Shocker: HD capable homes tune into more high-def programming

Not that this is a surprise or anything -- after all, it's pretty safe to assume that homes with HD became that way due to an urge to watch more HD programming -- but some recent ratings numbers from Nielsen help substantiate the notion that high-def capable domiciles are more likely to flip on the set. For instance, this year's Super Bowl managed a 43.3 rating overall, yet racked up a 47.6 rating in homes with HDTVs. Additionally, broadcast TV stations had an 8.9 rating in HD homes in December of 2007, while non-HD households rung up just a 6.8 rating. Still, not all of the news was rosy. At the close of last year, about a quarter of US homes had an HD set, while just 13.6-percent of those were classified as "HD capable and receivable." SD content stretched across an HD panel? Oh, the humanity.

[Via MultichannelNews]

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 26th 2008 2:39AM]

No HT system in that pic...fail

Even worse, looks like some POS cable box and a...VCR

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 26th 2008 3:31AM]

But the man does have the remote. The way it should be.

[greatslack Posted Feb 26th 2008 7:55AM]

So are nearly half of the American HDTV owners stupid, or are they just using their HDTVs for games, HD movies, pirated content, etc.?

[MiggityMikeB Posted Feb 26th 2008 11:09AM]

What do you really think the answer is? Half of people being too ignorant/misinformed to figure it out or so savvy that they don't even need to pay for cable/sat service?

yeah. me too.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 26th 2008 5:23PM]

Come on, everyone knows someone like this. You're sitting on your couch watching an SD channel on your brand new HDTV and a particularly cheaply produced, really terrible looking commercial comes on for your local "cash loan store" or something and your Grandpa or technically inept mother-in-law comes in, sees it, and says something like "wow, the picture on your new TV is really good".

On a side note (somewhat related), my in-laws have a giant old-school RPTV with the absolute worst picture I've ever seen. It needs service bad. The convergence is WAY off, the picture is faded and really dark, and the picture literally shakes like it's having a seizure and noone notices it but me and my brother-in-law. My mother-in-law still thinks it's a "very nice TV", she's extremely nostalgic. It was the family's pride and joy when they bought it 12 years ago. It gives me a headache to even watch it.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 26th 2008 5:24PM]

Sorry, just to add to my last post. I didn't mean to sound like you'd watch an SD channel on your brand new HDTV on purpose, but sometimes we have no choice. I know I don't get all my channels in HD.

[MiggityMikeB Posted Feb 26th 2008 11:05AM]

'At the close of last year, about a quarter of US homes had an HD set, while just 13.6-percent of those were classified as "HD capable and receivable." '

Which makes 11.4% of people retarded? Cognitive Dissonance much? "This stretched out standard def looks SO GOOD!"