DVD Sales Beat Credit Crunch

Half year figures from the British Video Association (BVA), which represents the video home entertainment market, show total DVD sales have risen 3.3 per cent compared with the same period a year ago.

With rising food bills, falling house prices and talk of impending recession, it is perhaps little wonder that Britons are turning to a spot of escapism in front of the television.

Lavinia Carey, its director general, pointed to a recent survey by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which found that DVDs were considered a necessity by most households.

"We are delighted to see that the half year 2008 figures reveal an increased demand for home entertainment, especially in the current challenging economic climate," she said.

"History has shown that in times of economic hardship, consumers find even more value in home entertainment when the leisure pound is stretched as it is. As video is one of the most cost-effective forms of entertainment we would expect to see continued volume growth in our market as consumers tighten their belts in response to increasing economic uncertainty," Ms Carey added.

Amid the economic gloom, consumers appear to be opting for a spot of fantasy. The best-selling DVD was the animated children's adventure Ratatouille, which sold 2.1 million copies.

The magical adventure film Stardust and the adaptation of Philip Pullman's fantasy novel, The Golden Compass also proved popular, both selling more than 800,000 DVDs.

The BVA added that demand for high definition video continues to boost growth, with sales of Blu-ray discs up 506 per cent over the year. Blu-ray disc is one of the next-generation disc formats developed for high definition audio-video.

Recent research from Legal & General also suggests Britons are spending more time at home in an attempt to weather the economic storm.

Almost four in ten said they are spending more time indoors as they attempt to save money, while one in four (26 per cent), have changed their holiday plans as a result of the credit crisis.

Story source: dvd-recordable.org.