PriceGrabber.com survey results reveal decreasing prices are not the reason for HDTV popularity
PriceGrabber.com, a part of Experian, explores HDTV purchasing trends and fall TV trends in its latest Consumer Behavior Report. Results are based on a survey of 1,915 online consumers conducted from Sept. 8-22, 2008. The report also includes comparisons with results from a similar survey of 2,186 online consumers conducted in August 2006.
LCD drives HDTV market
The popularity of HDTVs has grown significantly over the past two years. Fifty-seven percent of consumers own an HDTV, compared with only 30 percent in August 2006. Today, LCD TV is the preferred HDTV, with 57 percent owning one. Nearly 75 percent of online shoppers who do not currently own an HDTV indicate they plan to purchase an HDTV within the next 12 months.
HDTV picture quality versus price
The average price for LCD and plasma HDTVs has dropped 13 percent, and the average price for projection (DLP, LCoS) HDTVs has fallen 27 percent over the last two years. However, 50 percent of HDTV owners indicate that their primary motivation for purchasing an HDTV was not significant price drops, but rather the improved picture and audio quality derived from switching from standard definition to HD programming.
Television — Consumers can’t seem to live without it
Fifty-six percent of survey respondents admit to watching more than six hours of TV per week, and 30 percent of these respondents confess they tune in for more than 10 hours per week. Sixty-four percent watch all their programs on a traditional television, while only 3 percent stream television programs on their personal computer. As the Federal Communications Commission-mandated Digital Television transition nears, 73 percent of online shoppers are prepared, while 14 percent will purchase a new HDTV that reads digital signals.
What is everyone watching?
Whether it is hours of TV drama trailers or hours of political ads, there is no clear winner of which genre will draw a larger television audience this fall season. Survey results indicate a tie (26 percent) between the number of consumers who will watch TV dramas this fall and those who will watch the presidential election. The fall TV show that 41 percent of consumers are looking forward to watching this season is Grey’s Anatomy, followed by Dancing with the Stars with 39 percent.
PriceGrabber.com will continue to track online and holiday shopping trends in the coming months. To view the full Consumer Behavior Report, which also includes HDTV manufacturer pricing trends, the top 10 HDTVs on PriceGrabber.com, and more results from the HDTV and fall TV show trends survey, please open this PDF file.
