06.25.2008 — Blu-ray discs will outsell standard DVDs in 2012 and generate more than $9.5 billion in sales, according to a report from the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA).

The EMA's 2008 Annual Report of the Home Entertainment Industry says nearly 9 million HD discs were sold in 2007, generating more than $260 million in revenue.

The report also says 12,177 DVDs were released in 2007, down from 13,950 in 2005.

Despite the small decrease in spending on DVDs, consumers spent approximately $24 billion on the home video market, accounting for 49 percent of consumer movie spending.

"New generations of hardware and software, and alternative delivery channels, will ensure that home video and video games remain phenomenally popular entertainment options for the American public for years to come," says Bo Andersen, president and CEO of EMA.

We'll have to wait and see if the EMA's predictions come to fruition. A recent Harris Interactive poll doesn't paint a good picture for this EMA study, however, saying interest in Blu-ray is lacking.

According to figures released at the Home Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles early this month, Blu-ray is on pace to generate $1 billion in sales in 2008.