During the recent Avatar press event, James Cameron stated that about 50% of Avatar presales are for the Blu-ray version, a much higher percentage than the 15% usually seen on other titles. The filmmaker said that the public is "definitely excited about the Blu-ray release and pre-selecting for the most premium version in which they can see Avatar in a home environment."
As to how that percentage would ultimately translate to total sales, Cameron couldn't say, at this point. "We'll find out in a month."
James Cameron saw a parallel between this situation and what happened when the movie was released theatrically: while Avatar was being "wildly" pirated, "people were lining up and we were selling out in theaters." He concluded: "I think the wider public has made a decision that they want that premium experience."