Nielsen Company says 56% of TV homes have HDTV -- which can boast one of the fastest adopted consumer technologies ever. But viewers haven't bought into all HDTV services.
Only 13% of total day viewing on cable and 19% of viewing on broadcast television is HD viewing, which requires an HD television and HD tuner tuned to an HD channel. Nielsen says more than 80% of TV viewing is still done in standard definition.
Nielsen says 44% of homes either do not have an HD set or HD services. Most HD homes also have at least one (SD) Standard Definition TV set. About 20% of viewing on HD sets is on SD services.
Not surprisingly, the highest percentage of viewing on cable networks is with sports programming -- representing around 21% of TV homes. Younger viewers are generally the biggest HD viewers. People 18-34 represent 28% of HD sports viewers and 23% of entertainment viewers.
TV news networks -- also in HD -- garnered big numbers -- 20% of 35-64 viewers and somewhat mysteriously, 22% of kids 2-11.
Looking at race and ethnicity, Nielsen says about two-thirds of Asian TV homes are set up to watch HD TV, compared to about half of African-American homes.
advertisement
advertisement
I own two Large-Screen HD Sets, both of them purchased during "Black Friday" Sales in 2005 and 2007, respectively. I enjoying watching Movies and TV Shows on them, but none of the shows I watch are available in High-Defination. Does this bother me? Nope! I am perfectly content watching my shows in Standard defination, and I don't see any Justification in paying the Premium Price to see any show in High Defination. In other words, If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Every time I have to watch a show in SD, I die a little...
My wife, on the other hand, could not care less about HD.