J.D. Power Rates HDTVs

J.D. Power and Associates has rated consumer satisfaction with HDTVs in three size categories ranging from 37 to 72 inches: Sony, Pioneer, and Samsung all took top honors.

Market analysis firm J.D. Power and Associates has released the results of a high-definition television customer satisfaction survey, in which the firm looked at customers’ opinions of four different aspects of HDTVs (picture and sound performance, ease of operation, features, and appearance/styling) across three different size categories: LCD and plasma displays ranging frm 37 to 49 inches and 50 to 65 inches, plus a separate category for rear-projection TVs.

In the 37- to 49-inch category Sony Bravia LCD displays took the top slot. Amongst 50- to 65-inch flat panels, Pioneer plasmas took top honors. And, among rear-projection systems, Samsung DLP television earned the top marks.

J.D. Power found that HDTV owners were quick to show “repurchase intent;” that is, the number of respondents who said they would purchase the same brand of HDTV again were very high: 91 percent in the 37- to 49-inch category, and 92 percent in the 50- to 65-inch category. About 90 percent of HDTV owners (in all three segments) said they would recommend their particular brand of HDTV to friends and others.

“Considering that purchasing a high definition television involves a sizable investment, these remarkably high repurchase and recommendation intent levels demonstrate that the vast majority of owners are delighted with their large-screen HDTV purchases,” said J.D. Powers’ senior director of the technology practice, Larry Wu, in a statement. “This presents an excellent opportunity for manufacturers to not only retain market share but also to leverage their repurchase intentions to other products they sell.”

HDTV owners reported spending an average of $1,700 for a set in the 37 o 49-inch range, $2,700 for a set in the 50- to 65-inch range, and $2,200 for a rear projection system. Consumers purchasing from a discount retailer or warehouse cited price as the most important factor in their purchase decisions, where consumers who purchased from big-box retailers or consumer electronics outlets cited picture quality as their main concern.