Canadians love HDTV even if they don't fully understand it

TORONTO - Canadians are buying High Definition TVs like never before, and never have they had more clarity, colour and definition available. However, according to new poll findings from Nanos Research (and commissioned by Sharp Electronics of Canada), they have yet to get the picture on the full array of features available to them. Forty-eight percent of Canadians confessed they were not at all knowledgeable about such features as 1080p resolution and pixel response times, compared to only 5 percent who considered themselves very knowledgeable.

The knowledge gap persists despite a truly healthy market for flat panel TVs. Overall, the market grew by 72 percent last year, with sales of LCD TVs growing by 84.4 percent. For 2008, projected sales figures from the Consumer Electronics Marketers of Canada (CEMC) indicate a market demand of 2.75 million units.

Yet while the intricacies of the technology may still appear opaque to most, Canadians are very clear about one thing: when shopping for consumer electronics, environmental sustainability matters. Forty-eight percent of Canadians polled also rated concerns such as power consumption and toxins used in manufacturing as very important when considering which HDTV they will purchase.

This consciousness about eco-friendly electronics is good news for Sharp, whose AQUOS series is one of the best selling lines of LCD TVs in Canada. They are manufactured in the company's "Super Green" Kameyama factory in Japan, where the power generation systems help to reduce the plant's CO(2) emissions by 40%, and where 100% of manufacturing wastewater in the plant is recycled.

"It is always good to be reaching farther and faster in product development, and it certainly confirms that Sharp's leadership role in environmentally sustainable manufacturing is something that Canadians, across the country, care a great deal about," commented Carmine Cinerari, Vice President, Consumer Products division for Sharp Electronics of Canada Ltd. "Clearly, we have more work to do to help educate Canadians about the technology behind HDTV, but the momentum in the market is undeniable."

The poll reports Canadians have a basic understanding of the differences between flat screen technologies - 53 percent prefer LCD to plasma screens - yet few Canadians feel themselves to be truly knowledgeable about the technology.

Women are especially unaware of HDTV features; almost 60 percent said they were not at all knowledgeable about the latest advancements, compared to less than 40 percent of men polled across the country. The jargon-laden language of tech reports may be an issue, with 29 percent of Canadians getting their information about new models from TV ads and programs, compared to only 20 percent from print media and 16 percent from weblogs and product websites.

However, the fact that both male and female respondents clearly take an interest in eco-friendly manufacturing and consider it a factor in their choice of purchase indicates that consumers are paying attention to the issues that matter most to them.

"These results suggest that Canadians are looking for more than just sophistication and design when purchasing electronic goods," Nik Nanos, President and CEO of Nanos Research said. "They are also looking at the environmental record of the companies they are purchasing these goods from, and weighing up all the models on offer in the greater scheme of things."

The poll, which surveyed 1000 Canadians in Ontario, Quebec, the West and Atlantic regions of the country and is accurate within 3.1 percent, 19 times out of 20, also shows that Quebecers rank the highest in prioritizing environmental responsibility, followed by Westerners and those in the Atlantic provinces, respectively. Interestingly, Quebecers also ranked the highest in terms of being knowledgeable about the latest features and innovations in HDTVs, suggesting consumers can be tech savvy and environmentally responsible in equal measure - good news for companies like Sharp, who continue to lead the way on both fronts.