Millions now own an HDTV, HD content not the main reason
Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:34AM EDT
See Comments (9)
Enjoying the high-definition experience on your television is not cheap, but
according to a post-Super Bowl survey by Magid & Associates, over 25 percent
of households or 28 million now have at least one HDTV set. In the recent survey,
Magid discovered that over 5.5 million U.S. households purchased their first
HDTV during the 2007 holiday season, and 3 million bought a second HDTV.
What was more interesting to me were the reasons people gave for buying a new high-definition TV set. You would think high-definition content would be the driving force behind these purchases, but it wasn't. "Owning an HDTV set and actually viewing HD are still two very different pursuits for many," said Maryann Baldwin VP of Magid Media Futures.
Per the survey, only 18 percent of respondents said they wanted an HDTV to play their Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 HD video games, while the rest bought one thanks to falling prices, the DTV transition, and appearance. "Consumers who become accustomed to the sleek and contemporary appearance of their first HD set are now looking to bring that benefit into other rooms in their home," says Baldwin.
There are conflicting numbers regarding the amount of people planning to subscribe to HD programming in the future, but I guess it would be safe to say half of them won't be paying extra for the scant number of HD channels currently available. This means they will continue to watch standard definition channels on their 1080 display, and occasionally watch movies on Blu-Ray or play games on their HD consoles.
What about you? Why did you buy an HDTV?
25 Percent of U.S. Households Have HDTV; Sales Driven by Gamers (Daily Tech)
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Comments on Millions now own an HDTV, HD content not the main reason
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2 Posted by matt_archbold2002 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:15AM EDT Report Abuse
I dont know how someone could watch SD on a 47" and up HDTV. The picture is horrible. I have an Xbox 360 which displays at 1080P and a HD Cable service that displays at 1080i. All thats missing is a BluRay player. I'd say that about 75 percent of my Tv viewing is in HD (100 percent of my gaming). I couldnt imagine going back.
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3 Posted by sknygrydg07 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:53AM EDT Report Abuse
When we first got our HDTV is was like 'crack' for our eyeballs. Our household made the purchase because we are in the 'biz' and neede a comfortable screening and preview space. For the first few days, we watched whatever we could in HD - I spent an hour with a doc about a company that refurbished old army tanks. Yes - the big rusty mass killing, Tienanmen's Square motorized behemoth. But the detail was amazing, I couldn't turn away. I wept while watching the 'Planet Earth' - not only for the quality but for what the crews had to go through to get it! And now, hockey at home is just as good (visually better since I wear glasses) as being at the Joe. GO WINGS!
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4 Posted by zebrafetish2000 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:35AM EDT Report Abuse
I do have HD, but not a TV, a projector, it was an easy decision, buy a screen for $99, and a projector on ebay for $699, have a 100" screen. Also, most people are clueless to the fact that HDTV signals are broadcast over the air for FREE. We hooked up a $65 TV tuner card to my PC and VOILA, free DVR and free HDTV. It's not that hard to hook up, the hardest part to eliminating any ambient light with "blackout" curtains.
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5 Posted by o2cmefly on Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:11PM EDT Report Abuse
I feel your cable pain Matt. I have Verizon Fios. On Fios, even the SD channels are watchable on my 1080p 52" LCD. Most cable companies compress their data, so even a 1080i broadcast looks less than it should. Fios doesn't have half the HD channels as most cable providers, but the quality of all the channels is far better. Like I said above, I'll take quality over quantity any day.
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1 Posted by o2cmefly on Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:30AM EDT Report Abuse
I bought one for the HD content partially. But I'm going for quality, not quantity. While there are not alot of HD channels, the few that are there are pretty good. Discovery's HD Theater, and watching just about any pro or college sports are enough to buy an HDTV. I have a 52" Samsung LCD that rocks! When Blu-ray prices fall a bit further, I may go that route too, but for now, I'm happy knowing that the number of HD channels will only improve.