36% of U.S. to have HDTV next year: report

According to CEA, 36.5 million high definition TVs are already in US homes, accounting for about 30% of nationwide households. The trade group expects that number to rise to 52.5 million, or 36%, by 2008.

CEA has reported in previous surveys that the majority of HDTV owners are pleased with their set, but many of them are still confused about the differences between actual HD content and content that's upconverted from a standard definition source.

[ITR]

Maybe by the end of 2008.

I just don't see people going ape over HDTV yet.

I think they will start moving in 08 though.

Cuco33:
Your right I work for HHGregg and SDTV still sell like hot cakes.
Most stores like Wal-Mart and Target only sell 720p or 720p/1080i HD TV's

Firewire: You can still buy SDTV's here. 720p is the norm here(for most retail chains). You don't see 1080p here unless you go to Best Buy or HHGregg or Circuit City.
Target and Wal-Mart usually have 5-10 SDTV's out on display.

[Firewire]

ITR are you in the States? Can you still buy non-HD T.V.'s?
Here in Canada, pretty well every T.V. that you could buy in the last 1-2 years is HD. Most of the newer ones are full 1080p. I personally have 2
HD T.V.'s.

[ItsDubC]

Firewire, not everyone feels the need to spend money on a new TV every 2 yrs.

[cuco33]

36% is a good estimate, being that what... 60-70% of the US citizens can actually afford a new tv let alone HDTV? i believe if u go to walmart, kmart, etc u can still get sdtvs as well as the cheaper hdtv sets and if not, go to the poorer homes and towns who buy used tvs for dirt cheap when theirs goes out

not all of us live in the high life world we like to believe

[JsonHenry]

The problem here in America, is that only a few stores that sell HDTVs actually have an HD source hooked up to them on display.

If I had to buy a TV from Wal-Mart for example, I would NEVER spend the money on an HDTV because they have an old analogue signal running to the big screens and it actually looks WORSE on an HDTV than a standard Def TV.

Now, if they had a side by side comparison showing the same thing running in HD and standard def then the choice would be obvious.

[PSTripleOG]

Its the same in the UK, everyone is going mad for them.

[VaeVictus]

I have two HDtv's and couldn't go back to SD. Watching NFL/NCAA football, Discovery HD and the host of other channels in HD is without a doubt awesome. Playing games on my PS3 and 360 in HD only adds to the joy of an HDtv. Blu ray movies in 1080p FTMFW.

[nobizlikesnowbiz]

I think it's just starting to pick up around here. Everyones been wanting them for a while. Now they're becoming more abundant in local stores and I see more people buying them here in North Carolina.

I've only owned my HDTV for 6 months or so but if you haven't experienced it, you need to.

[Premonition]

For example the HDTV called VIZO, at tigerdirect, they had 32 or 37 inch HDTV's that went for around 499, and some people were even buying up 2 at a time, and its going to be a big holiday for HDTV's this year.

[Snake_Doctor]

Got mine at black Friday last year. With prices becoming more affordable you have got to expect the numbers to increase this holiday season.

[MoonDust]

and yes Discovery HD looks incredible :)

[kewlkat007]

Once there are really good and valid reasons to justify a $1500 HD set, people will buy them like they buy Ipods(regardless of the high prices).

Right now, really how many programs are broadcast in HD? Everyone that talks of HDTV, always say the Discovery Channel, but not everybody is going to buy an expensive set, just to watch "how they do it on the discovery channel HD".

Wait till every Broadcast Studio goes HD, then it will take off. Isn't that suppose to happen in 2009, I keep hearing.

You can get free "over the air" HD with a separate antenna, which, not many people even know about, since most people have and watch Cable tv. As well as, most, are still buying DVD's by the hundreds to add to their already huge collection.

When I hear people talk about TV's they just keep mentioning about a flat tv as opposed to a CRT, as they really don't or have not experienced the difference in picture quality. They just want a smaller set that is flat. So I don't think it is HD material, that's really pushing these TVs, moreso, "we want more living room space" and I'm sick of looking at this BIG CRT, which is a heavy mofo to move around.

[mikeslemonade]

I will have one by the end of this year. I want a Samsung 1080p, so either I will get the current gen or last gen.

[snoop_dizzle]

i have been around a lot of people who just call them flat screens. In fact some don't even know what high definition is, they just think when you walk in to a best buy those really nice bravias are just big screen tvs.

But anyways, understand that most of these HD sets people buy are probably going to be under a 1000 dollars.

Not the Sony bravias, Pioneer elites, Auquos', high end Samsung tvs etc.

People will buy vs from wall-mart like vizio and sayno and stuff like that.

Not that theres anything wrong with that, but hey, you get what you pay for.

[power of Green]

I have 3 HDTV's and a EDTV, Discovery looks dam good but MOJO, MHD, and sometimes Universal HD look better most of the time. MOJO never looks bad that channel never has problems always crystal clear it also has the best sound well maybe MHD does.

My best set-up is my 42" Hitachi LCD with a 6.1 Yamaha reciever with Bose Acoustimass 5 speakers with Monster cables(for peice of mind) and Monster PowerCenter HT800 If you have a HDTV you must buy this surge protector from Monster it makes a hell of a difference in Sound and picture quality. It filters interferance from dirty power from other divices(Icebox, cell phones etc, it cost around $80 but your TV will be more vivid, clear and all your divices will work better(no red warning rings on the 360 ever.

The 360 runs better with it running cooler all the time( I still keep a fan blowing the hot air from the back of the vents and is set up to cirrculate back in the side vents and back out the back vents agian my games never get any warmer than my arm pits and this way you'll never get warped boards and broken solder links.

I doubt the masses will upgrade as fast as they're saying the bulk of people can careless or cant afford to buy them.

[Boink]

HDTV's make wii's graphics look worse, so gaming people will want to get more out of their sets with some high def gaming.

[lil bush]

i will be picking up a new hdtv really soon, for my ps3 so i can easily agree with these stats

[kewlkat007]

Ya kjnow I'll walk around BB and some other stores and see these kids talking to mom about APS3 or a Xbox 360, and they so eagerly wanting one, and I just know his poor mom cannot affored and HD set. I mean if your thinking about buying those 2 consoles and think they are too expensive now, that means, you probably don't have much for an HD set. Little they don't know, the big difference in the qualities of the games from SDTV--> HDTV.

A buddy of might currently has an SDTV, on which he plays Gear of War. I told him to come see how that game look on HDTV, he was like, holy FN Cow. Of course I have a little dinky 27 inch Samsung/1080i/HDMI/CRT, of course CRT's are great for fast action type games. Here is wha tI have my eyes on. I started researching this TV 2 weeks ago.

Samsung LNT4065F 40" 1080p LCD HDTV

http://www.amazon.com/gp/pr...

Samsung LNT4665F 46" 1080p LCD HDTV

http://www.amazon.com/Samsu...

Samsung LNTXX61/65/66 Calibration Settings

http://www.avsforum.com/avs...

This SETS kicks Sony Bravas dead in the water, and much cheaper. Samsung is no joke with their LCD's. In like 2-3 years they have caught up and surpassed Sony. Sony consumers are now paying for a brand name.Not me. Not anymore. No loyalty here.

Of course Sony's bravas and Samsung new set are made at the same factories, I heard, and Sony uses something of samsungs on their TV's.
O h yeah thes eSamsungs will match your PS3 perfectly. One of the reasons, I want one, since I will have all things black, Elite 360, PS3, DS, PSP, except the Wii will be the lone ugly duckling.