Consumers not aware nor motivated to upgrade to HD video

“As HDTV penetration continues to grow, manufacturers and studios will need to do a better job imparting the benefits of these formats to a consumer base that still reports a high satisfaction with the current DVD standard,” said Ross Rubin, director, industry analysis, consumer electronics.

According to a report by NPD Group released on Monday, among those who currently own HDTVs, only 52% are familiar with the availability of high-definition DVD players, but only 11% expressed strong intentions to buy one in the next six months. Around 73% of HDTV owners reported that their current traditional-format DVD player still works well for them, so they do not need to replace it; while 62% said they are waiting for the prices of high-definition players to fall.

NPD survey revealed that consumers’ knowledge of the HD DVD format is more prevalent than for the Blu-ray disc format: 29% of respondents were aware of HD DVD, whereas just 20% had heard of Blu-ray disc. Consumers who purchased a Blu-ray disc player reported that they did so because they believed it was superior to HD DVD; while those who purchased an HD DVD player did so because the price was lower than a BD player.