Digital televisions topped the list of holiday gifts purchased this year, though experts are skeptical the upcoming digital transition had much to do with it.
In a recent poll by the Computing Technology Industry Association, high-definition televisions were the No. 1 choice of individuals for gifts they wanted for the holidays this year, with 15.2 percent of respondents desiring the gadget. The Federal Communications Commission has mandated that all broadcasts be in digital rather than analog format by February 2009. The National Association of Broadcasters launched a campaign educating individuals about the change this October, and retailers were required to inform TV shoppers of the law back in May.
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But analysts don’t think the transition is what is driving the popularity of the devices as gifts.
“I’m not too sure who knows what the digital transition is,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst of the Enderle Group. “It’s more that if you don’t have a flat screen, you’re out of touch technologically. We’re in the ‘my neighbor has one’ phase.”
Most individuals purchasing digital televisions in the D.C. area are on their second or third digital television, according to Keith Wimmer, vice president of Marketing for local chain Myer Emco. “It continues to be our most popular item, but the majority of our customers already own one,” Wimmer said. “We may be in a different demographic than the big-box stores.”
So far this year, 30 million to 35 million digital televisions have been purchased, according to the Arlington-based Consumer Electronics Association.
The association is projecting that by the time the transition happens, about 22 million to 28 million televisions will need a converter box, spokeswoman Megan Pollock said Monday. Lower prices and better picture quality are also pushing the trend this year, Enderle said. The competing push from cable and satellite providers to offer better content also plays a role, Pollock said.
