Consumers confused by HD
Studies and stats at the ready
If you’ve bought an HD TV, but aren’t even considering buying a high definition disc player any time soon, then you’re not alone. A report by US market watcher NPD Group has revealed that consumers are still utterly confused by the HD message and that most are still happy with the traditional DVD format.
Do you know what the benefits of a Blu-ray disc are?
The group’s report found that of the 5500 or so people it questioned, only 11 per cent of those already owning an HD TV were considering buying either an HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc player in the next six months.
However, the report found that consumers were more aware of the HD DVD format than they were of Blu-ray, but that those who had already bought an HD DVD player did so because it was cheaper than a Blu-ray player. On the flip side, those that had already bought a Blu-ray player did so because they thought it was superior to an HD DVD player.
Or how about the benefits of HD DVD?
Only 23 per cent, identified as “early adopters” by NPD, intend to replace sections of their current DVD collections with an HD format. But 63 per cent of existing HD player owners claimed they would like to buy new releases in an HD format.
Not everyone is lost in a sea of format wars stats though. Several online sources have claimed that media mogul Rupert Murdoch yesterday stated that Toshiba, a primary backer of HD DVD, had sealed Paramount’s allegiance to the format through some sort of, ahem, monetary agreement.
Sony has already made the decision to ditch DVD from all its video recorders in Japan, in favour of Blu-ray. Whilst Acer recently joined the HD DVD Promotional Group, despite already announcing its support for the Blu-ray Disc format.
For an in-depth look at the benefits of, say, Blood Diamond on either format, then check out our new Q&A section.
COMMENTS
Going to wait for maturity
The whole HD industry hasnt even begun to mature yet. Only Sky at the moment has adopted 2 broadcasting standards allowing viewers to choose, 720p/50 and 1080i/25. I dont think BT/BBC knows what they are doing yet.
Re: CRT & @Jimmy
re: CRT
If your CRT TV works OK and the screen size is sufficient for you - I see no reason to change. For the same screen size the image quality of DVD played on LCD or plasma will probably be worse than CRT, definitely not better.
@Jimmy - LCDs were traditionally behind plasmas on screen response time and contrast but in the last year or so they caught up. SONY's new Bravia LCD screens now perform not worse than plasmas - additionally they don't have the screen burn issues.
Title
What people are forgetting is buying a 1080 (i or p) display is not enough if viewing a 1080p source - your display must be capable of accepting a 1080 picture at 24 fps,which most TVs as yet are not!
This leads to revolting judder artefacts during panning scenes with blu ray for example, as the source tries to convert the frame rate with pulldown technique. Eeeurgh!
Appy days eh? :)
Jon
@CRT
Well that really depends on what you watch. but generally your are correct. CRTs (esp. the 100Hz models) have a much quicker response time than LCD or plasma. My 3 year old plasma was great for still pictures but when it came to movement it was terrible. credits at the end of programs were unreadable for example. football is another example where it fell down. My new 1080p plasma is much better but still not as good as a CRT. my supposedly '100 Hz' LCD by sony is no better either. plasma is better than LCD in that respect.
however if you're running a DVD player via anything other than component or hdmi then you will notice a significant difference in picture quality just by using these. virtually all TVs now come with HDMI and component inputs. older TVs do not.
And another marketing trick the idiotic manufacturers have started doing:
my sony 1368x720 pixel LCD is apparently a '3 mega pixel' display according to the sony crap that came with it. well using my maths i get just over one million pixels. obviously they've taken one pixel to be 3 (as in red, green and blue). it'd be a very clever screen indeed if it could use all those independently.
they really are very good at confusing people
CRT
I've got a 32" CRT which gives nice pictures on SD TV, DVD etc.
Am I correct in thinking that I will see no improvement by buying a plasma or LCD HD or HD ready TV, at least for the (longish) period during which I have no HD source?
William
