TVs shipped by Amazon. More often people probably buy their main LCD TV on sale at a local big box store.

2) Receivers

The reason more expensive HT receivers don't show up on the list is people shopping for brands above Sony and Onkyo likely shop for those via other outlets than Amazon. But those are definitely the "mass market" receivers.

[mark h]

US shows in UK.

I think there are quite a few one for sure is Law & Order UK. Jamie Bamber ( BSG, Apollo) is one of the cast.