Manufacturer-to-dealer sales of DVD players continue to set record-breaking figures, according to a report released by the Consumer Electronics Association in late January.

17.1 million units were sold in 2002, the most since the format was officially introduced in 1997. Sales of DVD players continued to rise with more than 2.3 million units shipped to dealers for the month - a 25% increase, compared to the same period in 2001.

The CEA projects unit sales of DVD players will reach 20.1 million by the end of 2003.

Other digital video products, such as camcorders, also enjoyed solid growth during the 2002 calendar year, with year-to-date manufacturer-to-dealer sales of camcorders up by more than 9%, totaling approximately 5.8 million units. During the month of December, factory-to-dealer sales of camcorders increased approximately 32% over 2001 figures to 599,951 units. The continued success of digital television (DTV), driven largely by popular interest in DVD, promises to continue through 2003.