Wake up your HD-Ready TV for it may be sleeping!
Over 4 million HD-Ready TVs have been sold since they were first introduced in 2004. However, according to the BVA, the vast majority of HDTV owners are not actually in fact HDTV viewers. They are not making the most of their HD-Ready TV purchases.
Research shows that many who go to the expense of buying an HD-Ready TV today may not realise that their TV will never deliver a true high definition picture unless they connect an external Hi-Def source.
Currently, access to high definition TV broadcasts is limited and is only available for selected periods of time during the day via satellite or cable.
The BBC has been running trials on an Hi-Def Freeview service, but it is unlikely that there will be any terrestrial Hi-Def broadcasts in the near future. So when consumers are watching a picture on their new HD-Ready TV they probably don’t realise that usually they are not actually watching real high definition.
However, high definition video (HD-DVD and Blu-ray) is readily accessible.
The next generation of home entertainment is firmly establishing itself in the market with more and more titles being released on these new formats with 1 million units expected to sell by the end of the year.
Consumers can now enjoy all the benefits of true high definition entertainment at any time of the day if they have 1. An HD-ready TV. 2. A Hi-Def player and 3. The appropriate discs to play on the player.
“High definition video allows you to watch the exceptional quality of high definition content – brighter, sharper images with outstanding sound – whenever you want. Now is the time to ‘wake up’ your HD-Ready TV and truly experience high definition in all its glory” says Lavinia Carey of the BVA.
Currently, there are two Hi-Def video systems available: Blu-ray disc and HD-DVD. At present, both systems offer enhanced picture quality and sound and, depending on the extra content on the release, a whole host of added value extras which use the new technology available. Consumers will have an exceptional viewing experience whilst high definition video players have the facility to immerse you in up to 7.1 channels of digital surround sound.
Hi-Def video is a huge leap forward on the technological journey that home entertainment is taking.
The fact that there are two formats should not hinder the growth of this burgeoning market, for two reasons.
- Firstly, all players will be able to play standard DVDs. Consumers will not need to buy their DVD collection again; and if, in the future, one film is released on only one high definition format, they will still be able to buy and enjoy it on standard DVD. So, they won’t lose out. They are getting greater choice from the beginning.
- Secondly, multiple formats are common in many sectors which have enjoyed strong growth over the years – most notably the gaming sector.
Lavinia Carey at the BVA says, “The high definition disc market will be driven by affordable players, Hi-Def titles coming out at the same time as standard DVDs and strong retail promotion. The last few months of 2007 will yield some exceptional titles across all the formats giving the consumer the choice they deserve”.
Most importantly, consumers must realise that to get the most from their recently-purchased HD-Ready televisions, they need high definition content connected to it. For the foreseeable future, that is more likely to be a disc than a broadcast signal.
In short, people need to wake up their HD TVs.
If you want high definition out, you’ve got to put high definition in.
The British Video Association represents the UK’s publishers and distributors of home entertainment and publishes an annual statistical digest analysing the trends and performances of the rental and retail home entertainment market.
For more information please contact Lavinia Carey at the BVA on 020 7436 0041. For details on forthcoming Hi-Def video releases please visit www.bva.org.uk.
