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.