Consumers Prefer Digital Copy On a Video Rather Than Downloading From Internet

Based on new consumer survey information from The NPD Group, in market research for the entertainment industry, 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). 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.

Data 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.