'The Dark Knight' boosts Blu-ray DVD sales

London, Jan 5 (IANS) The DVD release Warner Bros' blockbuster hit "The Dark Knight" has helped sales of Blu-ray copies reach a record high in December.

According to the British Video Association (BVA), some 1.5 million discs were sold in the final month of 2008 alone giving a 400 percent increase in the sale since last year, reports contactmusic.com.

The best-selling Blu-ray title being "The Dark Knight", which sold 281,000 copies in the month, and has already broken Blu-ray records by surpassing two million copies worldwide.

"The growth in disc sales throughout 2008 reveals that the home entertainment market is showing resilience in a difficult economic climate," said Lavinia Carey, director general of the BVA.

"But we are not surprised that home entertainment is generally bearing up well; as people tighten their belts, many have rejected more extravagant outings in favour of a cosy evening at home with their favourite titles," she added.

The growth of Blu-ray is expected to continue in 2009 on the back of strong releases such as "Quantum of Solace", "Tropic Thunder" and "The Duchess".

Market expert Screen Digest predicts some 17 million Blu-ray DVDs will be sold in 2009, comprising a seven per cent share of total DVD sales.

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The Dark Knight