Text entered

AVATAR HOME MOVIE SET TO CREATE “MATRIX” EFFECT FOR BLU-RAY FORMAT

Tesco

25 April 2010

Popularity of the Blu-Ray home movie format is set to take a
giant leap forward with the release of the eagerly awaited
Hollywood blockbuster Avatar on Monday.
The film is released on both DVD and Blu-Ray formats
simultaneously and industry figures believe the latter will really
kick start the high definition Blu-Ray disc revolution.
It is thought that Avatar could do for Blu-Ray what The Matrix
achieved in getting many people into the DVD format back in
1999.
So greatly anticipated is the release of the Avatar home movie
on Monday that 180 Tesco stores will be specially opening at
midnight.
Tesco predicts that throughout Monday it will sell a staggering
20,000 copies on Blu-Ray making it the fastest selling Blu-Ray film
ever.
Said Tesco home movie buying manager Keith Metcalfe: “The
release of Avatar is being seen by the industry as a historic
moment in the development of the Blu-Ray format – potentially
the tipping point that many people have waited for to get their
first Blu-Ray player.
“We think it could replicate what happened when The Matrix
was released on DVD in 1999 which was the point when many people
bought their first DVD players.
“However Blu-Ray is in its very early days and DVD films
still account for 93 per cent of the UK home movie market. Both
markets are in growth.”
According to information from the Official Charts Company that
monitors music and film sales the UK DVD market is worth
£1.86 billion while the Blu-Ray market is worth £117
million.
Annual sales of Blu-Ray players across all UK retailers are
currently growing at 92 per cent while sales of DVD players have
fallen by 31 per cent (GFK data).
The release of Avatar is also expected to have a knock on effect
on sales of HD TVs.
For more information please contact Mike Baess on
01992 646079 or Tesco Press Office on 01992 644645.
Note to editors:
·              
Tesco expects to sell more than 200,000 copies of Avatar on DVD and
20,000 copies on Blu-Ray on Monday.
·              
The existing three top selling Blu-Ray film titles in order of
sales are Dark Knight; Transformers; and Quantum Of Solace.
·              
The total value of the UK Blu-Ray player market across all
retailers is £105 million while the total DVD player market
is worth £375 million (GFK data)