Full HD TV no threat to Blu-ray

According to a new report, the launch of Full HD television services will not significantly affect sales of Blu-ray discs or players.

The report titled “Full HD: Blu-ray Camp Claims Broadcasters ‘Mislead’ Consumers”, was published by the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices service.

Full HD programming has recently been introduced in the US by satellite companies DirecTV and Dish Network, and in France by cable operator Numericable.

Claims that these services provide HD pictures and sound of a quality equal to that provided by Blu-Ray discs, has been refuted by the Blu-ray Disc Association.

The Association believes that these claims are irresponsible and could mislead consumers.

According to Strategy Analytics, satellite TV services are in competition with cable and IPTV services, not with the Blu-ray Disc format itself.

“1080p, or Full HD, is the video quality benchmark set by the Blu-ray Disc format,” notes David Mercer, Principal Analyst at Strategy Analytics. “It was inevitable that television service providers would seek to emulate this standard, but their aim is primarily to increase the pressure on rival services, rather than compete with Blu-ray itself.”

The new report finds that many consumers believe that they are receiving HDTV service, when in fact they are not.

The latest research shows that 15% of European consumers believed that they are receiving HDTV service, whereas the figure is really only 2%.