The
NPD Group released results from a
HDTV owner survey that showed even though 52% of respondents were aware that HD disc players were available, only 11% planned on buying one in the next six months. It turns out that most people are happy with their standard DVD players and unhappy with the price of the HD units (62% waiting for prices to fall). Even though respondents were more aware of
HD DVD than
Blu-ray (29% vs. 20%), it's not a glowing outcome for fewer than 1-in-3 owners of HDTV's to not know about these formats by name. NPD offered a couple bits of advice to the industry that we can get behind -- tell people about the advantages of HD discs over DVD, and put more titles out in the marketplace. The respondents who have an HD player in their homes plan on replacing almost one quarter of their DVD library with the new HD format.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
steveo @ Sep 23rd 2007 12:52AM
I took this survey. It was pretty flawed. It asked if I had any plans on purchasing such a player and I answered no, as I already have one. It never asked me If I already had one, which would certainly put a different spin on my answer. There were a couple of other issues like that.
GhostDoggy @ Sep 23rd 2007 8:29AM
HDTV owner survey is reflecting that condition in which the wolf in sheep's clothing (aka Best Buy, Circuit City, HiFi Buys & Tweeter, etc., etc., etc.) are selling the product at list price and that those resellers offer the consumer no deal but the one offered when they bend over the back of the cashier's couch.
While we continue to progress into the informational Age and the market penetration of Internet life, these consumers should be looking elsewhere and stop acting like the proverbial sheep waiting for the slaughter. By this I mean they should be looking online for a deal, or at a warehouse shop.
One can get a HD DVD for $240 from Amazon, and a S301 for $450. If they are spending $2K on a HDTV then they can afford $240 for HD movie playback.
SimbaDogg @ Sep 23rd 2007 10:52AM
People dont buy @ warehouses because often, they have a less than stellar selection and the employees that sell the stuff...often dont know shiet. I think thats a good reason to prefer to go to a best buy, circuit city, tweeter, etc.
a lot of people wont buy a $1000+ tv online because...well, they dont know shit. and they dont know how to go about doing the research/dont want to hours upon hours researching a purchase that they make about once every 10 years or so. also a lot of people like having the the reassurance that hey, if something is wrong w/ my tv...i know exactly where i can take it back to. or, if theres anything that i have questions about w/ the tv i just bought, i know i can go back to the store and say "i dont get it"
these are the reasons that many people still prefer brick and mortar locations. and they're very good ones. this is still very a much a SERVICE oriented country, where people will pay a premium for a service which benefits them, this isn't like china were everyone is focused entirely on that price tag, looking for that deal...and lots of electronics are sold with single digit margins. to call people proverbial sheep for the reasons you listed...thats sheer ignorance
JeffDM @ Sep 23rd 2007 9:10AM
Maybe the survey didn't ask if you already had one because very few did. I'd gather maybe 1% of US households have an HD player and use it as an HD player. Us existing HD player owners aren't even on the radar.
GhostDoggy, the $60 difference might be accounted by the fact that Amazon doesn't have to have several hundred retail stores in high-rent retail districts. They just need one large building, which might be in an abandoned airbase for all we know.
Leroy Vargas @ Sep 23rd 2007 11:36AM
Actually, Amazon owns three or four warehouses. When I purchased something directly from Amazon (not from a third-party seller), I got it either from one address or from another. And yes, probably they're hidden somewhere and possibly evenn unsigned.
Ryan @ Sep 23rd 2007 8:27PM
http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_070919.html
the survey was conducted in June. 3 months is a long time in this format battle. Not least because HD-DVD standalone players were $299 at the time of the survey whereas they are now $234, or $199 if you're willing to buy an open-box special.
http://www.pricescan.com/electronics/items/item528098.asp
Anyone who has studied price elasticity on consumer products would acknowledge that the results of this survey are out of date. Once Christmas season comes and $199 is the regular price tag on HD-DVD's, we'll see a lot of momentum there.
Bill @ Sep 25th 2007 10:01AM
U.S. consumers are cheap - IIRC, from that NY Times article a while back, few are willing to spend more than $600 for HD.
Even if you get them to pony up $999 for a 42" plasma, a $50 progressive-scan DVD player suits them just fine.
No need to spend even $199 for a HD player.