|
The Harris Poll®
#54, May 13, 2008
Blu-ray Wins the Format Battle, but Consumers Don’t Buy it
Few U.S. Adults are Likely to Purchase a Blu-ray Player within
the Next Year
While many people expected sales of Blu-ray disc players to
spike when Toshiba decided to drop out of the high-definition HD DVD market in
February 2008, according to a new Harris Poll, it seems that the recently
resolved high definition format war is not motivating consumers to purchase the
advanced DVD players any time soon. The Harris Poll of 2,529 U.S. adults
surveyed online between April 7 and 15, 2008 by Harris Interactive® found
that:
- Ownership of standard DVD players is practically ubiquitous (87%);
- Few report owning Blu-ray disc players (4%), Sony PlayStation 3 (5%), HD
DVD players (6%) and the HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360 (1% have external
drive while 9% have an Xbox 360);
- Only nine percent of non-Blu-ray player owners report being likely to
purchase a Blu-ray disc player within the next year, even when made fully
aware that Blu-ray is considered to be the definitive technology for high
definition DVD players going forward;
- Two-thirds of consumers are familiar with the recently resolved
high-definition format war (67%) and seven in ten of them have heard that
Blu-ray is the unofficial winner (69%);
- Nearly a quarter (23%) of those aware of the format war report that they
had been waiting for the rivalry to play itself out before purchasing a high
definition player, but by April they had yet to do so;
- Although one-third of consumers report owning a high definition television
set (HDTV; 35%), with incidence higher among males (41%) versus females
(28%) and rising decidedly with household income (15% for those with less
than $35K vs. 53% among those with $75K+), the percentage of HDTV owners
likely to purchase a Blu-ray disc player is only 14 percent;
- Current ownership of Blu-ray disc players among HDTV owners stands at 10
percent.
According to Joan Barten Kline, Vice President of the Harris
Interactive Media & Entertainment Practice, "Since Blu-ray disc player
pricing averages more than $300, which is well above the cost for the latest
generation of standard DVD players with up-converters, Blu-ray disc players may
be encountering price sensitivity despite the advanced technology."
Internet Connectivity
Interest in a Blu-ray disc player with Internet connectivity
expected to be out in the Fall in a higher price range is also lacking:
- U.S. adults are more likely to purchase a Sony PlayStation 3 that plays
Blu-ray discs and has Internet access for $399 (11%) or an original Blu-ray
disc player without connectivity for the same price (10%) versus a new Blu-ray
disc player with Internet for $500-$650 (4%);
- Not surprisingly, the under 40 crowd is most likely to opt for the
PlayStation 3 as their Blu-ray capable device of choice – fully 23 percent
of those in the 30-39 age group are likely to purchase this device in the
next year (compared to 14% likely to buy an original Blu-ray disc player or
the new Blu-ray disc player with Internet connectivity 5%)).
What Will Become of the HD-DVD Player?
- Like the BetaMax loyalists of yore, almost half (45%) of those who currently
own an HD DVD player say that they will just continue to use it and continue
purchasing HD DVD’s as long as they are available;
- Another 14 percent of those who currently own an HD DVD player will continue
to use it with the HD DVD’s they have already purchased, but do not plan on
buying any new ones;
- An equal proportion of HD DVD player owners (15%) will continue to use it
but also plan to invest in a Blu-ray disc player in the future.
TABLE 1
CURRENT TECHNOLOGY OWNERSHIP
"Which of the following devices do you own?"
Base: All Adults
|
|
Total |
Gender |
Household Income |
Have HDTV |
|
Male |
Female |
$34.9k or less |
$35k - $49.9k |
$50k - $74.9k |
$75k+ |
Yes |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
A DVD player that connects to a TV |
87 |
86 |
88 |
82 |
85 |
90 |
92 |
92 |
|
Desktop computer |
86 |
87 |
85 |
86 |
87 |
88 |
89 |
92 |
|
Laptop computer |
53 |
60 |
47 |
35 |
49 |
45 |
73 |
69 |
|
Wireless router (a wireless network or wireless Internet access in your
house) |
47 |
54 |
40 |
32 |
37 |
47 |
67 |
65 |
|
Large screen television (36" or larger) |
35 |
38 |
32 |
16 |
34 |
38 |
51 |
65 |
|
A high definition television set (HDTV) |
35 |
41 |
28 |
15 |
30 |
37 |
53 |
100 |
|
A portable DVD player (not the kind that you install in a car) |
28 |
26 |
29 |
18 |
31 |
32 |
32 |
34 |
|
Sony PlayStation 2 |
24 |
25 |
23 |
23 |
25 |
25 |
27 |
25 |
|
Any other device that plays DVDs |
18 |
23 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
18 |
23 |
23 |
|
Nintendo Wii |
11 |
13 |
9 |
5 |
7 |
12 |
17 |
18 |
|
DVD player that is installed in your car and not removable |
10 |
10 |
10 |
7 |
11 |
9 |
13 |
14 |
|
Xbox 360 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
13 |
15 |
|
The original Xbox |
9 |
11 |
7 |
6 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
An HD-DVD player |
6 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
9 |
13 |
|
Sony PlayStation 3 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
11 |
|
A Blu-ray disc player |
4 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
* |
3 |
7 |
10 |
|
The external HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
None of these |
1 |
* |
1 |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
- |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
Note: * indicates less than 0.5%; "-" indicates no response
TABLE 2
KNOWLEDGE OF HIGH DEFINITION DVD FORMAT WAR
"Before today, were you aware of the high-definition DVD
format war? By high definition DVD format war, we mean the battle between Blu-ray
and HD DVD to become the next gen format for high definition DVD players."
