DVD replication is suited to the on-demand model. Burn times have been reduced and the cost of components has fallen, so it is now a relatively quick and affordable procedure. The development of selfcontained replication units has made it possible for DVDs to be manufactured on-demand, and on-site, in retail stores and warehouses.

After missing the Christmas selling season, the publisher has stepped up output of new titles to pull well ahead of its main rivals in the first quarter

Contenders have bid $20bn for frequencies released bythe forthcoming analogue switch-off. Verizon bid the most money, AT&T secured the most licences

Companies are exploring eco-options for discs and packaging but real change is some way off

Marketing and consumer awareness have little effect on initial uptake of PVRs

Eight operators have a major presence in two or more European countries; Terra Firma owns 15 per cent of the top 100 screens in seven markets

Retail DVD prices are rising as rental prices are falling, in a market that retains strength in rental

Research shows that time-shift recording can increaseviewing, including commercials, but the evidence is mixed

The global market for digital set-top boxes for pay TV was 90m units in 2007. This will increase to almost 100m in 2008. Box requirements are developing rapidly. As component prices fall, pay TV operators are able to afford increasing capability.

Most consumers now prefer to own video rather than rent, as our 15-year analysis shows

Without the competition from satellite that exists elsewhere, cable has built a strong position in China and now has 142m subscribers, of which 26m are digital households. Despite the size of the overall cable market in China, the cable industry is highly fragmented. In 2001, large networks with 200,000 or more households accounted for less than 10 per cent of Chinese cable networks. Today, more than 50 per cent of networks have fewer than 20,000 households.

Another significant takeover bid shows the continuing moves to consolidate the games industry, especially by seeking synergies

New delivery technology and handset designs are still the focus of attention in the mobile world

A change of approach in the UK in the way to persuade consumers against pirated video has had a measurable effect

Local loop unbundlers are beginning to erode the market share of incumbent telcos

Key DTH satellite broadcasters face continuing challenges for pay TV rights, especially in sports

With a five-fold increase in the number of 3D digital screens opened during the past year, interest in Europe is now picking up pace

Increased availability of content has changed the pay-per-view landscape

Online search giants-Google, Microsoft and Yahoo-are eager to conquer the mobile market

Sega, having sidestepped the Christmas market, is leading the industry with the most releases for the current-generation games consoles - eight of them based on new intellectual property - in the first quarter of the new year. Nintendo's Wii is catching up with Microsoft's Xbox 360 in terms of number of releases, although the aggressive support for Wii over Christmas has not persisted into the new year.

There were 78 high-definition channels on air in Europe at the end of Year Two, the year's launches roughly divided between free-to-air, basic pay and premium platforms. But the real channel surge is yet to come. New operators and major sporting events will boost the profile of HDTV in 2008.

Meteoric growth that has put France way ahead of the world in IPTV continues but new additions are levelling off

The record industry is exploring business models beyond retail, notably finding ways to make free downloads pay

Australian retail sales top other mature markets, with TVDVDs in particular driving 30 per cent growth

Export markets have dropped away at a time when production has hit a peak