• by Wayne Friedman , October 30, 2009

High-definition TV viewers are now 65% more likely to watch HD programming daily compared to two years ago.

According to a new Knowledge Network survey, 43% of HD-enabled people ages 13 to 54 watch HD programming every day, compared to 26% two years ago. That's a gain of 65%. Viewers don't watch HD at every occasion because it isn't always available. Viewers will choose HD over standard definition when available 68% of the time. Males will do this 58% of the time, and females 41% of the time.

Men are also a bit more observant when it comes to HD commercials, according to the study. They will notice if ads are not in HD 42% of the time; women notice this 20% of the time. Not surprisingly, the research revealed that men are more likely to pay attention to a commercial in HD, at 36%, women were at 26%.

But when it comes to HD commercials in terms of relevancy and intent to purchase, women are moved more than men. Forty-two percent of females find HD ads "relevant to your needs and interests"; for males it's 31%. When it comes to intent to purchase, the scores are 24% for females and 15% for males.

The most-viewed shows on HD are dramas and sitcoms, which gain the attention of viewers 43% and 47% of the time, respectively.