They will change their mind, when they see the price.................
Monday April 7 12:28 PM EDT
Consumers Plan To Switch To Digital Television, Independent Survey by Harris Corporation Shows
MELBOURNE, Fla., April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Many consumers will likely switch from watching traditional television to the next generation of television -- Digital TV (DTV) -- soon after the new receivers become available, according to a recent independent survey commissioned by Harris Corp . The survey is the first published study of consumer preference related to DTV.
The survey, conducted last month at the Advanced Television Technology Center (ATTC) in Alexandria, Virginia, involved 104 consumers who watched digital high definition television (HDTV) alongside a traditional television monitor. The group was recruited to be representative of the U.S. population. After watching the same video presentation on both monitors, the participants were asked a series of questions about what they had seen. The survey was conducted by Systems Research Corporation of Rochelle Park, New Jersey.
The survey showed that more than 80 percent of the participants thought the quality of HDTV was significantly superior to traditional television. When asked if they would consider switching from traditional television to HDTV, 86% of the participants said they plan to replace their current televisions with digital ones within two years after the digital sets hit the market -- with nearly 40 percent of the participants eager to switch almost immediately after they are available.
Other survey results included:
-- 96% said they liked the rectangular shape of HDTV sets.
-- 78% said the HDTV sound was significantly better than the traditional television's sound
-- 71% said they would be willing to pay $500 more than their current sets for HDTV receivers.
-- 18% indicated they would be willing to pay as much as $1,000 more.
-- 79% said they will buy a new HDTV receiver instead of a less expensive converter box, once HDTV broadcasting gets fully underway.
-- 81% said they would like to access additional programming or services through HDTV.
-- 23% said the United States should convert to HDTV within one year, while 83% said within five years.
"Although not scientific, the survey indicates Americans are excited about switching to digital television," said Guy W. Numann, president of Harris Corporation's Communications Sector. "The information shows that consumers are willing to pay more and plan to switch over relatively quickly."
The survey also showed some differences in opinion on HDTV based on gender, income and age. For instance, women ranked the superiority of HDTV slightly higher than men. Participants in the middle income range ranked it higher than those in the highest income bracket. For age, participants in their 30's ranked it considerably higher than those in any other age group.
"Our experience supports the results of this study," said Paul Degonia, director of the ATTC. "This technology is superior to any other television system worldwide, and the American public deserves to have this service available quickly."
Harris Corporation Background:
Harris Corporation is a leader in the development of DTV. Last year, a Harris transmitter became the first in the U.S. to broadcast commercial digital television signals. The company also developed the RF Test Bed for the Advanced Television Test Center in Alexandria, Virginia, which was used to evaluate all digital television systems proposed for the U.S. market.
The company also has signed agreements to provide DTV transmitter equipment to a number of television groups, including The Walt Disney Company's Capital Cities/ABC, Cox Broadcasting, Inc., PBS station WETA in Washington, DC, and WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina, the first commercial DTV station in the U.S. In addition, Harris is planning to establish a digital television research and development center. Harris is also one of the world's largest broadcast systems integrators and specializes in digital broadcast systems.
Harris Corporation, with worldwide sales of more than $3.6 billion, is an international communications and electronics company that provides a wide range of products and services such as wireless and personal communications, digital television, health care information, multi-media communications, automotive electronics, transportation, business information, defense communications and information, and Lanier office products.
Additional information on Harris, as well as a graphical version of the results of this survey, are also available on the Internet through their World Wide Web address: harris.com SOURCE Harris Corporation |
