Blu-ray propels 'The Dark Knight' to strong early DVD sales

Sales of "The Dark Knight" DVD are off to a blockbuster start, and the new Blu-ray high-definition format is helping to offset the effect of the economic pain that's causing overall DVD sales to decline this year.

Consumers snapped up 3 million DVDs on Tuesday, when "The Dark Knight" hit shelves in the U.S., Canada and Britain. As much as 25% to 30% -- or 600,000 copies -- were purchased in Blu-ray. That surpasses the previous record set by "Iron Man," which sold 260,000 Blu-ray discs upon its first day of release.

Studio executives say it's a sign the format is gaining traction with consumers. "It's encouraging," Ron Sanders, president of Warner Home Video, told Times staff writer Dawn C. Chmielewski. "The Blu-ray sales of 'Dark Knight' were exceptionally strong and much higher than our projections."

Read the full story at the Entertainment News & Buzz blog.

-- Chris Gaither

Photo: Scene from "The Dark Knight." Credit: Stephen Vaughan / Warner Bros. Pictures