Posted on 06 July 2009 by Bill Gorman
The gap between households owning HD sets (46.3%) and actually receiving HD programming (35.9%) isn’t new, and it has shrunk a bit since 2008, but it still is somewhat surprising to me.
Do that many people buy HD sets well in advance of getting HD programming, or are that many people just unaware of whether they are actually receiving HD programming?
From TVB.com:
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TV Basics:
HD TV Stats
While 46.3% of television households have HD capable sets, only 35.9% are receiving HD programming.
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High Definition TV (HDTV) HD Status
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HD
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HD
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HD Display
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Total U.S.
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Receivable (1)
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Capable (2)
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Capable (3)
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Jul-07 |
10.1%
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12.2%
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18.9%
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Aug-07 |
10.6%
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13.0%
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19.9%
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Sep-07 |
11.4%
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13.8%
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21.0%
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Oct-07 |
12.2%
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14.8%
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22.5%
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Nov-07 |
12.9%
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15.7%
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23.6%
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Dec-07 |
13.6%
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16.8%
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24.9%
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Jan-08 |
14.5%
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18.3%
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26.6%
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Feb-08 |
15.4%
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19.5%
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28.1%
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Mar-08 |
16.3%
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20.6%
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29.3%
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Apr-08 |
17.2%
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21.8%
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30.6%
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May-08 |
18.3%
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22.9%
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31.9%
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Jun-08 |
18.8%
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23.6%
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32.8%
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Jul-08 |
19.8%
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24.8%
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34.0%
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Aug-08 |
20.5%
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25.9%
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34.9%
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Sep-08 |
21.2%
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26.9%
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35.9%
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Oct-08 |
22.4%
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28.3%
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37.2%
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Nov-08 |
23.3%
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29.3%
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38.2%
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Dec-08 |
24.5%
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30.4%
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39.3%
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Jan-09 |
27.3%
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32.2%
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40.9%
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Feb-09 |
29.2%
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33.8%
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42.1%
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Mar-09 |
31.5%
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35.0%
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43.3%
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Apr-09 |
32.7%
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36.2%
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44.3%
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May-09 |
34.1%
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37.5%
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45.4%
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Jun-09 |
35.9%
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38.4%
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46.3%
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| (1) HD Receivable: A home that is equipped with an HD television and HD Tuner and receives at least one HD network or station.
(2) HD Capable: A home that is equipped with an HD television and HD Tuner capable of receiving signals in HD.
(3) HD Display Capable: A home that is equipped with an HD television that is capable of displaying HD content.
Source: The Nielsen Company June ’09 HD Television Household Estimates |
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Actually I’m surprised it’s that low. I know a large number of people with HDTVs who use them largely to watch DVDs, and don’t bother subscribing to the HD channels on their cable or satellite because they cost extra. (And they don’t want to put up a TV antenna)
Still, Comcast sent a flyer today implying HD is now free with them, so I assume many HDTV owners will be getting HD channels finally.
Some people bought the HDTV’s because they are light and flat. I bought a 42 inch Panasonic plasma HDTV because I injured myself moving my 35″ inch Sony CRT. Oh that Sony must have weighed 200 pounds and in nearly killed me. I do have HD access but i would have switched to a flat panel regardless. I cannot wait until those OLED tv come out that are thin as a credit card. I just wanted a tv that would not kill me if i tried to move it.
I’ve owned a nice 40-something inch HDTV for over a year now. I’ve never had HD programming. I use it as a monitor, video games, DVDs, bluray, and Hulu. I don’t have any plans to add HD programming.
I am looking at your site right now on a 40″ LCD HDTV. I use it as my computer monitor as much or more than as a TV. I get networks over the air, and they look magnificent.
My cable is third-rate, barely-any-channels cable provided by the people who own this apartment complex, and many more complexes in this town.
If I want better programming, I have to get DISH or DirecTV. It’s a little more each month to get the plan that has more HD channels, but I probably will spring for it.
squiggleslash, if your friends are watching dvds on their hdtv, they aren’t watching anything on their hdtvs in hd.
sold out activist, the only thing you’re watching in hd is blu rays. You might be seeing the videogames and hulu ONLY if you’re using an hdmi cable too. If you’re hooked up to the tv without the right cable, you don’t get hd either.
Right now it seems like there’s too much that needs to be right (between the tv itself, the box, receiving the actual channels, and the cable) for a lot of people to handle. Over time, like 10 to 15 years, the cables and boxes that aren’t capable won’t be available anymore, so eventually this problem will fix itself. It’ll just take a while.
