HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS

Receive High-Def Disc News via RSS

Report: PlayStation 3, XBox 360 Key to Adoption of Next-Gen Formats

A new report from a leading research firm with some unsurprising conclusions has been gaining traction over the last few days in the mainstream media.

According to the report, entitled "Interpreting the New Media Landscape" by research firm Interpret, consumer indifference and the current high price tag of HD DVD and Blu-ray hardware will make video game consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 key to the adoption of the next-gen high-def formats.

"Our opinion is that at this point, consumers haven't shown a significant amount of demand for the new DVD platforms," said Michael Dowling, CEO of from Los Angeles-based Interpret. "[The] PS3 and Xbox 360 may have an opportunity with the broader consumer who can get an HD DVD or Blu-ray technology for a couple hundred dollars cheaper."

The findings come only days after Warner announced it had lowered its initial projections of first-year consumer spending on Blu-ray and HD DVD.

However, the Interpret report does predict that if consumers are more exposed to the benefits of high-definition technology over standard DVD, the next-gen formats could begin to create their own foothold in the market.

"There doesn't seem to be as discernable a difference as there was between VHS and DVD, and the difference hasn't been effectively communicated to consumers," added Dowling. "Once this has been done, then we'll see whether that demand increases."

The Interpret report was derived from a sample of 2,000 interviews the research firm conducted online, weighted to 2004 Census data of 13- to 54-year-olds in the United States.

Related links:

Games, Not the HD Technology, Will Drive Next-Gen Sales [Home Media Retailing]

Earlier on High-Def Digest:

Warner Lowers High-Def Sales Forecast (Oct 06, 2006)

• Permalink
•  Email This Post

» High-Def Digest home page