Base: All Adults
|
|
Total |
Gender |
|
Male |
Female |
|
% |
% |
% |
|
Yes |
67 |
80 |
55 |
|
No |
33 |
20 |
45 |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 3
AWARENESS OF WINNER OF FORMAT WAR
"Before today, were you aware that Blu-ray is the
unofficial winner of the high-definition DVD format war?"
Base: Aware of format war
|
|
Total |
Gender |
|
Male |
Female |
|
% |
% |
% |
|
Yes |
69 |
81 |
54 |
|
No |
31 |
19 |
46 |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 4
IF FORMAT WAR WAS A FACTOR IN PURCHASE DECISION
"You indicated that you do not own a high definition DVD
player. Were you waiting for the format war to play itself out and declare a
winner before you purchased one?"
Base: Aware of format war and do not own HD DVD Player or Blu-ray Device
|
|
Total |
HDTV Owners |
|
% |
% |
|
Yes |
23 |
35 |
|
No |
12 |
8 |
|
The format war has had no impact on my decision not to get a high
definition DVD player |
66 |
57 |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 5
LIKELIHOOD OF PURCHASING BLU-RAY DEVICE
"Knowing that Blu-ray is the unofficial winner of the
high-definition DVD format way, how likely are you to purchase a Blu-ray disc
player within the next year?"
Base: Do not own Blu-ray Device
|
|
Total |
HDTV Owners |
|
% |
% |
|
LIKELY (NET) |
9 |
14 |
|
Extremely Likely |
1 |
* |
|
Very Likely |
2 |
4 |
|
Likely |
6 |
10 |
|
SOMEWHAT/NOT AT ALL LIKELY (NET) |
91 |
85 |
|
Somewhat Likely |
26 |
31 |
|
Not at all Likely |
65 |
54 |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
Note: * indicates less than 0.5%
TABLE 6
POSSIBLE BLU-RAY PURCHASE
"This coming fall, there will be a Blu-ray disc player
that will have Internet connectivity so that you can download games and shop for
movie merchandise, for example. Knowing that, which of the following Blu-ray
capable devices are you likely to purchase in the next 12 months?"
Base: All adults
|
|
Total |
Age |
|
18-24 |
25-29 |
30-39 |
40-49 |
50-64 |
65+ |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Sony PlayStation 3 which plays Blu-ray discs and Internet connectivity
for approximately $399 |
11 |
17 |
18 |
23 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
|
Original Blu-ray disc player for approximately $399 |
10 |
3 |
12 |
14 |
7 |
11 |
9 |
|
New Blu-ray disc player with Internet connectivity for approximately
$500-$650 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
2 |
|
None of the above |
78 |
79 |
68 |
65 |
82 |
80 |
89 |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 7
WHAT HAPPENS WITH CURRENT HD-DVD PLAYER?
"Knowing that Blu-ray is the unofficial winner of the
high-definition DVD format war, what do you expect to do with your HD DVD
player?"
Base: Own a HD DVD Player
|
|
Total |
|
% |
|
Continue using my HD DVD player and continue purchasing HD DVDs |
45 |
|
Continue using my HD DVD player, but stop purchasing HD DVDs |
14 |
|
Continue using my HD DVD player, but stop purchasing HD DVDs and
purchase a Blu-ray disc player |
10 |
|
Continue using my HD DVD player, continue purchasing HD DVDs and
purchase a Blu-ray disc player |
5 |
|
Return my HD DVD player to the retailer where I purchased it from for a
refund |
3 |
|
Return my HD DVD player to the retailer where I purchased it from and
trade it in for a Blu-ray disc player |
- |
|
None of these |
23 |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
Note: "-" indicates no response
Methodology
This Harris Poll® was conducted online within the
United States between April 7 and 15, 2008, among 2,529 adults (aged 18 and
over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were
weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions
in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for
respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use
probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most
often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage
error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording
and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore,
Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are
misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors
with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100%
response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close
to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those
who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been
weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample
is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no
estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of
the National Council on Public Polls.
J33558
Q705, 710, 715, 720, 725, 730, 735
| 
