Most Canadians are familiar with HDTV but household penetration of this technology is relatively non-existent. Recent research from Toronto-based Solutions Research Group found that 80% of Canadians are aware of HDTV, 66% have watched an HDTV set in an electronics store, 52% are interested in buying one – but only 2% of households actually own an HDTV set.
SRG suggests the big gap between exposure and ownership is simply because of cost, that consumers are holding out for lower prices before upgrading to this new technology. The company predicts that household ownership of HDTV sets will jump to 25% after Christmas 2005.
Today the average primary TV set in Canadian households is six-years-old, while 20% of primary TV sets are replaced every two years.
These results are from SRG’s Fast Forward Trend Research Series 2004. The report looks at six key sectors of change TV, Cable, and DTH; wireless and telco; entertainment, retail, DVDs, and music; digital life (personal and household technologies); media usage; and youth and technology.
SRG conducted telephone interviews with 1,605 Canadians this past May for Fast Forward. The database now contains over 10,000 in-depth interviews with Canadians conducted since 1996. Solutions Research Group funds its own syndicated research.
