May 29, 2002 05:20pm
DVD Sales and Interactive Discs Soon to Overtake VHS
Source: AVN
by: Company Press Release
(CHATSWORTH, CA) -- DVD versions of adult videos are fast closing in on VHS versions and sales of the digital discs should overtake tapes within five to seven years, according to Adult Video News, the leading adult industry authority. If past trends continue, the shift will soon be reflected in mainstream videos.
In a cover story in its June DVD supplement, AVN reporter Dan Miller says "DVD is on track to become the dominant format by the end of the decade. Already, some adult companies say releasing every title in both the VHS and DVD formats simultaneously - known in the parlance as day-in-date - is a short-term goal."
Observers see the events of last Sept. 11 as one reason for the surge in DVD sales, when Americans became more inclined to stay at home for their entertainment. In addition, adult consumers have become more discriminating and demand the additional features provided by DVD such as interviews with talent, multiple angles, director's commentaries, bios, bloopers, bonus scenes and other extras that are helping to expand adult's consumer base.
While most adult companies declined to divulge specific sales figures, each firm indicated to AVN that DVD is closing the VHS sales gap fast. Also, according to the Video Software Dealers Association, the home entertainment industry's trade group, consumers rented more DVDs (mainstream and adult) in the first quarter of 2002 than in any other quarter since the format's introduction in 1997.
"The movers and shakers in Porn Valley are scrambling to meet the DVD demand," notes AVN"s Miller. "As DVD consumers become more sophisticated, producers face the constant challenge of keeping them interested. The primary way they do that is by packing the discs with more and more extras." the magazine says these extras "give viewers a closer look at the personalities behind their porn, interviews with talent for instance, break down negative stereotypes of what the adult industry is about." Says one industry executive, DVD shows that "'it's not seedy. It's not underground. Nobody's hurting anybody. That story was never told, really, until DVD came out.'
"The current generation of porn viewers could be easily spoiled with the variety of options now available. Fans now can simulate an entire sex act, selecting everything from the mood of the girl to the music. They can press a button that makes her orgasm, or put the model in the position of their choice," AVN reports.
According to AVN, adult will lead the way in DVD growth because as one executive said, "First of all, mainstream doesn't want to take risks. They're very conservative. If we had the distribution channels that mainstream had it would be phenomenal. I think that's the only difference between adult and mainstream. They can get out there more and let people see it where we can't. We're limited. But can we hold our own? Definitely."
About AVN:
Adult Video News is the leading independent authority in adult entertainment. The company publishes the monthly magazines AVN and AVN Online along with an industry newsletter, operates the leading adult industry trade shows Adult Entertainment Expo and Internext, provides content through the Websites AVN.com, AVNonline.com, AVNInsider.com and AVNLive.com, and hosts the annual AVN Awards ceremony every January in Las Vegas. For more information visit AVN.com.
Contact:
Patti Rogers, 212-338-0050, PR@AVN.com
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