One in Four Households Expect to Have HDTV Within 2006

A new survey from Panasonic reveals

December 21, 2005 --

A new survey from Panasonic reveals that one in four (26 percent) of U.S. households either owns or plans to own a high-definition television by the end of 2006. This is up from 15% one year ago, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

But who owns the purchasing decision? Historically, the decision on what kind of television to buy has apparently rested with men, and nearly two- thirds (66 percent) of those recently surveyed by Opinion Research Corporation said the decision was still theirs. However, these men may face some opposition from their significant others, since nearly half (46 percent) of the women surveyed said the decision was up to them rather than their partners.

And the debate doesn't end with the decision to buy, according to Panasonic's survey. Most men (70 percent) are interested in purchasing an HDTV with either large (51 inches and above) or medium (37 to 50 inches) screen sizes, while 76 percent of women lean more towards a smaller size screen.

To help couples reach a decision on what to buy, Panasonic recommends they consider the lighting in the room they plan to watch their new HDTV. The 80 percent of respondents who are watching TV in typical home lighting or even in a home theater-like environment should consider a plasma HDTV, which operates best in those conditions.

According to Steve Kovsky, senior analyst at Current Analysis market research, the color contrast and richness of detail on plasma TVs make for excellent viewing, and plasmas offer the best value among large televisions currently on the market. "As a technology, plasma provides one of the richest viewing experiences from a contrast ratio standpoint and from its ability to show the fullness of detail in fast-motion video," Kovsky said. For the 28 percent of men that associate HDTV most with sports watching, a plasma HDTV would be an ideal choice.

Happily, the Panasonic survey also identified a few areas where men and women can agree, making decision-making moments such as where to place the new HDTV and what to watch a bit easier. When asked what programming respondents most associate with HDTV, the largest group responded any programming (47 percent of men and 61 percent of women). Additionally, men and women equally (53 percent and 52 percent respectively) reported that the living room is where they would most likely watch their new HDTV.

This survey was conducted nationwide by phone with 1061 adults aged 18 to 65. The margin of error is plus or minus five percent. For additional information on the survey, please contact Panasonic.

About Panasonic
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (NYSE: MC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Information about Panasonic products is available at http://www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at http://www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

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