Picture quality and price are the two most important reasons consumers who recently purchased an HDTV selected their new television, according to a report released last week by J.D. Power.
The report, the “J.D. Power 2013 High-Definition Television (HDTV) Satisfaction Report,” measures satisfaction with HDTVs among customers who purchased their television in the past 12 months. Satisfaction is evaluated across seven factors: performance, reliability, ease of operation, style/appearance, features, price and warranty.
Those consumers buying an HDTV 50in or bigger identified picture quality most often as the reason for their selection (66 percent), followed closely by price (62 percent). Among customers who purchased an HDTV smaller than 50in, price (68 percent) was the leading reason, followed by picture quality (58 percent).
"Customers purchasing a smaller HDTV tend to be more price conscious than those purchasing a larger HDTV," said Christina Cooley, director in the diversified services industries practice at J.D. Power. "Yet, we find that customers who buy larger HDTVs are more likely to research brands and features before making their purchase."
The report finds that among customers who purchased a 50in or larger HDTV, 27 percent visited the manufacturer's website, compared with 21 percent among those who purchased an HDTV smaller than 50in. Both groups of customers said the in-store display was their primary source of information during the shopping process, with about one-half indicating they relied primarily on the in-store displays.
According to the report, 67 percent of customers with HDTVs 50in or larger and 43 percent of those with HDTVs smaller than 50in have a smart TV. In comparison, 36 percent of customers with HDTVs 50in or larger and 16 percent of those with HDTVs smaller than 50 inches have a 3-D TV.
"While 3-D HDTV technology may not be as popular as manufacturers had hoped, smart TV is resonating well with consumers, who like its focus on online interactive media, Internet TV and streaming media," Cooley said.
Sony and Vizio rank highest in a tie in customer satisfaction with HDTV brands in the under 50in segment with a score of 858 (on a 1000-point scale). LG Electronics and Samsung follow Sony and Vizio in a tie at 854. Overall customer satisfaction in this segment averages 851.
Samsung ranks highest in the 50in or greater segment with a score of 879. Overall customer satisfaction in this segment averages 872.
The report is based on responses of more than 6000 customers who purchased an HDTV in the past 12 months. The study was fielded in May and June 2013.
