The recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was a big hit. Everything is getting smaller, thinner and faster, and touchscreen technology is everywhere.

It’s certainly gratifying to see the foundation of our business – our touchscreen know-how – being applied to everything from sleek 3D tablets to practically self-playing guitars.
 
And what is also exciting for all of us is the constant reinforcement that the DVD Rental kiosk market is thriving. The annual sales figures and industry statistics revealed at the CES by the Digital Entertainment Group showed a year-on-year increase of 31% for the DVD Rental Kiosk category, representing $1.7 billion in fees. Definitely the biggest improvement.
 
Traditional rental retail outlets sales dropped by 29% – no real surprise given the massive closures we’ve been seeing – but still accounted for $1.6 billion.
 
The DVD-by-mail category grew by 4% to earn $2.4 billion. And sales of Blu-rays grew by 20% to exceed $2 billion for the first time since they were launched in 2006. There are now 40 million devices that can play Blu-ray discs in homes, up 38% compared to 2010.
 
And even though the sale of discs overall fell 13%, the category still generated nearly $9 billion. That’s nine BILLION! What does all this tell us? That there’s a huge appetite in North America (and elsewhere around the world) for watching movies in the comfort of our own homes.
 
So as we sit back to catch the glamour of the Golden Globes, the excitement of the SAGs and the Hollywood extravaganza of the Oscars ceremonies, we should be writing our own thank-you speeches to all those who make it happen… you know who you are.
 
Compiled with statistics from the Chicago Tribune, Hollywood Reporter and Digital Entertainment Group.