Blu-ray has been steadily gaining recognition as the next generation format. This is even more evident in a recent in-depth study conducted to gauge which format type is more widely accepted. The study also reveals why consumers will always prefer physical over digital media.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) a home entertainment trade organization, commissioned a study to analyze the consumer satisfaction of hi-def televisions, programming and formats. The study yielded some fascinating results as to the mind set of an average hi-def savvy consumer.

The study was commissioned for the U.S., UK and Japan. The sample pool was taken from three of the most concentrated areas of hi-def usage in the world. A key finding in the study revealed that out of the 1,600 respondents, 10-to-1 of the respondents preferred Blu-ray over other formats such as streaming and downloadable media.

The study indicated that:

“The results of this global study clearly show that HDTV owners are enthusiastic about high-definition content and are familiar with a variety of HD delivery systems…”

According to Amy Jo Smith, executive director of DEG said, “The research further shows that HDTV is transforming the home-entertainment landscape and is paving the way for other emerging platforms such as Blu-ray Disc.”

As I have mentioned in a previous story, all of the stations in the U.S. must make the switch to digital after February 2009. This switch will help consumers make the decision to go out and buy a HDTV. This study also shows that there is a strong correlation between the rates of HDTV adoption with that of the blu-ray format.

According to the study, the results also indicate that consumers prefer to own a physical copy of the movie rather than a digital distribution copy.  Considering that the average blu-ray movie sales increased from an initial 5% to 14% currently, the adoption rate looks to be steadily increasing over time.

Source: Tech.Blorge.com