Plasma HDTV Tops Holiday Wish Lists

December 22, 2004

What’s the "most wanted" gift on everyone’s wish list? According to a new national survey conducted for Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, plasma HDTVs are the hot item this holiday season. The survey found that, as the popularity of flat and thin TV climbs, most of those surveyed said they wanted to receive or purchase a plasma TV.

Further, when armed with the facts about the various flat-panel TV technologies, the great majority of consumers opted for plasma over LCD television. The survey confirmed retailers’ experience that fast-growing numbers of consumers compare technologies, features and prices on-line, in advertising, and among friends and associates, before coming to the store to look at a new TV. And the survey found that, armed with such facts, more than 60 percent of consumers would opt for plasma HDTV for their new digital display.

Dispelling the Myths

The survey, conducted by Penn Schoen & Berland for Panasonic, determined that more than half (51 percent) of U.S. consumers say they are “confused” by the various flat panel television technologies and the multiple options now available in televisions. It found that most of the confusion lies in comparing the benefits and features between plasma TVs and LCD models.

Once survey participants learned more about the performance and features of plasma television and HDTV, however, more than 60 percent expressed interest in purchasing a plasma HDTV, the performance standard of flat-panel digital televisions.

“Panasonic’s plasma televisions are in high demand for the 2004 holiday season. There’s an excitement about plasma and high-definition television, and we’ve found that once consumers see it, and understand the features and benefits, they feel they have to become part of the coolest trend in TV since the introduction of color. That is why Panasonic is committed to educating consumers about plasma and HDTV,” said Ed Wolff, Vice President of Panasonic’s Display Group.

Panasonic sees the retail relationship as key to consumers’ buying decisions. The survey showed that more than eight out of ten consumers report doing some research before going to a retail store, but they rely on retail sales staffs to help them make that all important final purchasing decision.

Plasma TV: Status Symbol and Social Magnet

Just as the first television sets in the 1940s drew neighbors together to experience the new technology, today’s flat and thin plasma TV is a social force. Sixty-two percent of those surveyed said they would host more social activities to watch sporting events, awards ceremonies and other special programming if they owned a plasma TV. Nearly half of all respondents said they felt their friends would visit “all the time” if they had a plasma display in their home.

Men Willing to Sacrifice in Exchange for Plasma

While women are making an ever greater share of home electronics purchase decisions, in this survey men demonstrated a greater interest [than women] in owning a plasma TV. In addition, the survey uncovered surprising findings on the value men place on having a coveted plasma TV: Thirty-six percent of the married men surveyed would offer to do the household chores for a year; half (50 percent) of them are willing to let their in-laws visit as often as they want; and 57 percent said their significant other could select all of their vacation destinations for a year, if they could buy a plasma TV. Sixty-eight percent are more than willing to let their significant other choose the location where the plasma TV would sit in the house.

About the Survey

The survey was contracted by Panasonic and conducted by Penn Schoen & Berland Associates, an international research company based in New York City. A total of 1,000 respondents participated in the survey, with a margin of error of the overall sample of +/- 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.