For the first time since the recession started in 2008, spending on home entertainment was up in the third quarter, reports the Los Angeles Times’ Company Town blog.

The figure rose 5% from a year earlier to $3.9 billion, the story reports.

Digital revenue was the bright spot, with online rentals and purchases jumping 56% to $811 million, the story notes. Consumers increasingly are paying for subscription streaming services such as programs offered by Netflix, the piece adds.

Nevertheless, purchases of recorded movies fell 4% to $1.7 billion from a year earlier, while video rentals were flat at $1.8 billion, the article says.