Consumers Reluctant To Buy High-Definition Media

[Sean Mota]

Consumers show little interest in high-definition DVDs, which is reflected by the low numbers planning to upgrade to products capable of playing the next generation disks, a market research firm said Wednesday.

In a survey of online consumers, considered the more technically savvy, only 6 percent planned to buy new or upgraded DVD players in the next 12 months, and only 11 percent had high-definition capable TVs or set-top boxes, JupiterResearch said.

With such minimal consumer interest, manufacturers and media companies backing two competing standards for high-definition DVDs -- HD-DVD and Blu-ray -- would better their chances of speeding adoption by settling on one technology.

"Historically, consumers have resisted investing in format shifts. The release of multiple HD media formats at high prices adds to consumer confusion and ultimately slows adoption of any format," JupiterResearch analyst Joni Blecher said in a statement. "Although there is consumer interest in the improved viewing experience that's offered by HD, it's not enough to spark a media format shift at present."

The keys to success of any next-generation DVD format depend on backward compatibility with existing players and low prices, JupterResearch said. The analyst firm found that more than half of online consumers were most interested in low cost and backward compatibility.

Source

 

[PhillyOTA]

There may be another problem for HDVD. Effectively there is a step up from DVD for most people. Once the majority of consumers step up to HD sets and upconverting DVD players they will see a LARGE improvement over their old composite inputs. Why would these people re-invest in players and their media library? They most likely won't.

Backwards compatability and low price point will be the way to get the players in these homes, but there won't be a huge demand for many years in HDVD media. Their existing DVDs will already look 10x better.

But I'm usually wrong.

Eddie

 

[Digital Dude]

Backwards compatability is the key. Those 5 million or so early adopters of HDTV that don't have DVI/HDMI will find them useless as an upgrade. I love it when the copy protection Nazi's shoot themselves in the foot.

 

[Carl B]

I've said all along that w/ my Sammy DLP and upconverting DVD player, my DVD PQ is pretty darn close to the HD movie PQ I see on HDNet Movies. Mostly dependent on the bit rate and quality of the DVD itself. Now that I've compiled a small DVD library of my favorite movies, no way will I spend $1K for a HD DVD player and $30/disc to replace my current items for a slight gain in PQ. I don't think I'm the only one either.

The digital media suits are all lathered up to see another expedited adoption of a new video technology because of what happened with DVDs replacing VHS tape. Not the same scenario at all. VHS was a twenty-something year old format with a barely adequate PQ. The jump to simple disc with double the resolution was pretty awesome for everybody. The small increment of improvement going to HD DVD just isn't going to inspire folks to toss their recent investment in DVD players and discs. Those Hollywood guys have just been doing too many recreational drugs.

 

[Kevinw]

Backwards compatability is the key. Those 5 million or so early adopters of HDTV that don't have DVI/HDMI will find them useless as an upgrade. I love it when the copy protection Nazi's shoot themselves in the foot.

Yep thats me .. I got into this in 2001 which in TV years is a long time ago...
Reinvesting in a new TV and DVD palyer is gonna take abit just for renting movies with better PQ. The jump from VHS to DVD was cheap compared to the jump from analog to digital TV. ..

 

[rad]

Until there is a unified format (not just universal players) I'll be taking a pass on high def DVD's. Normally I'm on the bleeding edge but not this time, the corporations are going to have to come to an agreement before they get any of my $'s this time around.