CEA Publishes Digital America 2003 Online

Arlington, Va., June 19, 2003 - Digital America 2003, released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), showcases the growth and opportunity of the consumer electronics market, from DTVs and video games to wireless phones and satellite radio. Available online at http://www.ce.org/digitalamerica , Digital America 2003 offers trends, analysis and data on sales volume, the market and consumer satisfaction for video, audio, wireless, mobile electronics, home networking, home theater and accessories. For the first time, the publication also highlights digital imaging and gaming.

2002 was a challenging year for many consumer electronics (CE) companies, however, the overall industry grew with total sales up more than 3 percent over 2001 to reach more than $96 billion. And although the economy still is facing challenges, the consumer technology industry looks to be a bright spot with sales expected to reach nearly $100 billion for 2003 - a 3.5 percent rise over 2002.

Highlights Some excerpts from Digital America 2003 include:

DVD players are hot. Consumers now are buying more than twice as many DVD players as VCRs. DVD players are the fastest growing new consumer technology product with 39 percent growth representing more than 17 million units.

Digital camcorders make up more than half of all camcorder units sold as consumers embrace the better picture quality, smaller size and editing ability that the technology offers.

HDTV, digital high-definition television, represents the most dramatic analog-to-digital transition. In mid-year, for the first time, digital TV (DTV) revenues for the month exceeded those of analog sets.

Gaming engages more than 60 percent of Americans. The competitive landscape in video games has intensified with the introduction of online gaming in the new generation of consoles. As Playstation 2 and Xbox continue to vie for preeminence among dedicated game players, hardware and software sales exceeded $11 billion last year and are expected to pass $13 billion in 2003.

Digital music players, generally known as "MP3 players," blossomed in 2002, with unit sales more than doubling to more than 1.6 million units as average prices plummeted.

Wireless devices include the newest generation of wireless phone to Web-enabled Pocket PCs and Palm devices, to tiny dedicated text messages, products to keep us in touch with our home and office without wires have become "must-have" appliances for many Americans. CEA predicts 2003 sales of wireless phones will increase by 6 percent to 60 million units on dollar sales of $8.8 billion.

Accessories make things work better and longer, make them easier to use, or make them easier to take with us as digital technology packs more power into portable packages. CEA projects the market will swell to $1.6 billion in 2003.

Home Networks connect many of these technologies in an electronically controlled home. The Internet, low cost and ease of installation are driving growth.

To find out more about these technologies and others, visit www.CE.org . Digital America 2003 is available free online, with a print version priced at $49.99. To purchase, e-mail: cea@ce.org , tel: (703) 907-7600, fax: (703) 907-7675.

About CEA: The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 1,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $85 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.

CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.