HDTV confusing consumers

The average consumer is in a quandary about what they need, want, or should buy when it comes to the new high definition technology. Even DirectTV is aware of the lack of knowledge in the consumers and has played on that in a recent ad. In the newest addition to the series of ads where actors step into their film characters, Jessica Simpson drawls, “DirectTV now broadcasts in 1080i – I don’t know what that is, but I know I want it.”

How important is the resolution, really? It depends of if you are buying the set or selling the set. Most consumers will admit that they can’t readily tell the difference between the 1080i resolution and the 1080p.

Recently Walter Mossberg came under fire for giving his opinion on this much debated topic. The man who has given answers on everything from ipods to toilet seats stirred the ant bed when he said he didn’t feel that resolution mattered.

He openly admitted that for the average consumer 1080p wasn’t that valuable, especially given that most broadcasts are only 720p resolutions and broadcasters show no inclination towards change in the immediate future.

Given these two major factors, Mossberg recommends that consumers don’t wait for the prices on the 1080p sets to decline and to purchase the lower resolutions sets instead. He goes even further by suggesting that consumers actually use their own eyes to discern which set if for them.