January 26th, 2009
Report: Nearly half of HDTV owners don't watch in high-def
According to a new report from market research firm In-Stat, 17 million of the 39 million U.S. households that have a HDTV (or 44 percent) don’t make use of high-def programming available from their cable or satellite providers (or, apparently, even over-the-air local HD channels).
My initial reaction to this finding is to blame TV makers, retailers, and/or programming providers for still not educating consumers that they can only see things in high-def if they have an HD source, but In-Stat analyst Michael Paxton told CD Freaks that the cost and the relative dearth of high-def programming are the biggest reasons people are sticking with standard-definition content. In fact, Paxton says that lack of knowledge about HD has waned as a reason for people not watching in high-def.
Do you agree? Do you have an HDTV and don’t bother with HD programming? Let us know in our Talkback section.
Sean Portnoy spent several years as an editor at Computer Shopper magazine, most recently serving as online executive editor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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