James Delahunty
6 Oct 2007 19:35
According to research carried out by the Nielsen Company, consumers with HDTV's and high definition television services in their homes are very enthusiastic about the picture quality benefits, but a lot less enthusiastic about the number of HD channels and type of content being provided. A huge 85% of respondents gave the picture quality a 4 or 5 rating (5 being excellent, 1 being very poor).
However, only about 39% gave the same rating for the type of content that is available to them in HD. Interestingly, there was no difference in responses between users of cable services and users of satellite services. Women were more optimistic than men about both quality and content, while owners of HD DVR's were the least satisfied customers.
"Nielsen's High Definition Survey shows that HD technology is outpacing content, although a few networks do score high in consumer satisfaction," said Steve McGowan, Nielsen Senior Vice President Client Research Initiatives. "Television owners clearly feel that HD viewing is a more intense experience than standard television and there are early indications that the acquisition of an HD television can, initially at least, stimulate the type of television that is viewed."
The vast majority of users watched sport or movies in HD, with ESPN HD being the most popular sports Channel and HBO HD being the most popular for movies. Discovery HD was the most popular channel for documentaries while music and reality shows had the least HD viewers.
Source:
HDTV Magazine