Warner Home Video, which backs HD DVD, performed a survey on 3,000 people who owned a DVD player to find out what they feel about the two upcoming DVD formats. A third of participants owned a HDTV, while another third intend on getting one. This survey provided participants with statements explaining both formats, although according to the source these were apparently not as very well-written as they could have been and seemed biased towards HD DVD. Going by this survey, as consumers are well familiar with DVD, the HD DVD sounds more like the successor by implying the 'DVD' brand, while Blu-ray sounds like a totally new format.
The participants were divided up in different groups. One group was given a HD-DVD concept statement, followed by the assumption that HD DVD hit the market 6 months before Blu-ray, followed by a Blu-ray concept statement. When this group was asked which player they would choose, around 1/2 of these would go for HD-DVD, 1/4 would go for Blu-ray and the remainder would avoid either. The same went when the HD DVD concept was given first for another group.
The next part of the survey asked another set of questions - If HD DVD players were only available, would they buy one and the same for if only Blu-ray players were available. 44% answered that they (probably) would purchase a HD DVD player, while only 28% (probably) would purchase a Blu-ray player. Next, assuming players and movies for both formats were available, 47% of participants would go for HD-DVD, 30% for Blu-ray and 23% would avoid either. Finally, assuming that the movie studios would move over to only one format at a later stage, 39% of participants would go for HD-DVD, only 16% for Blu-ray and 45% would avoid either.
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Unlike the more abstractly focused Blu-ray Disc study, which for the most part asked consumers to express general preferences regarding next-generation optical technology without getting into specific formats, the Warner study specifically pitted HD-DVD against Blu-ray Disc. Survey participants were provided with statements explaining the two technologies; but in my opinion the statements were not as well-written or well-informed as they could be, and seemed biased toward HD-DVD. For example, specs for both formats call for a hybrid disc (next-gen format on one side, standard DVD on the other), but the hybrid disc was mentioned only in the HD-DVD statement. It seems logical to assume that the survey responses were heavily influenced by these concept statements. The study was based on interviews with 3000 people, all of whom said they owned a DVD player. However, only about a third of the survey group said they also owned an HDTV; another third said they intended to buy one; and the last third said they weren't inclined to get an HDTV. One set of questions produced overwhelming support for HD-DVD over Blu-ray Disc. In this part of the survey, participants were divided into different groups. One group was provided with the concept statement for HD-DVD, and then told to assume that an HD-DVD player had come to market first, followed six months later by a Blu-ray Disc player. These respondents were then provided with the Blu-ray Disc concept statement and asked which player they would buy, with both types of players available. About half (51 percent) said they'd choose the HD-DVD player; only a quarter opted for the Blu-ray Disc player; the rest said they wouldn't buy either product. The full article can be read here. |
As the average consumer would not know much (if anything) about the technical facts of each format, the well known 'DVD' brand name may significantly help the HD DVD format. For example, as the iPod has been market leader for hard drive based players, when Apple launched the iPod shuffle, its initial sales very quickly made it lead the flash market, despite this player having no screen or radio and only minimal features. The 'DVD' in 'HD DVD' could do the same for this format, especially since consumers know what a 'DVD' is, while the same consumers may wonder 'What's that?" when they see 'Blu-ray'.
As this survey was conducted by HD DVD backers, chances are that it was designed in a way that would encourage consumers to choose HD DVD over the other. This reminds me of the survey Microsoft conducted to show that 64kbps WMA sounds better than 128kbps MP3 and for a good while after many believed this. However a later independent survey revealed that MP3 outperformed WMA (to a small extent); both at 128kbps.
Feel free to discuss about Blu-ray and HD DVD in our Satellite, HD-TV, Blu-ray and HD-DVD Forum.
Source: PC World - Burning Questions
