HDTV Percentage

[lvkewlkid]

I was wondering if anyone knew the percentage of Americans that own an HDTV. I was wondering if I'm in the majority or the minority since I don't have/can't afford one.

 

[BFG]

There's easily more people without HDTVs than with. But don't be afraid to climb on down to the minority with us. I can find you an HDTV for less than $500 if you wanna think about it some more

 

[lvkewlkid]

o, ok, it just seemed like everybody here had HDTV, since there always talking about how they need more HD channels or about VOOM getting added.

 

[tvdxer]

I would go out on a limb and say maybe 4-6% of households have an HD-ready or HD-equipped set. Maybe 1-3% actually receive and watch HDTV programming.

 

[toto]

HD ready sets now start at under $400. All sets larger than 36" manufactured after 7-1 this year are HD. By years end there will be more than 20 million HD sets in use. Thats 15 to 20% of all households. It is estimated that less than 1/2 of these sets tune into HD. Many of the 16:9 sets are used for DVD viewing. There are very few households that have more than one HD set. All sets 27" and larger manufactured after 3-31 next year will be HD. The end of 2006 all sets 13" and larger are too be HD. 12-31-2008 is the end of analog TV. Prices in the 13 to 20" set will make it difficult to find that $100 tv (manufacturers and retailers that offer those sets are losing money on them anyway) When they stop being produced, you may find even lower price large HD sets. Today HD sets, with tuners cost considerably less, than comparable non HD sets from the same manufacturers, of less than 5 years ago.

 

[Carl B]

Small correction. Those mandated dates refer to digital television of which HD is a subset. A lot of those mandated sets produced may in fact be SD or ED, but they will have an ATSC tuner (digital signal) instead of an NTSC tuner (analog signal). All that is DTV isn't HDTV!

 

[toto]

While that is true, the cost does not justify the manufacture of SD sets, other than LCD and Plasma. I'm not sure how much longer LCD & Plasma will be made in SD (or at least in anything below 1024X768

 

[PhillyOTA]

Even if the cost does not justify it, planned obsolescence makes companies big $!

You're probably right, the majority of plasma and LCDs will convert before CRTs.

 

[toto]

Just read a chart for tv manufacturing plans 2005 and 2007. 2007 35% CRT under 30" 0 above. Looks like LCD for 30 and under and alphabet soup for over 30.