Most Analog TV Converters Going To Pay TV Subscribers, according to MetaFacts Analog TV Converter Profile Report

ENCINITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Analog TV Converters, soon to be required for free TV broadcasts after the FCC mandate stops analog broadcast TV signals, have primarily been bought by households already with a paid subscription to TV, high-speed Internet, and extensive consumer electronics, according to the Analog TV Converter Report from MetaFacts, Inc.

“We found six distinct market segments, and most converters are going to households which already have a paid subscription to TV through cable or satellite.”

“We found six distinct market segments, and most converters are going to households which already have a paid subscription to TV through cable or satellite.” said Dan Ness, Principal Analyst at MetaFacts. The large-scale nationwide survey found that 18% of online households have Pay TV and either have an adapter or plan to acquire one. These households also have the strongest concentration of consumer electronics and high-speed Internet access. By contrast, 1% of online households have a converter and don’t have Pay TV, 2% of online households plan to have a converter and don’t have Pay TV, and 6% of online households don’t have Pay TV and neither have a converter nor plans to buy one.

“It’s like musical lounge chairs,” said Dan Ness, Principal Analyst at MetaFacts. “When analog TV broadcasts stop, most converters are heading towards those already with Pay TV, and most of those without Pay TV will be left behind.”

“The Internet continues to replace traditional TV. Now, the majority of Americans are getting their entertainment, news, and content from the Internet,” said Dan Ness, Principal Analyst at MetaFacts. “Five out of nine (55%) of households without Pay TV, converters, or plans to buy a converter say they spend more time using their computer than watching TV. Even those with both Pay TV and a TV converter box agree, with 60% agreeing they spend more time with their computer than watching TV, and 78% saying the Internet is a big part of their home entertainment.”

Other findings in the Analog TV Converter Profile Report include:

Analog TV Converters are more popular with males than females
Plans for basic satellite TV are relatively strongest among households without Pay TV and planning to buy a converter
Those planning to buy converters shop mostly at 5 retail and online outlets: Wal-Mart, Amazon, eBay, Target, and Walgreens.

The Analog TV Converter Profile Report is based on surveys with over 10,000 American adults by telephone and online as part of the Technology User Profile 2008 Annual Edition study.

MetaFacts also recently released the Technology User Profile 2008 Annual Edition along with other research on the market shifts and profiles about customers of Apple, Busy Mobiles, and other areas. These Profile Reports are syndicated market research reports covering a series of specific topics, revealing the changing patterns of technology adoption and use in American households and businesses. Interested technology professionals may sign up at www.metafacts.com for complimentary periodic snapshots of technology markets, called TUPdates.

MetaFacts, Inc. is an independent national market research firm focusing exclusively on the technology industries. MetaFacts' Technology User Profile survey is the longest-running, large-scale comprehensive study of its kind, conducted continuously since 1983. The detailed results are a long-time primary marketing resource for Fortune 1000 companies providing consumer-oriented technology products and services, such as PCs, printers, peripherals, mobile computing, and related services and products.