Twice as many DVD players were sold in the UK in 2002 compared with 2001, boosted by the popularity of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

Some 3.8 million DVD players were bought in the last 12 months, meaning one in four households in the UK now owns the technology.

UK DVD CHART 2002

1. The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring 2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (above) 3. Monsters, Inc 4. Scooby Doo - The Movie 5. Stars Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones Source: British Video Association

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was the UK's most popular DVD of 2002, selling four million copies.

That was followed by Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which sold 3.5 million copies, and animated hit Monsters, Inc, was third, shifting 2.5 million discs.

Total sales of DVD discs showed a 111% rise on the previous year, according to figures from the British Video Association (BVA).

The strength of DVD sales helped the overall video market - comprising both VHS and DVD - rise by 26%.

And DVDs proved to be popular Christmas presents, with 20 million discs and 1.2 million players sold in December.

Despite the rising popularity of DVD, sales of VHS videos remain "remarkably resilient", the BVA said.

The resilience of VHS in the face of such strong DVD performance is remarkable Lavinia Carey British Video Association

Some 74 million VHS videos were sold in 2002 - excluding mail order - a drop of 13%.

"This has been a wonderful year for video in general and DVD in particular - but also for family entertainment," according to Lavinia Carey, director general of the BVA.

"The resilience of VHS in the face of such strong DVD performance is also remarkable - with Harry Potter selling 2.2 million on VHS alone, this is hardly a format that has past its sell-by date."