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As many of you know, Verity has spent much of the summer researching consumer attitudes toward digital television, with the end goal being a better understanding of what will likely happen when HDTV is introduced about this time next year.
The results of the inaugural Verity Digital TV (VDTV) study are interesting, to say the least, bordering on dramatic in some instances, and certainly comprise information retailers need. But first, let me recap our research methods so you can better appreciate the findings.
The first element in the process included four focus groups with individuals selected as representatives of U.S. consumers for television. The purpose of these groups was to provide data that would allow us to develop an extensive questionnaire that would then be administered to 1,000 adults picked as a cross section of U.S. consumers.
The answers these individuals gave to our questions allowed us to develop an extensive profile of consumers, ranging from likely early HDTV consumers to those least likely to buy. They also served as a basis for estimating the "hit" ratio for analog TV sales over the next 18 months, as well as the likely impact of HDTV on the sales of other products, with a specific focus on PCs and home audio.