PS3 owners most connected to HDTV, Xbox 360 / Wii not far behind
We'll be straight with you: we aren't shocked in the slightest with these results, and while we're sure conjecture will fly over the underlying meanings, the results speak for themselves, really. According to new data from Nielsen Research Group, 71-percent of all PlayStation 3 consoles are connected to some form of HDTV (either LCD, plasma or front / rear projection), while 66-percent of Xbox 360s and 65-percent of Wiis were found to be played on a high-definition set. 'Course, it follows logic that the console with the built-in HD movie player would be most highly used on HDTVs, but considering just how many Wii owners also own an HDTV, it's downright depressing to think how stellar Wii Sports could be in 1080i.[Image courtesy of GameWorldNetwork]
Filed under: Industry, Displays, Other hardware
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kokos @ Dec 20th 2007 8:52PM
Iam not suprised at all.
The first think i did after purchasing my PS3 is to buy a new hdtv.
dannyCage @ Dec 21st 2007 3:33AM
same here, but the other way around... new tv, new playstation
Godfa7h3r @ Dec 20th 2007 8:56PM
I would love to know how many of those are actually hooked up correctly with either component or HDMI.
You would be surprised how many people think that just because they have an HDTV, everything is now in HD including their grey box NES.
EJNelly @ Dec 20th 2007 9:39PM
I wonder the same thing, I was shocked when we opened one up to use as a display. I knew there was no HDMI cable in there but I expected to at least see component cable.
prateeko @ Dec 20th 2007 9:08PM
So most of the people who buy a Wii are hooking it up to a HDTV?
Nice choice sticking with 480p, Nintendo. You guys are totally right, HDTV technology isn't necessary or in demand by consumers.
Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 12:28AM
Graphics aside, if it would only output in HD resolutions it would have a whole lot more value in my eyes. Technologically-speaking, I just can't get past the fact that it's a redesigned GameCube with a novelty controller (but the network gets major points for the back catalog available to download). I don't see the $250 worth there (no built-in storage, no HD, no DVD playback (!), and PS2-era graphics).
Spiza @ Dec 21st 2007 9:12AM
Shame on Nintendo for making millions.
Galley @ Dec 21st 2007 9:45AM
My brother-in-law has a Wii hooked up to a 50" plasma. It's the most horrible looking thing you've ever seen.
Loban @ Dec 21st 2007 10:45AM
My Wii is hooked up to my 50" Plasma and it looks just fine. What brand of plasma does your brother-in-law have and what type connection is he using (component I hope)? I'm using component and I have a quality plasma from a company that is known for making SD look good on their panels, Panasonic, and the Wii looks just fine. In fact, Super Mario Galaxy looks amazing.
John B @ Dec 21st 2007 12:00PM
"It's the most horrible looking thing you've ever seen."
Huh? One of my Wiis is connected to our 7-year-old, 55" rear projection TV and the other Wii is hooked up to our new, 47" LCD TV. It looks great on both TVs. Granted, I'd love to play the Wii in 720p (I doubt that it could handle 1080), but the 480p mode looks just fine to me.
prateeko @ Dec 21st 2007 12:08PM
I've go tmy Wii hooked up to a 52" Sharp 1080p and it looks OKAY. I mean, it's standard def. If you've got any feed running into your TV then you know what SD looks like. Regardless of how awesome your video processor is (or isn't) on your HDTV, the Wii will only look meh to decent at best.
Fanboys can argue well into the night (and they will), but at the end of the day, nothing is adding the extra lines of resolution to the Wii. You can sharpen or soften the picture, and it's not HD. Nintendo's original argument for skipping HD on the Wii is that consumers aren't ready. That's clearly bull (this finding shows it, and I would have expected the number to be far less since it's a product that caters to a broad range of people).
