Consumers Positive on U.S. Digital Television Transition; Many May Switch to Free Over-The-Air Reception, According to Survey
June 11 2009 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Harris Corporation-Sponsored Survey Released on Eve of Nationwide
DTV Transition MELBOURNE, Fla., June 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Despite some initial confusion and delays, a majority of U.S.
consumers think positively about tomorrow's official digital
television (DTV) transition, and many will likely switch to free
over-the-air reception from fee-based cable or satellite
subscriptions, according to a survey released today. The random
survey of more than 1,000 consumers was sponsored by Harris
Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and
information technology company. The survey, completed earlier this
week, found that a majority of people - 69 percent - feel the
nationwide DTV transition will be good for them and their families.
This is despite some earlier reports of consumer confusion caused
by equipment requirements, converter box coupon issues, and a delay
in the implementation until June 12, 2009. More than half of the
survey respondents - 55 percent - said they are somewhat or very
likely to switch to antennas to receive free, over-the-air
high-definition TV signals (HDTV), versus subscribing to cable or
satellite subscriptions. The unique Advanced Television Systems
Committee digital broadcast technology enables broadcasters to
allocate more bandwidth to over-the-air HDTV, therefore providing
higher quality pictures than most cable or satellite solutions. The
survey also showed that younger consumers - those under 24 years
old - were most positive about the DTV transition, and also the
most likely to consider switching to free over-the-air TV from
subscription cable or satellite reception. This particular age
group also is most likely to supplement their over-the-air
reception with new on-line viewing alternatives. "We commissioned
this survey to check the pulse of the American public about the
transition to digital television," said Jay Adrick, vice president,
broadcast technology, Harris Broadcast Communications. "We think
the results clearly show that despite a few wrinkles during the
transition, consumers are embracing this change, and appreciate the
positive impact it will have on them." More details on the survey
are available at DTV Survey Results. Harris Broadcast
Communications offers products, systems and services that provide
interoperable workflow solutions for broadcast, cable, satellite
and out-of-home networks. The Harris ONE(TM) solution brings
together highly integrated and cost-effective products that enable
advanced media workflows for emerging content delivery business
models. About the DTV Transition Television programming has been
transmitted using analog signals since it was first commercially
launched in 1947. The Digital TV format was introduced in 1996 to
increase the signal efficiency and provide enhanced capabilities,
such as HDTV, that are impossible using analog technology. The U.S.
Congress has mandated that all 1700-plus TV stations nationwide
transition to DTV and discontinue broadcasting analog signals by
June 12, 2009. By The Numbers -- 4.4 million TV antennas were sold
in the U.S. in 2008, up 48 percent from the previous year,
according to the Consumer Electronics Association. -- Antennas
Direct, a provider of TV antennas for consumers, recently reported
a 224 percent jump in sales for the first quarter of 2009. -- The
number of people signing up for cable or satellite TV grew at its
lowest rate ever - less than one percent - in the fourth quarter of
2008, according to analyst Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. -- The
Federal Communications Commission spent more than $75 million over
the past few months to educate consumers about the transition. --
The average monthly home cable bill was $84.59 in January 2008, up
more than 20 percent from 2006 (FCC). About the Survey: The omnibus
survey of 1,046 people was conducted for Harris by Greenfield
Online June 5, 2009. The survey has a margin of error of 10
percent. About Harris Corporation Harris is an international
communications and information technology company serving
government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries.
Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately
$5 billion of annual revenue and 15,000 employees - including
nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to
developing best-in-class assured communications(R) products,
systems, and services. Additional information about Harris
Corporation is available at http://www.harris.com/. DATASOURCE:
Harris Corporation CONTACT: David Cohen, Director, Marketing
Communications, Harris Broadcast Communications, +1-610-327-6483, ,
or Jim Burke of Corporate Headquarters, +1-321-727-9131, Web Site:
http://www.harris.com/
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