April DTV Sales Up 45 Percent, Says CEA

CEA reports that manufacturer-to-dealer sales of DTV products totaled 170,296 for the month of April, representing a 45 percent increase compared to the same period in 2002. Dollar revenues for the month totaled more than $250.6 million, up 17 percent from last year.

Year-to-date factory-to-dealer sales of DTV products now total 833,608 units with dollar revenues of nearly 1.3 billion. These year-to-date figures represent a 58 percent increase in units and a 34 percent increase in dollars compared to the same period in 2002. The CEA expects manufacturers to reach the one million mark "well in advance of the close of the second quarter."

Factory-to-dealer sales of DTV products hit the one million mark in July 2002. From production introduction to date, DTV product sales total 5,611,726 units with dollar revenues nearing $10 billion. The CEA projects 4 million units will be sold in 2003, 5.4 million in 2004, 8 million in 2005 and 10.5 million in 2006.

CEA says approximately 68,000 of the DTV products sold so far this year are capable of receiving over-the-air digital broadcasts.