Of course, the odds are Nintendo knew this (just as they knew the internet WAS in demand by consumers with the GameCube but skipped it there also), but they didn't want to put it in because it'd make the Wii and expensive risk instead of a cheap one (it was a risk before all it's success, don't forget it) and because Nintendo is run by cheap bastards. They just HAD to make a profit on each console, even if it meant not listening to their American management and leaving features out. Oh well, that's Nintendo. They tell you what you want, not necessarily give it to you.
spire_walk @ Dec 20th 2007 9:12PM
Yeah... the first thing I did after buying the PS3 was to also get an HDTV. It was the first of the next-gen systems I bought due to the built in HD media player. I own 8 BD movies now and 8 PS3 games. Don't really know how that stacks up in comparison to the attach rate though.
Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 12:30AM
I did the same thing. I was thinking about an HDTV and how nice it would be, but it wasn't until I got my PS3 that I really stepped up and got it done. And I didn't really care about Blu-ray/HD-DVD until I got the PS3/HDTV, either, but now I've got a nice amount of Blu-ray titles.
SimbaDogg @ Dec 20th 2007 9:49PM
eh...how much better can the graphics get on nintendo woo woo when it truly isn't a next gen console w/ next gen graphics?
h0mi @ Dec 20th 2007 9:57PM
The survey had a really shitty sample size and excluded a lot of console owners:
"Several hundred individuals, divided among Xbox 360, Wii and Playstation 3 owners, participated in the study across 20 top U.S. markets.
The criteria was simple: participants had to be at least 18 years old, own a major game console and play at least one hour per week."
Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 12:34AM
That's not a statistically bad sample size. A tad small, but I think it's more to get a rough estimate than anything else. If anybody really cared enough to take a closer look, a bigger sample size might be one way of improving accuracy, but I don't think it was inherently flawed.
And what do you mean it excluded a lot of console owners? Only the latest-generation consoles were allowed, is that what you mean? You think that the GameCube/Xbox/PS2 crowd should be included? I'm not sure it's as relevant as on the latest-generation systems, many of which tout their high definition capability.
h0mi @ Dec 21st 2007 2:46PM
@Mike-
"The criteria was simple: participants had to be at least 18 years old, own a major game console and play at least one hour per week."
So under 18 year olds were excluded and if you played less than 1 hour a week, you were also excluded. The sample size for all consoles was "several hundred" which couldnt be more than 700 total, and at most you'd have 400 ps3 owners surveyed. More likely, you're looking at 200 ps3 owners surveyed. That isn't a good sample size.
mike @ Dec 20th 2007 10:00PM
HDTVs have nothing to do with the quality of video game graphics. Although the wiis hardware is infiroir to the 360/ps3, a higger resolution HDTV would be enjoyable. We need the hig resolution to see text clearly, and sharpen our images when we view them on large tvs.
Take a game like pac-man for example. its the same graphics on every console, but since the xbla version supports 1080 HDTV resolutions, it looks so much sharper and clear.
That said, nintendo cans till have their wii system, with hardware which costs less and produces lower quality graphics, but still give us 1080 support in terms of resolution. Then if the games were made to support this res they would look clear and crisp. nintendo must be insane if they think the wii can last as long as the ps3 and 360. In 4 years from now, nitnedo hopes to still have the wii as their main market console. Well in 4 years from now, HDTV owners will be at like 95%, and wont want to settle for a wii. Hell im all ready for the next generation xbox 720, where every game is made in a min 1080p resolution.
Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 1:45AM
I heard that...bring on call of duty 6 on the xbox333 with built in pvr and 100 player support over xbox live.
andyj @ Dec 20th 2007 10:16PM
Considering how many people use the PS3 for Blu-ray this is really no surprise.
severian00 @ Dec 20th 2007 11:25PM
Since Sony and the BluRay camp keep touting the PS3 as the trojan horse that will spread BluRay to all the merry children, it better be hooked up to an HDTV.
Xyzzy @ Dec 20th 2007 11:28PM
This "study" is probably way off, considering the last time we saw something similar I believe the numbers were roughly 30% or so.
Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 12:47AM
I wonder if this includes people who only THINK they're properly connected to their HDTV... last I heard, there was some serious confusion in the mainstream about the technology and how it works.
h4ldol @ Dec 20th 2007 11:41PM
Of course this isn't surprising. All the people I know with PS3s are other young professionals (almost none of whom express any interest in the crapbox 360) with HDTVs while I only see Joe 6-packs picking up 360s that they presumably will hook up to their SDTV, all the while bragging to their buddies how "awesome" the "high-def graphics" are. The Wii, of course, attracts a different segment of the population, namely the female, older, and generally "non-gamer" crowd who definitely have no interest or knowledge of HD anything. Is there any surprise that blu-ray is the HD format of choice for those who can actually afford to make a choice? Seems like HD DVD "fans" are in team red by default rather than by choice. In any case, CES 08 will spell the end of HD DVD once and for all. Or will HD DVD surive without Disney, Sony (MGM, Columbia, etc.), FOx, AND Warner?
andyj @ Dec 20th 2007 11:50PM
Not sure if CES 08 will spell the end of HD DVD ... but I can't see how continuing to lose every week in sales helps :/
Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 12:43AM
@h4ldol
My parents have a PS3. My sister and brother-in-law have a PS3. None could possibly be called "young professionals." I have a PS3, too. Can I be a young professional? I like the title, it's so self-flattering!
The big difference between Blu-ray and HD-DVD in the gaming console sense (and what I think your point might have been) is that Blu-ray built-in to the PS3, whereas Xbox 360 owners have to buy the HD-DVD attachment separately. Having the BD built-in to the console usually helps attract new "fans" whereas the people who buy the HD-DVD attachment are generally (but not always) already fans or already sold on the technology. The PS3 lets people rent BDs to see if they like it or not; many people might be curious to at least see what all the fuss about high definition discs are about, and that gets BD's foot in the door.
P.S.: I'm no PS3 fanboy, but the words "crapbox 360" kinda give away your credibility. If you want your argument to be taken a little more seriously, you might want to at least try to avoid biases.
The Fuzz 53 @ Dec 21st 2007 8:51AM
@h4idol
you know, you really are an asshole. I am one of those young professionals that you speak of and I avoid the PS3 and BD like the fucking plague, mostly because it's arrogant pompous douche-bags like yourself that are the ones that tend to own and support them.
My brother has a PS3 (his girlfriend bought it for him) and I laugh my ass off everytime I watch him play Resistance (the only game he does play, as the other ones just sit and collect dust) and his player keeps walking in a straight line because the POS bluetooth controller dropped the connection. I also watched Black Hawk Down on BD, and wow, what a shitfest. The regular DVD on my Samsung HD-960 upscaler blows that piece of trash out of the water.
jango fett @ Dec 21st 2007 12:33AM
the nielsen soundscan group...i wonder where they get their results considering that theres more than 2 million ps3's out there. they have never asked me if im connected to an hd tv when im playing... i dont know but i dont belive this from them...
Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 12:45AM
I've been e-mailed several times about it, although as a PS3 owner, I signed up for the Playstation Underground website forums, so I suppose I'd expect to get that kind of thing. They just did a contest to give away a free PS3 game if you did the survey, so hey, why not? Incentive like that is pretty useful! Although that was probably Sony's internal surveys; I doubt they had anything to do with Nielsen.
Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 1:55AM
h4,
Joe 6pk's (aka working middle class) built this country. Take your pompus attitude and go intern for john kerry.
I'm going to go watch Bourne HD on my $99 HD DVD player.
