UK Blu-Ray sales 'to soar'

The number of people purchasing Blu-Ray discs and players in the UK is set to increase rapidly in the year ahead, according to the latest figures.

Those in the DVD duplication industry may be interested to read about the latest findings from Entertainment Media Research.

It found that three out of five potential consumers for the discs had delayed opting for one format player or the other while a competition for market dominance between Sony's Blu-Ray and Toshiba's HD-DVD was played out.

However, now that Toshiba has bowed out of the race, as many as a quarter (24 per cent) of consumers said they expected to watch a Blu-Ray DVD in the next six months.

A spokesperson for partners in the research Wiggin told Reuters: "It's great news for Sony who can expect the PlayStation 3 (with its Blu-ray capability) to become the must-have gift this Christmas."

Meanwhile, VideoBusiness.com has reported that Sony plans to release 100 titles on Blu-Ray this year - increasing output by 54 per cent over the 2007 figure.