Barriers To Purchase HDTV Are Falling.

The gap between the cost of a high-definition television and the amount U.S. consumers are willing to pay is closing, according to a newly-released study by Dove Consulting. Thirty (30%) percent of non-HDTV owners indicated they are willing to pay up to $700 for an HDTV; twenty (20%) percent are willing to pay $1,000.

And while this may be promising for future sales, consumers are unclear about the products, programming, and benefits of HDTV. Forty-seven (47%) percent of consumers surveyed do not know if programming is available in their area. Furthermore, the variety of HDTV equipment remains confusing to consumers, as twenty-three (23%) percent were unsure whether they had an HD-capable set, even though definitions and descriptions of equipment were provided. Overall, only seventeen (17%) percent of consumers reported having a good understanding of the equipment, while nearly forty (40%) percent lacked knowledge or understanding.

Additional highlights from the study include:

— More than half of consumers surveyed learned about programming access through advertisements, followed by 32% through their cable company representative and 11% percent from retail store representatives.

— When asked to describe the type of person who would be interested in HDTV, very few consumers indicated that it is “someone like me.”

— Once consumers have seen programming in high-definition, they want to see a lot more of it.

“This is an opportunity poised for explosive growth – the challenges are on the marketing side, around building relevance, educating consumers, and developing creative packaging,” notes Bob Davis, Managing Director of Dove’s Consumer Broadband practice. “Think about it: the research shows that there is 87% awareness, 30% of prospects willing to pay $700 to enable the service, and over 80% of consumers prepared to pay for content. And with very high satisfaction levels among current users, we have one of the best primed market opportunities we’ve seen in quite a while.”

For more information at http://www.doveconsulting.com