BTW..Mike, when ever we see h4ldol..the post has no credability.
shamon @ Dec 21st 2007 4:21AM
thats why i got a ps3 for my lg hdtv because i could not use hdmi but only hd cables for my xbox 360 .blu ray rules
DrXym @ Dec 21st 2007 6:24AM
I think its a strong possibility that Nintendo will produce an "HD" version of the Wii in time. Games wont actually be in HD, but the device will either upscale or render into an HD buffer to make them appear superficially HD. The sad part is consumers will probably be too ignorant to realise they're been taken for a ride and the thing will sell by the bucket load. Even sadder is that a lot of the people crowing how cheap the Wii was will buy the new Wii HD again and fail to see the irony.
mario @ Dec 21st 2007 6:48AM
I have both the next generation consoles including the HDDVD add on for xbox360 connected via hdmi to my samsung hdtv.
As for titles i am heading mostly to blu by a ratio 2:1 :)
NoK610 @ Dec 21st 2007 8:15AM
I've had a Panny HDTV before purchasing any next-gen consoles in anticipation. I've had my 360 first, and just last night got my PS3 (early Christmas present) hooked up. PS3 is almost mandatory to hook up to HDTV because of Blu-Ray. Not that I wasn't gonna' hook it up with my HDMI, just sux that stupid Sony doesn't provide the cable.
Jeru @ Dec 21st 2007 8:17AM
So how many people have there PS3 hooked up with the composite cable being Sony is to cheap to include either a component or HDMI in the box?
chad @ Dec 21st 2007 6:25PM
Well maybe there isnt an hdmi or component cable in the box but there is a Blue Ray player built in and wireless for 399. The 360s 20 gig needs 100 dollar upgrade for wireless and 179 dollar upgrade for the HD DVD add on. It starts at $350 and ends up at $600+ but hey my xbox 360 came with a component cable so microsoft isnt cheap! YA! Wait hold on i just got 4 hdmi cables for $25 on newegg! But hey Jeru you have a very valid point! NOT!!!!
The Fuzz 53 @ Dec 21st 2007 8:56AM
Thank God I'm not the only one that sees what a pompous turd h4 is. He really is doing more harm than help to his cause.
Given your John Kerry comment, have you noticed that the most die hard BD supporters lean to the left as I have? I find it to be an absolutly astonishing observation.
h4ldol @ Dec 21st 2007 11:07AM
No way man. I share your unbridled patriotic "man-love" for George W. Bush.
MegaZone @ Dec 21st 2007 2:20PM
Well, it makes sense - Blue vs. Red. ;-)
joe @ Dec 21st 2007 3:49PM
Fuzz -
Did you happen to notice how the "right"
doesn't care at all about j6p?
Or even more so how people who lean to the "right" seem to be able to bring in political leaning and use a political party label as an insult?
Leave the political attacks out of this forum unless they are on topic. Given your posts level of arrogance I will crush you in any flat out debate. Take your "right" and shove it, I want my conservative party back.
So far they haven't been "right" on the war on Iraq, national security, balancing the budget, fiscal responsibility, states rights, US industry, gun rights, or individual rights. All of this is being done on the back of J6P.
And absolutely NONE of that has anything at all to do with the PS3, HD-DVD, or BD. Go away with that crap or face an old guard Goldwater Republican.
Ryan @ Dec 21st 2007 12:50PM
I question the validity of their pool if Wii is as high as it is.
andyj @ Dec 21st 2007 1:56PM
BTW, did any of you see this:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/features/film/e3i3b664324ba4ea5c03e0924ea906b3ecd?imw=Y
"Hollywood Report Predicts 2008 Win for Blu-ray"
Matthew Berg @ Dec 21st 2007 6:39PM
Mike:
The Wii has built-in storage, it's just flash rather disc.
No sense arguing whether it's worth it. I find the Wii well worth $250. Apparently plenty of other people do, judging by the sales numbers. No single option is the right fit for everyone in the market.
Paul @ Dec 22nd 2007 10:35AM
The Wii doesn't output in HD so not surprising that many owners haven't bothered to upgrade yet.
KRIS @ Jan 6th 2008 12:28AM
Well...since Sony is giving a PS3 with a purchase of Sony television. Doesn't surprise me one bit.