Can You Explain HDTV?

While you may be dreaming of the beach and vacationing in far off places a new survey from Hitachi America reveals that while high-definition televisions are still on consumers' minds. Seventy-eight percent of consumers said their next TV will be an HDTV and apparently, women are driving more purchases of bigger and better screens.

"This deep desire for HDTV continues to skyrocket despite ongoing consumer confusion," says the report from Hitachi. "Nearly two-thirds of consumers said they would not be comfortable explaining the various HDTV options in the market (e.g., DLP, LCD and Plasma), revealing the need for continuing consumer education as they select the HDTV that best fits their viewing, design and lifestyle needs."

As expected, women are a driving force behind big consumer purchases, with nearly half of households (45 percent) reporting that women are responsible for researching big electronics purchases. Interestingly, when discussing HDTV options such as DLP, LCD and Plasma, seven in ten (73 percent) women say they are confused by the options, compared to only about half (51 percent) of men.