Report Finds That Consumers Are More Familiar With HD DVD

[Ian]

Anyone else see this? Besides the fact that consumers are more familiar with HD DVD, I was surprised that only 52% of those surveyed were aware that high-def players were available. Also, 73% said that their standard DVD players work fine and they aren't going to replace them.

http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=H6 ... ewsLang=en

Among those who currently own HDTVs, half (52 percent) are familiar with the availability of high-definition DVD players, but only 11 percent expressed strong intentions to buy one in the next six months. Seventy-three percent of HDTV owners reported that their current traditional-format DVD player still works well for them, so they do not need to replace it; while 62 percent said they are waiting for the prices of high-definition players to fall.

According to NPD, consumers’ knowledge of the HD DVD format is more prevalent than for the Blu-ray Disc format. While 29 percent of respondents were aware of HD DVD, just 20 percent had heard of Blu-ray Disc. Consumers who purchased a Blu-ray Disc player reported that they did so because they believed it was superior to HD DVD; while those who purchased an HD DVD player did so because the price was lower than a Blu-ray Disc player.

Take note that the survey was done between June 18 and June 28, so the data is already kind of old.

[dolphinius_rex]

Shouldn't this be in the Blu-Ray / HD DVD section?

I can't say I'm surprised by the low amount of knowledge though. And the format war doesn't help increase interest much either.

[Ian]

Shouldn't this be in the Blu-Ray / HD DVD section?

Oops.. my bad.

[Grain]

What I took most note of was that the survey was done on present HDTV owners. How horrible would the numbers have been if they had included SD TV owners!

[dolphinius_rex]

What I took most note of was that the survey was done on present HDTV owners. How horrible would the numbers have been if they had included SD TV owners!

I don't think I want to know

[Wesociety]

Seems a bit irrelevant since the data is so old. There has been a lot more marketing and promoting of HD DVD and Blu-ray since then...

[Justin42]

I wonder though if they REALLY knew what HD-DVD was, or just kind of guessed/inferred/assumed from the name? Or thought HDDVD=DVD on a HD TV, etc... People have had "HD" shoved down their throats for the last few years, and people know what DVDs are... what the hell's a blue ray?

I still find most people I deal with (who I know aren't techies) have almost no idea there's a format war on... or that there's anything other than DVD.