The NPD group has issued another report, examinging consumers'
awareness of high-def players and content. According to the report, only 52% of the people surveyed were aware that high-def players were
available and out of these, only 11% intended to buy one in the next six months. The report also points out that while 29% of the
respondents were aware of HD DVD, just 20% had heard of Blu-ray.
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.
One important point to take from this survey is that most consumers are
happy with standard DVD's and aren't ready to buy a high-def player yet. As NPD points out, manufacturers and studios need to do a
better job explaining the benefits of these formats, if they want consumers to go high-def. If you'd like to read more, NPD's entire
press release can be found here.
