Welcome, Guest  •  Sign In  •  Help

HDTV Origins

DTV Owners Survey: 318-Response Consumer Study by HDTV Magazine and CEA, November 2000

2000

Summary

A joint consumer study by HDTV Magazine and the Consumer Electronics Association surveyed 318 DTV owners in September 2000, revealing that 82% purchased HDTV by choice rather than necessity. Key findings show 91% owned modular sets requiring separate set-top boxes, 46% received HDTV via antenna, and most owners rated picture quality excellent while lamenting scarce high-definition programming.

Originally published at www.ilovehdtv.com/hdtv/DTVOwnersSurvey.html. View in Wayback Machine →

Source documentcirca 2000preserved as-is
The Magazine Covering High-Definition Television

The Following is the results of the consumer study done by
HDTV Magazine and CEA in September and first released in November, 2000 in New York.

DTV Owners Study
318 Responses
 
1. To start, how long have you owned your HDTV?
  9% Less than 3 months
  9% 3 to less than 6 months
  36% 6 months to less than 1 year
  28% 1 year or longer
  18% I don't own a HDTV (not included in results)


2. What is the screen size of your HDTV, in inches?
  18% Less than 40"
  12% 40" to 49"
  22% 50" to 59"
  10% 60" to 64"
  38% 65" or larger


3. Which of the following best reflects your reason for purchasing your HDTV?
  18% I needed a new TV and after shopping I decided to purchase a HDTV
  82% I bought a HDTV because I wanted one not because I needed a new TV


4. What brand is your HDTV?
  1% Ampro
  0% Daewoo
  0% Faroudja
  2% Hitachi
  0% Konka
  30% Mitsubishi
  5% Panasonic
  0% Philips
  13% Pioneer
  2% Princeton
  3% ProScan
  5% RCA
  1% Samsung
  0% Sanyo
  0% SharpVision
  19% Sony
  16% Toshiba
  0% Vidikron
  3% Zenith


5. What type is your HDTV?
  57% Rear projection
  22% Front projection
  19% Direct-view, meaning the TV has a glass picture tube
  2% Not sure


6. Is your HDTV integrated or modular?
  9% Integrated - the tuner to convert digital signals is built into the set
  91% Modular - requires a separate set-top box to convert digital signals
  0% Not sure


7. Do you own a set-top box with a tuner to convert digital signals to receive a high-definition picture?
  83% Yes
  17% No
  0% Not sure


8. When, if ever, do you expect to buy a set-top box with a tuner to convert digital signals for your HDTV?
  62% Within 6 months
  21% Within 6 months to 12 months
  5% Within 1 to 2 years
  2% Period longer than 2 years
  10% Not sure


9. What brand is your set-top box?
  0% Konka
  0% Loewe
  9% Mitsubishi
  22% Panasonic
  1% Pioneer
  4% ProScan
  0% Proton
  56% RCA
  1% Samsung
  0% Sanyo
  2% SharpVision
  6% Sony
  0% Toshiba
  0% Zenith


10. Before purchasing your HDTV, what sources of information did you use to assist you in your buying decision?
  Check All That Apply
  55% Newspapers and/or magazines
  72% Internet
  6% TV
  39% Retailer
  21% Word of mouth/friends or family
  29% Manufacturer sponsored advertising


11. Which of the following best describes the type of store where you purchased your HDTV?
  11% Mass market electronics retailer, i.e. Best Buy or Circuit City
  26% Regional electronics retailer, i.e. Tweeter, The Wiz, or Good Guys
  39% Local high-end specialty retailer, i.e. Myer Emco
  24% Other


12. Thinking about the place where you purchased your HDTV, how would you rate the ability of the salespeople to answer your questions?
  22% They could answer all of my questions
  41% Most of my questions
  29% Some of my questions
  8% None of my questions


13. To what degree has your HDTV met your expectations overall?
  19% Greatly exceeded expectations
  29% Exceeded expectations
  40% Met expectations
  9% Just fell short of meeting expectations
  3% Did not at all meet expectations


14. How do you rate your HDTV in terms of…?
    Poor Excellent NA
   
  Audio quality 1% 3% 17% 29% 38% 12%
  Picture quality 0% 1% 3% 25% 69% 2%
  Amount of high-def programming 56% 28% 11% 2% 0% 3%
  Quality of high-def programming 6% 12% 25% 31% 19% 7%
  Ease of connecting products
to your HDTV, i.e. DVD player		 4% 3% 20% 33% 38% 3%


15. What is the primary way you receive HDTV signals?
  46% Antenna
  2% Cable
  44% Satellite
  8% I cannot receive HDTV signals
  0% Not sure


16. What type of antenna do you use to receive HDTV signals?
  17% Indoor antenna
  83% Outdoor antenna


17. Which of the following products do you currently have connected to your HDTV? Including through a home theater system.
  Check All That Apply
  80% VCR
  89% DVD player
  16% Videogame system
  78% Satellite TV system receiver / set-top box
  6% Web TV or other Internet access device
  14% PVR, such as TiVo or ReplayTV
  23% Cable box
  74% Antenna
  74% Home theater speakers
  Other See Spreadsheet


