Magid: DTV awareness up… but so is confusion
Don Day March 27th, 2008
Great. With broadcasters in full-court press mode to get people to make sure their analog TVs get those critical converter boxes before next February - a new Magid study shows that people are… confused. The study found that six out of ten viewers are now aware of the cutover, a huge jump from September when the number was just four in ten. However, the study found that only about one-third knew that some consumers would not be able to get TV without an upgrade. The study also suggested many didn’t know the difference between DTV and HDTV. Anyone want to bet that there are millions of Americans with a digital or HD set that don’t get any HD programming because they don’t know the difference?
11 Comments Add your own
1. Charles | March 27th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
It IS kind of confusing. Many people think you HAVE to spend $5,000 or more for a nice plasma unit or something to get TV channels next year. When, in fact, just a $100 unit with an ATSC tuner works great. I have a TV with a analog and digital tuner, plus QAM, and it then cost about $120 at Wal-Mart. It’s not HDTV, but it’s got a flat screen and, for it’s price range, GREAT color and clarity. HDTV isn’t what it could be on a HDTV-TV, but, it’s still like watching a DVD, but live.
2. Joe | March 27th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Amazing. The TV industry shirks its responsibility to educate viewers on complicated subjects all the time, preferring light entertainment and irrelevant news. Then when they are forced to educate people about something that their very survival depends on, they fail miserably.
3. DTV Viewer | March 27th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Actually Charles, it only costs $20 if you get the government’s $40 discount coupons.
I already got my two coupons, bought my converter boxes and have the clearest reception I’ve ever had.
I’m keeping my 36 inch TV because the digital picture looks great. I don’t need an expensive wide screen.
And I love that not only is my picture crystal clear, now I pick up more channels than ever before.
I don’t pay a dime for the signals.
If folks could see what I see they’d be sold.
4. Allen | March 27th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Isn’t ANY tv good as long as you have cable?
5. Brink | March 28th, 2008 at 4:02 am
It doesn’t help that some TV news stories on the subject–including at least one on a network–have been 100% wrong, confusing viewers about DTV vs. HDTV.
6. Joe - fourhman.com | March 28th, 2008 at 7:43 am
We did a :60 info spot with our main anchor flat-out telling viewers “Digital TV is not HD TV; you do not need to buy a brand new high-def set” and “if you have a cable or satellite service that includes local channels, you do not have to worry.”
It really has been a mess, and the constant sniping between the FCC and the NAB has not been helpful or amusing.
7. Anonymous | March 28th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Guess howmany LPs we have around here that won’t be converting that day?
NAB is insane anyway and if they want to get it done RIGHT and not find two months or more in tanked ratings perhaps it’s time to get serious. Job One would be to actually care about the actual HD broadcasts and stop chopping them into shreds trying to serve four audiences. PBS are you listening? You can’t run four networks and expect to deliver the “gorgeous digital of the future” everybody THINKS you have. UHF shouldn’y have been PREMATURELY given away when the system is still pretty tentative.
I have my doubts lately watching the UHF you lease and the abject failings of your automation on newscasts.
8. tdc | March 29th, 2008 at 9:05 am
boy, if #3 “dtv viewer” doesn’t sound like an industry plant.
sorry if you aren’t, but i can see them coming out in force to PUMP this going into the home stretch.
btw #3, if you use strictly over the air for your tv viewing , how did you post your comment here? do you have dial-up?
i’m just asking.
9. Anonymous | April 1st, 2008 at 12:56 am
#8 tdc–they got some magic dust!
A little bit for dtv viewer, a little bit more and more…?
Far OUT, man but how did he get the rabbit ears to work, man?
10. Brian | April 1st, 2008 at 6:26 am
I work in TV. I have cable broadband, but I don’t have cable TV. Any TV viewing I do is on the Web, via the computer hooked up to my living room TV, or my Netflix subscription. I’m satisfied.
I got my coupons and bought the converter boxes. I thought the setup was remarkably easy. The signals look great with $9 rabbit ears. I’m impressed with the experience.
I didn’t watch any over-the-air TV before getting the converters. Since getting DTV, I’ve watched part of a newscast and two programs in PBS. Sure enough, there’s still nothing worth watching on there.
11. Hussman | April 1st, 2008 at 8:34 am
I call shennanigans. Yeah, there’s some confusion, but people get it. I give presentations about it to groups as part of our station’s education process, and there is much retention. Heck, just talked to a 60+ year old woman about it, and she was VERY educated on the subject. She knew all about the issue.
My question to all of you is… instead of bitching about it, what are you doing to fight the confusion? I make it very clear that TV stations can’t reach everyone. We need Word of Mouth to make sure everyone knows.
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