This IDC study presents the 2005–2009 forecast for the worldwide portable multimedia player (PMP) market. The market forces investigated in this study include the emerging content story, the evolution of PMP hardware, competition, and new distribution channels for the devices. The PMP market is forecast by region (United States; Europe, the Middle East, and Africa [EMEA]; Asia/Pacific; and the rest of the world [ROW]), with corresponding revenue and shipments.
"The PMP market has been slow to gain traction after being beset by a lack of compelling content. Recognizing this problem, OEMs, content owners, and software developers have focused efforts on filling the void prior to innovating in the PMP space. Until video content is addressed, the market stands little chance of success," said Josh Martin, associate research analyst in IDC's Consumer Markets: Video program.