HDTV: Just For DVD & Video Games?
A recent report from Frank Magid Associates has unearthed some interesting details about U.S. consumers and their attitudes toward HDTV. According to the study, of the U.S. consumers that purchased a high-definition TV in the past year, only 47 per cent did so with the intention of watching high-definition TV programming. This is a dramatic fall from the 63 per cent who reported this reason just two years ago.
Many of the respondents said they were perfectly content using their HD set simply for DVD and video game playback. In fact, approximately 30 per cent of HDTV owners in the U.S. haven’t even bothered to sign up for the HD channels!
Consistent with reports that television ad revenue and viewers are in decline is the news that despite consumers going out and treating themselves to fancy new HD televisions, many of them aren't looking at broadcast as their primary entertainment source.
In part this is why I'm now in the habit of referring to them as "video displays" or "monitors" instead of "televisions" when discussing the video side of a client's project. I do this because it helps define the gulf between our firm's expertise, and the retailers selling "televisions" at the big box stores, as well as accepting the reality I've encountered that broadcast is less important to our clients than movies and gaming.
Friday, December 01, 2006
HD broadcasting doesn't seem to be a hot button for consumers
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
That lack of interest in TV stations in HD puts an interesting spin on what is going on at the CRTC at the moment. Some of the owners of small-market stations are saying they can't afford to upgrade to HD. Jim Shaw of Shaw Cable is being caustic about owners unable to improve their businesses and offering to consider buying such stations. Perhaps this is all sound and fury signifying nothing at all. Is HD television a form of progress we don't actually need or want? Who started this parade?
Post a Comment