Study finds two-thirds of American homes now have HDTVs

Two-thirds of U.S. households have HDTV sets, and another 12 percent are looking to purchase one in the next two years, says a new study by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC).

The study found that Sony was the leading brand among U.S. consumers. About 43 percent of respondents associate Sony with high-quality HDTVs. Eleven percent associated Samsung with quality sets. Panasonic got 5 percent approval, Vizio scored 4 percent, and Phillips and LG received 3 percent. All other brands were 2 percent or below.

The potential for 3-D TV, this year’s big theme at CES and at the upcoming NAB show, didn’t register with television set buyers. Only 5 percent of survey respondents said they plan to buy a 3-D-capable television in the next two years.

“As movie studios, cable and satellite operators, and broadcast networks offer more and more high-definition programming, consumers are responding by upgrading to high-definition televisions,” said ORC vice president Manuel Flores, in a statement. “While purchase intention over the next 24 months looks promising, the economy remains a major hurdle to sustainable growth.”

ORC did not reveal the methodology for its survey.