• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 9, 2006

New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) found that the one in six households in the United States now have at least one high definition-capable TV (HDTV), an increase from about one out of every fourteen households just two years ago. Yet, as much as ever, a disparity exists in HDTV ownership by household income level.

Based on a survey of 1,300 households throughout the United States, LRG's latest research revealed that:

• The mean annual income of HDTV households is 42% above average
• 26% of households with annual incomes of over $50,000 have an HDTV compared to 7% of households with annual incomes below $50,000

Other key findings include:

• 26% of HDTV owners have more than one HDTV - up from 11% last year
• 29% of HDTV owners are likely to get another HDTV in the next year - up from 18% last year
• Only one-third of adults have heard of the digital TV transition, scheduled for February 17, 2009

Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc., said "... more homes than ever are actually watching HD programming. Yet even with the price of HD sets decreasing, we see that growth of HD is being driven by those who can most afford to buy one... two-thirds of Americans remain unaware of the pending analog cut-off (in 2 ½ years), helping to explain why this deadline has had little impact on the purchase of HD and digital TVs to date."

For more information about LRG, please visit here.