18. In addition to your HDTV what other types of analog TVs, if any, do you own and actively use?
  Check All That Apply
  13% Analog projection TV (rear or front projection)
  45% Direct view analog TV - 32" or larger
  73% Direct view analog TV - 25" to 27"
  54% Direct view analog TV - 19" to 20"
  Other See Spreadsheet


19. Next, how is your television viewing time divided among your HDTV and the other TVs in your house? Please think only about television, and not movies from a VCR or DVD player.
  24% I watch my HDTV 100% of the time
  38% I watch my HDTV 75% of the time and other analog TVs 25% of the time
  16% I watch my HDTV 50% of the time and other analog TVs 50% of the time
  19% I watch my HDTV 25% of the time and other analog TVs 75% of the time
  3% I watch my analog TVs almost 100% of the time


20. Are you watching more television since purchasing a HDTV?
  16% Yes, I watch significantly more television
  43% Yes, I watch somewhat more television
  41% No, I watch the same amount of television


21. Now, how is your viewing time of movies from either a VCR or DVD divided among your HDTV and other TVs in your house?
  70% I use my HDTV 100% of the time
  16% I use my HDTV 75% of the time and other analog TVs 25% of the time
  8% I use my HDTV 50% of the time and other analog TVs 50% of the time
  3% I use my HDTV 25% of the time and other analog TVs 75% of the time
  2% I use my analog TVs almost 100% of the time


22. Are you watching more movies using a either a VCR or DVD player since purchasing a HDTV?
  45% Yes, I watch significantly more movies
  30% Yes, I watch somewhat more movies
  25% No, I watch the same amount of movies


23. Which one television show do you most like to watch on your HDTV?
  See Spreadsheet


24. Thinking about your viewing habits (using all of the TVs in your home), how frequently or infrequently do you watch the following types of programming?
   
Never Some -
times		 Very
Often
   
  Sports 8% 14% 24% 23% 30%
  Movies 0% 4% 12% 31% 52%
  Documentaries or instructional shows 1% 16% 37% 29% 15%
  Sitcoms (for example, Frasier) 18% 27% 26% 21% 8%
  News or news related shows 3% 18% 34% 25% 19%
  Dramas, (for example, ER) 11% 27% 31% 21% 9%


25. Have you had any friends or family members over to watch a particular HDTV program?
  18% Yes, often
  65% Yes, occasionally
  17% No


26. With the content available to watch on your HDTV (over the air, satellite, DVD, etc.) are you currently getting your money's worth with your HDTV?
  10% Yes, definitely
  28% Yes, mostly
  51% No, not really
  11% No, not at all


27. How much did you pay for your HDTV?
  12% $2,000 to less than $2,500
  8% $2,500 to less than $3,000
  14% $3,000 to less than $3,500
  9% $3,500 to less than $4,000
  10% $4,000 to less than $4,500
  8% $4,500 to less than $5,000
  10% $5,000 to less than $5,500
  9% $5,500 to less than $6,000
  6% $6,000 to less than $6,500
  7% $6,500 to less than $7,000


28. Based on your experience with HDTV, if you had it to do over again, would you still purchase your HDTV?
  66% I definitely would buy again
  20% I probably would buy again
  10% I might or might not buy again
  3% I probably would not buy again
  1% I definitely would not buy again


29. What has been your greatest frustration, if anything, with your HDTV?
  See Spreadsheet


30. Next, broadcasters, television manufacturers, and other parties are experimenting with digital TVs with interactive data capabilities. For each of the following capabilities that may be available via a HDTV, please tell me how interested or not interested you'd be.
   
Not
Interested		 Very
Interested
   
  Email 68% 14% 8% 3% 7%
  Shopping 59% 18% 11% 6% 5%
  Information, i.e. weather, stock quotes 31% 19% 25% 13% 11%
  Television programming guides 11% 10% 26% 22% 31%
  Interactive game shows 59% 17% 12% 6% 4%
  Chatting, i.e. AOL Instant Messenger 78% 8% 7% 2% 3%


31. How would you rate your interest or disinterest in each of the following product categories?
   
Not
Interested		 Very
Interested
   
  Computers 1% 1% 5% 23% 69%
  Wireless communications 5% 11% 28% 21% 34%
  Car audio 11% 23% 34% 19% 11%
  Home audio 1% 3% 18% 26% 51%
  Home video 1% 1% 6% 23% 69%
  Portable computing, i.e. Palm Pilot 15% 22% 23% 21% 19%


32. Finally, please answer the next few questions to help us better understand the demographics of the survey participants. First, what is your gender?
  96% Male
  4% Female


33. What is your age?
  0% Under 18
  15% 18 to 34
  27% 35 to 44
  39% 45 to 54
  17% 55 to 64
  2% 65 or older


34. What is your household income?
  9% Under $50,000
  17% $50,000 to under $75,000
  21% $75,000 to under $100,000
  23% $100,000 to under $150,000
  31% $150,000 or more