[opendtv] Re: Bob, where are the tunerless monitors?

  • From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:39:04 -0400

At 9:41 PM -0400 7/12/07, John Golitsis wrote:
That wasn't the original presumption. Bob and others presumed that the manufacturers would somehow be afraid to include ATSC tuners - both because of the added cost, and because it was thought it would cause some huge public relations nightmare when they didn't work. 

What a big surprise when neither fear came to pass!

Oh and Craig, is HDTV still a niche market?


Absolutely!
Please disabuse yourself of the notion that just because a TV can display HD sources that it is an HDTV. You are falling pray to marketing hype, just like the love affair with 1920 x 1080 because it is a bigger number than the rest.
Size matters for HDTV and until the day that the AVERAGE size of new displays sold is larger than 40 inch diagonal, HD will continue to be a niche market. For the record, the AVERAGE size of TVs sold today is still below 30 inch diagonal.
Big screen TVs were a profitable niche back in the days when you were selling them, accounting for about 20% of all sets sold. That percentage is now up to about 30% of all sets going out the showroom door. That being said, big screens are right up there with the iPhone in terms of "WANT TO HAVE." But the market reality is that smaller flat screen displays will continue to dominate the market - this will be even more apparent, AFTER analog is turned off and the laggards are forced to buy a new TV. IMHO, most of these folks will buy integrated LCD panel TVs in the 20"- 32" inch range and the average set size will actually decrease when they start buying.
And how will you factor in all of the tiny screens that people will be watching video on in their phones, PDAs, notebook computers and in-car displays? 

Regards
Craig


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