In USA 50% of HDTV Owners Don't Use HD says new study

[StooMonster]

Looks like millions of Americans who have HDTV sets apparently think they are watching high definition television, but aren’t.

Some highlights include:

* Close to one in four (28%) of HDTV owners reported that they did not get any special equipment from their service provider to watch HDTV channels because the picture quality was already improved with the purchase of an HDTV.

* 23% of HDTV owners did not invest in special equipment to watch HDTV channels because a message at the beginning of the programs they watch tells them that those programs are being broadcast in HD.

* Nearly one in five (18%) reported that they believed the HD television would give them high-definition channels without additional equipment.

Here's a link to Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.'s study:
http://webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?SESSIONID=&aId=6521

StooMonster

[Starburst]

Gotta love the average intelligence of the human race or the intelligence behind using such a small sample of consumers to base a study on

I would expect those figures to be mirrored in the UK especially as the percentage of HD spec displays continues to grow and many people will buy a LCD or Plasma for reasons other than high cost HD content.

[Tony B]

Americans, eh...what do you expect?

[mallet]

I'm sure there are just as many folk in the UK watching SKY on their widescreen TV via the composite pictue, and with a 4:3 image stretched or zoomed in. :D

How people can drop 1K+ on a TV and not bother to do any research is beyond me.

[Rimmer]

Sky/cable installers in the UK are notorious for not bothering to change the display setting from 4:3 to 16:9 for widescreen televisions. As long as the picture fills the screen most people are quite happy!

Likewise many cable/satellite installers in the US leave the component output set to 480p. It looks better than SD so the average viewer is none the wiser.

[Nick_UK]

Originally Posted by Tony B

Americans, eh...what do you expect?

I wouldn't laugh too loud.... the same thing is bound to happen here. After all, with people utterly convinced that changing a piece of wire between their Sky box and their TV is going to make a big difference to the picture, there's bound to be those who think that a HDTV will improve their SD picture.

[StooMonster]

I see plenty of people with 16:9 tvs / plasma / LCD and DVD player set to output 4:3

Some of them even work in tv / movies and should know better too.

StooMonster

[bbdivo]

Originally Posted by mallet

I'm sure there are just as many folk in the UK watching SKY on their widescreen TV via the composite pictue, and with a 4:3 image stretched or zoomed in. :D

How people can drop 1K+ on a TV and not bother to do any research is beyond me.

Aint that the truth, I know so many people who do this!

[Michaelknell]

I think this will change now due to the xbox 360, and even more when the ps3 comes out. I belive many people would have bought them in preparation for these consoles. Also, people who are going after a new TV in general, and want a 30" or higher LCD/plasma would probably get a HD by chance, just because the number of screens over that size are becoming HD as standard.

[StooMonster]

So people are going to subscribe to HDTV channels because of xbox 360 and ps3?

The hyperbole around these consoles really does make people think they are going to change the world!

StooMonster

[Stephen Neal]

There is also another potential reason. In the US 16:9 standard def sets are almost unheard of (apart from plasmas), yet just as in the UK there are many 16:9 anamorphic DVDs on sale. To watch these on a 16:9 display in the US you'd be pretty likely to have bought an HD set.

(Don't get me started on the US 4:3 HD sets - designed for people who still watch a lot of 4:3 SD and don't like the black bars left and right)

[blakey1]

This is nothing to do with intelligence. The fact is that there is more to most peoples life than the PQ of their TV. Most people I know, know very little about HD and what will be necessary for them to start watching HD when the time comes round. They are just not that interested. They have bought their TV based on price and looks. As long as the TV shows a reasonable picture they are happy. I heard on the radio that Asda sells 1 in 3 DVD players. I'm sure that not because their DVD players show the best picture but because you can pick one up for about £20. If everyone was so interest in PQ then surely none of these players would sell.

HD will appeal to the AV fan but the general public will not be interested until they can get it on free to air TV.

Everyone I have mentioned HD to has been interested until they hear the possible prices. Once they hear the price they are all of sudden more than impressed with the PQ of their currentTV and SKY as it is.

Also at the moment we can buy a TV turn it on and watch TV. With HD you will need special cables. Set the output correctly how many will be bothered or know how.

[Nic Rhodes]

Originally Posted by StooMonster

So people are going to subscribe to HDTV channels because of xbox 360 and ps3?

The hyperbole around these consoles really does make people think they are going to change the world!

StooMonster

and the PS3 is due here for christmas... Yes the hype on these consoles is amazing, reminds me of the earth being the centre of the universe and the sun going around it How long ago was that....The PS3 will be years and the 360, as good as it all is pales into insignificance next to SKY, DVD and we still have other 'future / past' HD sources.

I actually think we will be better as our market is very 16:9 aware, the americans aren't shall we say 'very 16:9' hence all the P and S DVDs.

[welwynnick]

That was a scary piece of research, but given that high street shops (you know who...) are connecting upscaling DVDs to plasmas, and declaring it to be high def TV, I don't think we should laugh too loud.

Nick

[cerebros]

Originally Posted by Stephen Neal

There is also another potential reason. In the US 16:9 standard def sets are almost unheard of (apart from plasmas), yet just as in the UK there are many 16:9 anamorphic DVDs on sale. To watch these on a 16:9 display in the US you'd be pretty likely to have bought an HD set.

I think I read a report on another site a while back that said the only reason a lot of people in the US had upgraded from 4:3 SD to 16:9 HD sets was to get the best out of their 16:9 anamorphic DVD's, and that this was why the figures about the number of HD capable sets in peoples homes was giving a misleading impression of the take-up of HD