Pro Camcorder Market Volume Up 4 Percent in Q 0

DUNSTABLE, BEDFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND The Q2 of 2013 for the professional camcorder market saw market volumes increase by 14 percent from the previous quarter, according to new research from Futuresource Consulting.

The market reached an all-time high in 2011, and this uplift comes after three consecutive quarters of decline.

The pro camcorder market is becoming increasingly commoditized as lower end products are capable of much more than they have been historically, both in terms of image quality and functionality, said Adam Cox, head of broadcast equipment at Futuresource Consulting.

Between 2010 and H1 2013, global ASP has fallen by over 20 percent more than $1,000. However, if volume growth keeps up with the decline in price then the industry stays in a reasonable shape, Cox said. Unfortunately, on a global level this is not the case. When looking at H1 2012 and the corresponding period in 2013, global volume dropped by 3 percent while market value dropped by 13 percent, the discrepancy directly caused by price erosion.

There are positive signs in the global market, with decreasing ASPs striking a chord with emerging markets such as China and India, which has resulted in growth in APAC. China is now the world's largest market for pro camcorders and has experienced 19 percent volume growth between 2010 and 2012. India is now the third largest market, after experiencing 189 percent volume growth over the same period. APAC accounted for over half pro camcorder volumes in H1 2013.

Volume growth in APAC is vital to the sector, as the more established major markets have either been showing only modest growth 3 percent in Western Europe over the same time period or are in decline down 9 percent in the U.S.A., Cox said. This is partly due to prevailing economic conditions, but also due to market saturation and competition from DSLRs.

In the short to mid-term the gauntlet has been thrown down to the pro camcorder vendors: give people a reason to buy cameras, and thus keep volume growth going, or face the consequences. Innovation is becoming increasingly important, especially as the threat from non-traditional products such as DSLRs continues to gain traction. Luckily, the pace of change in the professional video market is rapid. While 3D may not have lived up to the hype, 4K, wireless connectivity, HDR and HEVC are just some of the many technological advances that are permeating through the industry, giving pro camcorder vendors ample opportunity to develop significant improvements to camcorder performance and functionality.

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