Rental sales for VHS tapes are similarly expected to drop to US$10.7 billion this year from US$11.6 billion last year, while DVD rental revenues are expected to reach US$2.14 billion this year, up from US$782 million last year, Durken said.
High-end DVD players with superior audio can run into the thousands of dollars. But DVD players are easily found for under US$150 at retailers such as Circuit City or Costco, where DVD options now outnumber VCRs.
Affordability helped fuel the boom.
DVD players quickly fell in price, unlike VCRs playing VHS tapes, which debuted in 1978 at prices above US$1000 and took two decades before selling below US$100.
Another factor is the growing familiarity among consumers with computer DVD-ROM drives, which were introduced in 1998 and have replaced CD-ROM drives in most new computers.
Recordable DVD computer drives are also hitting the market, albeit at a steep cost of US$500 or more -- and with competing recordable formats.
Game consoles, such as the Sony Playstation2 and Microsoft's Xbox, also play DVDs.
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