If stats prove anything, and stats prove that they do...
Current prices of plasma and LCD sets are slightly skewed by the fact that makers and retailers are keen to shift older models, especially those that don't have feature sets that meet the HD ready standard laid down by EICTA - the European Industry Association for Information Systems, Communication Technologies and Consumer Electronics.
These were announced by EICTA on January 19, 2005 in its “Conditions for HD Labelling of Display Devices” and associated “HD ready” logo announcement. The logo is used in sales literature and as a product sticker at point of sale and intended to reassure would-be buyers that a product is able to process and display high definition signals.
For a set to be called HD ready, its display must have a minimum native resolution - or be able to show – 720 physical lines in wide aspect ratio. It must also be able to accept HD through an analogue component (YPbPr1) input AND through digital – either DVI or HDMI. Furthermore, the digital input must support HDCP content protection. EICTA defines an HD input as one able to accept these HD video formats - 1280x720 at 50Hz and 60Hz progressive (720p), and 1920x1080 at 500Hz and 60Hz interlaced (1080i).
One slight gotcha is that the ability to accept a component input doesn't have to be built in. A set would be compliant if it had no component input but were able to bring in analogue HD through what EICTA describes as, "an adaptor easily accessible to the consumer".
However, that's likely to be an issue with newer product, not old - older sets tend to have inputs for component but not digital. Such sets might not qualify for the HD ready label but aren't necessarily incompatible with HD.
Indeed, Sky has recently bowed to pressure - as discussed in this thread in the DVdoctor HDV and HD forum - and said that its first-generation of decoders will be able to output analogue component, not just HDMI/DVI. The same looks certain to be true of any non-Sky decoder boxes endorsed by the BBC for its own HD broadcasts.
GfK provided us with these figures to enable us to flesh out an opinion expressed in a recent DVdoctor column. There we said that the large number of sales of big-screen sets is creating a significant demand for High Definition transmissions and, thus, pressure on the BBC to bring forward its intended start date.
In considering this theory, it needs to be realised that the quoted sales volumes don't tell a complete story - they don't cover one other very significant area of large-screen sales, projection systems. It's now possible to buy a pretty decent front-projection system, complete with motorised screen, for well under £1,000, and prices of all-in-one rear-projection systems have fallen significantly, too.
Although we don't have market stats for projection systems, we do know that sales have been booming, and believe that projection-system owners will be no less anxious to see the early arrival of HD transmissions than owners of large- LCD and plasma TV sets.
On the other hand, it needs to be appreciated that not all large-screen sets purchased in the year to the end of May are directly compatible with HD. GfK says that fewer than 14 per cent of the 26in+ LCD models sold were HD ready, with the figure being under 15 per cent for plasma sets of 37in and larger, though as we've mentioned, not having an HD ready label doesn't necessarily mean a set isn't able to show HD.
What the stats also show is that there's been a price premium on HD ready plasma sets – probably of over £100. In contrast, the premium on LCD sets was tiny. Right now, though, a majority of large-screen sets in store do seem to be carrying this important badge - and once older stock is shifted (take care, with what you buy as you search out bargains!), all large-screen sets can be expected to be HD ready. And that will further increasing the demand for HD broadcasts.
We wouldn't go so far as to say, "Case proven", but we do think that GfK's stats add massive weight to our theory. Truth is, we simply had no idea until after the piece was written how huge the sales increase had been in LCD and plasma TV sectors, so GfK's figures actually add considerably more weight than we could have imagined possible.
To have your say on the significance, or otherwise, of these stats, please comment in this DVdoctor forum thread about the DVdoctor opinion piece.
