UK DVD sales plunge...

Britons may be turning away from the DVD, but Blu-Ray Disc isn't replacing the decade-old format in consumers' affections.

The British Video Association (BVA) this week said DVD sales in the UK during the first six months of 2009 were down 9.5 per cent by volume - and considerably more than that by value - compared to the totals published this time last year.

By contrast, year-on-year UK BD sales were up 231 per cent. Which sounds good, until you see that it still only amounts to unit sales of a little more than 3.1m during the first six months of 2009 - up from 1.3m in the first six months of 2008.

There were 99.6m DVDs sold in the same period.

Even so, the BVA said that: "The continuing success of Blu-ray is testament to the growth of consumer confidence in the high-definition format."

Maybe, but BD is still clearly far from mainstream in the UK. Factor the Blu-ray 'boom' into the packaged media market and the value of the sales fell 14 per cent between H1 2008 and H1 2009, showing just how far DVD prices have plunged.

The BVA said that the recession was a key factor in the decline, not only because of its effect on consumer spending but for bringing about the demise of major retailers Zavvi and Woolworths - between then 15 per cent of the UK disc retail market. ®