Jeff – sure, but in all honesty 90% of people can’t tell the difference (or can but see it as minor) between HD and DVD quality when shown on a medium sized (32-40″) LCD screen anyway.
As David says, the appeal of HDTVs isn’t that they’re HD, it’s that they’re large, flat, and, FWIW, they do an excellent job of displaying DVDs.
That was me for a while because DirecTV wouldn’t do the drilling necessary in my old apartment for me to get HD.
craigward, if you get over the air HDTV broadcasts you’re not one of the 10.4%.
Wow, that’s extra pathetic for those who don’t have any HD channels because the TV can usually pick up a channel or two even without rabbit ears plugged in.
I had my HDTV for about 6 months before I got an HD box from Brighthouse. I got the TV mostly for the big screen and for DVD’s and whatnot, which are really great to watch on the HDTV (I don’t give a damn about Blu-ray…DVD looks just fine and it looks better on HDTV than on a normal one). And I love the HD programming because it is widescreen as opposed to the standard definition channels that cut off the sides. The picture is nice, but not anything to get excited over.
Im part of that 10.4%.
Went to Best Buy, bought a new TV and it just happened to be HD, I didnt buy because of that, I bought it because it’s size, price and it was also purty.
I have no desire at all to get HD programming. I just don’t find it necessary. The quality of the programming is just fine, I find it kinda ridiculous people pay extra money to see clearer as if the normal image is not good enough or unwatchable in some way.
Stubborn people like the two above me who refuse to believe how much better blu-ray looks over dvds and HD programming over standard. I mean it’s one thing for people who barely watch TV but you’re on a website about TV ratings so I would think you watch a lot of TV.
Its night and day. I’m right with you anthony. DVD’s only look good til you watch a blu-ray. and SD programming is nigh unwatchable on an HDTV. And there are no excuses. HD programming is free over the air. Cancel your cable and buy rabbit ears.
How could you possibly value the extra programming offered by analog cable at the expense of picture quality. Is the real housewives of new jersey really that important to people?
But then again i’m a bit snobbish when it comes to that.
I imagine if you go back in history you’d find quite a few people who stuck to their B&W TVs when color came in. Some people just don’t care to upgrade their viewing experience when “good enough” is good enough.
My guess is that ten percent difference is quite reasonable for the reasons people have cited here.
>>> And there are no excuses. HD programming is free over the air. Cancel your cable and buy rabbit ears.
For a variety of reasons, it isn’t always that simple, depending on where you live (both far-flung rural regions and middle-of-the-city areas can have their OTA gotchas).
Thats exactly it, enough is enough. Why would you go and call that stubborness? Some people just don’t need that excess.
Anthony, I never denied the quality of the image is better on HD. I believe Anthony! Dont worry about that buddy. I just don’t want it or frankly need it. I watch lots of television and believe me, I enjoy my time starring at a screen just as much as you.
Dave, it ain’t free and I don’t know if you’ve heard but those rabbit ears are not that great of an idea anymore. I value alot of things, The Real Housewives of NJ ain’t one of them.
Stephen’s analogy seems to be right. As per the stats on TVB’s site, color TV adoption seems to have been pretty slow- color TV set sales didn’t overtake B&W set sales until 1972, 18 years after the color sets were introduced into the market.
Sorry, I meant Richard Steven’s analogy…
well I have an HD t.v, but I have really no clue how to use it
DVD/Blu-ray, Xbox 360, and Netflix. Who needs TV?
Yeah, I have an HD too, but don’t really know how to use it. Though after reading this I’ll plug in my rabbit ears again. We moved to an apartment complex that has cable incorporated into our rent, and I’m not about to pay more for extra HD, but I’ll take it for free over the air
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I am SHOCKED that anyone would buy an HDTV But Not have HD channels, That just seems like a waste of money to me. I am even more shocked at some of the comments from people here saying they have an hdtv but have no plans to get hd channels and that there regular channels are fine. TRUST ME ON THIS, once you watch hd channels, you will never want to watch a regular channel again. There is no comparison, HD Channels are WAY Superior to regular channels. I cant watch a regular channel anymore its just to inferior.
I think that most people are unaware that they are not watching HD or realize that it is free– at least through time warner cable it is free – you just need to exchange your box. Many don’t want to go through the hassle or realize that it doesn’t cost extra.
