Home entertainment revenues improved in Q3, with a narrowing gap between 2008 and 2009 levels, according to a Digital Entertainment Group study cited by Home Media Magazine.  But there’s a pretty significant shift in how that spending is occurring, according to the report.  Sell-through of Blu-ray discs is up 66.3% in Q3 2009 vs. the year ago period; digital distribution is up 18%, to $420 million in sales in the quarter; rentals are up 9.9%, due primarily to the growth of kiosks; while over-all sell-through was down 13.9%, dragged down by lower DVD sales. 

Total consumer spending on home video was down 3.2% vs. Q3 2008, a significant improvement from earlier quarters. 

Comic-based movies were a big part of the success of Blu-ray:  Wolverine and Watchmen together accounted for 30% of all Blu-ray units in the quarter.