DESPITE BIG HDTV SALES, FEW ARE WATCHING HDTV SHOWS

High-definition television sets may have been flying off retailers’ shelves for more than two years now, but, according to a study by Nielsen Research, more than 80 percent of viewing is still done in standard definition. Nielsen said that the high percentage can be explained by the fact that just 60 percent of all households have HD sets and many of those are not hooked up either to an outdoor antenna or a cable or satellite service that allow them to receive HD signals. It also noted that many households also have standard definition sets, often in the bedrooms of children. Nielsen predicted that HD viewing will increase exponentially when those sets are replaced by HD units. There was no indication in the Nielsen report about what percentage of HD sets are being used exclusively for watching high-definition content on Blu-ray Discs.