HDTV sales strong -- among wealthier consumers

HDTV SALES STRONG -- AMONG WEALTHIER CONSUMERS, STUDY SAYS
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: David Lieberman]
Electronics stores are selling lots of HDTV sets, but that doesn't mean the technology has gone mainstream just yet. Well-to-do consumers still dominate buying: 26% of HDTV owners have more than one set -- up from 11% last year -- according a study out today from Leichtman Research Group. “That's a dramatic difference,” says Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst. “What is developing is an HD divide. If I'm a marketer, I realize I'm not just selling to new customers. I'm selling to a lot of existing customers.” About a sixth of all homes have at least one HDTV, up from 1-in-14 two years ago. But owners still average a household income of $89,500 -- 42% above the national average and unchanged in the last year, even as prices for plasma HDTVs fell 30%, and LCD models fell 15%.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20061025/hdtv25.art.htm