Actually what I wish HDTV manufacturers would do is to have the reception of non-hd channels to be as clear as they were with regular analog tv’s. Having an hdtv, and watching a non-hdtv channel or vhs tape or dvd actually looks worse and it just doesn’t seem right that with all this new technology that this can’t be resolved.
Umm… do they even still SELL any TV sets that are not “HD Ready”? It’s not like you’ve got much of a choice when you buy a new set, is it?
Ray says:
“Umm… do they even still SELL any TV sets that are not ‘HD Ready’? It’s not like you’ve got much of a choice when you buy a new set, is it?”
Somehow this all reminds me of the failure of the bidet to catch on in the States.
With the digital Transition; can you still use a rabbit ears??
“I think that most people are unaware that they are not watching HD”
Right on. They get the wall-hanging TV with the wider aspect ratio and they think, cool, I’ve got my HDTV.
Technology is confusing to many people and they are either too clueless or too apathetic to get educated.
If you ever sat in on a focus group or did some survey research, you would be stunned at how many people can’t correctly tell you what day, time, and channel their FAVORITE SHOW is on. The average consumer just doesn’t pay much attention.
Remember this when you hear about all the people who are supposedly going to hook up their computer to their TV to watch what they want when they want.
I imagine there are some dumb ppl out there who believe that since they have purchased an HD-TV then everything they are seeing is in HD…hence the response “I don’t see much of a difference”…eventually the only sets available will be HD flatscreens and the number of HD compatibles without HD progamming is sure to go up.
I cancelled cable a month ago, but only because I’m moving this month.
But… my apt complex has basic cable streaming into the place anyways… so if I flip to the right QAM channels, (78-3, 84-1), i still get ABC / NBC / FOX / CBS in HD.
So I’m almost in that 10%. But not really. Also, cable installation is already scheduled for the day I move into the new place.
ANNA: you may want to Google your cable provider + “qam channels” to see which channels they broadcast ABC / Fox / etc over. If you bought your tv in the past 2 years I’d wager you have a QAM tuner and can turn your cable-box-less cable to a certain channel and you’ll have HD.
Time Warner tries to hide theres from the casual viewer so you will upgrade and buy their digital box. That’s why they’re at like 78-1, 84-3, etc. noone ever really thinks that they’d have a channel as a decimal place (my remote has a -, shows up on screen as a . so it’s 78.1..etc).
I think others, maybe WOW or someone, make them as plain as day w/ some channel mirroring or something, where like if fox was regularly 5, and you turn your tv to 5 w/ an HDtv, it will automatically feed you the HD version. Don’t quote me on that.
Basically, if a channel is ‘Free Over the Air HD’, and you have basic cable, it’s also ‘free over the coaxial cable HD’.
I have four HD TVS. All 42 inch or larger. I do not have any HD programming, and do not plan on getting it. I watch only about 6 hours a week on TV Broadcast, as I watch everything on DVD, including my tv shows. So why should I pay a lot more for all the HD broadcasts.
I frequent an HD site centered in Columbus OH, and we have our QAM stations listed on a forum there. I also googled and found Insight’s, but it was for Lexington KY, should be about the same.
IF YOU HAVE BASIC CABLE ONLY, TRY THESE. You probably can get the network channels in HD.
Wide Open West (Columbus OH)
201/CBSHD
203/NBCHD
204/WHODT
206/ABCHD
208/FOXHD
Time Warner (Columbus OH)
QAM Station OTA Format
77-34 Big10 480p
78-1 WSYX HD (ABC) 6-1 720p
78-2 WSYX (this) 6-2 480p
78-3 WTTE HD (FOX) 28-1 720p
84-1 WBNS HD (CBS) 10-1 1080i
84-2 WOSU HD (PBS) 34-1 1080i
84-3 WOSU-Ohio 34-2 480p
84-5 WOSU-Plus 34-3 480p
87-8 CSPAN2 480p
90-1 WCMH HD (nbc) 4-1 1080i
90-2 WCMH (weather+) 4-2 480p
90-3 WWHO HD 53-1 1080i
Insight Cable (Lexington KY)
72-1 CBS WKYT
72-4 KET-2
72-5 KET-KY
72-6 KET-ED
72-7 KET-?
72-8 KET-?
72-13 KET-1
81-1 Not sure which network.
81-2 Fox
81-4 ABC WTVQ
116-1 NBC WLEX
The problem for those 10+% is that SD (480i) programming on an HDTV looks WORSE than on a regular tv. So unless they’re not watching network/cable at all, they should at least get free HD with an HD antenna or what not with basic cable.