Hi Definition content not much of a draw

Filed in archive Business Trends on December 10, 2006

In today's New York Times is an article about the "year that wasn't." In other words, things that were supposed to happen but didn't. First on the list: High definition TV, Radio, and DVD's.

Sure, this was the first year when sales of digital TVs were supposed to outstrip sales of analog sets. But it turns out that there is a big difference between owning a high-definition flat-panel display and using it to watch high-definition programs.

According to a recent survey by Frank N. Magid Associates, the number of people buying these sets who are looking forward to watching television shows in hi-def format has actually declined, to 47 percent from 63 percent two years ago. And while nearly half of current owners of HDTV sets said that their main reason for buying one was to watch programs in HD, only 25 percent of those now shopping for the sets feel that way.

I am in the minority because of my preference for HD. In fact, the primary reason that I will switch to AT&T's IPTV service is to get access to more HD channels. OK, maybe that reason is in second place, with the primary reason being Comcast's abysmal user interface and mediocre DVR. Either way, HDTV rates high for me.

What about you, do you actively seek out HD programs?