The global full high-definition (HD) camcorder market is expected to reach one million units in 2007, according to Ryuhei Nakazawa, associate directors and general manager Portable AV Business Group , at a recent product launch event in Taiwan.
With LCD and PDP (plasma display panel) TVs migrating to 1080p resolution, JVC is confident about the market penetration of 1080p camcorders, Nakazawa stated. With major Japan-based brands developing 1080p models, global full HD camcorder demand stands a good chance of hitting the one-million-unit benchmark in 2007, he added.
Demand for developed countries such as Japan, Europe and the US will remain the strongest, with the demand scale of the markets to reach 550,000, 200,000 and 250,000 units, respectively, while other more developed economic regions such as Taiwan and Hong Kong will also contribute to demand, Nakazawa indicated.
Although competitors such as Sony, Panasonic and Canon have rolled out HD camcorders, the resolution of those products is only 1,440×1,080, while the new camcorder from JVC is world's first 1,920×1,080 recorder. The device also comes with a 60GB hard disc (HD) and supports a recording time of around five hours, Nakazawa stressed.
In related news, Nakazawa expects HD camcorders to snatch the leading position from DVD recorders in 2008 (shipments: 7.2 million units versus 5.6 million units), with demand for the two segments to each reach 4.2 million units in 2007.
The HD and DVD camcorder industries will continue to grow strongly in the next three to five years, with the overall camcorder market size to stay at 15 million units per year, Nakazawa said.
Article translated by Carrie Yu and edited by Michael McManus
