Blu-ray Disc sales swell by 351% year-to-year

Los Angeles (CA) - The first quarter of 2008 was a huge success for Blu-ray, as sales grew by 351 percent over the same period last year, reports trade publication Home Media Magazine.

According to Home Media, increased attention to Blu-ray was a boon the the home entertainment market in general.  For the first time in two years, spending on home video was up.

In 2006 and 2007, the home video market was in decline.  Thanks to a surge in Blu-ray sales, though, the first part of 2008 saw a 1% increase in all home video, which includes HD DVD and DVD as well.

The Blu-ray Disc market has spiked recently because rival high-def format HD DVD has gone to the grave.  Now virtually all major studios are on the Blu-ray bandwagon.

In total, the home video market captured $5.51 billion in the first three months of this year.  The top five titles were, in order, I Am Legend, Enchanted, American Gangster, Bee Movie, and 3:10 To Yuma.  Four of these were released on a high-def format.  Bee Movie was the only one that came out exclusively on DVD, because a previously announced HD DVD version was canceled.