Shipments of Recording Media Declining Except Blu-Ray and Flash Cards

Japan Recording-Media Industries Association (JRIA) has made shipment projection of recording media up to 2014 based on estimated shipments in 2011.

Shipments of recording media are on a declining trend except for Blu-ray discs and flash memory cards because of fast increasing use of online music distribution services. CD-R disc demand is also declining as data can be directly transferred via email or stored on a HDD or flash memory cards, which are well used with for portable music players. The trend for the DVD disc can be similar with CD discs.

Blu-ray disc is still on the progressing phase as demand for player/recorder for BD is on the rise. Another factor is increased embetted BD disc drives on PCs and flat-panel TVs. Japan is the major consumers for BDs taking some 90% in 2011 and 80% in 2014 so suppliers should take some measures to expand foreign demand.

The association forecasts of flash memory cards demand for the domestic only, which is estimated dropped 10% in 2011 and will be leveled in 2012 and after. Flash memory cards are now widely used with mobile phones, including smartphones, and tablet computers. Demand for larger memory capacities is gaining; products less than 1GB became zero in 2011 and 4GB took 46% of the total. The trend continues year by year and in 2014, 16GB+ products will take 27% as cards are used with Dcams and smartphones to store movies, etc.

                         Image Recording Media Demand Projection

 
  Note: Blank media only, in million units, % year-to-year

                          Small Flash Memory Card Demand in Japan
 
  Note: in thousand units, %=growth ratio