iSuppli: TV Screen Size Overrated As Buying Factor

By Greg Tarr On Sep 15 2008 - 6:00am

A new survey of television shoppers by iSuppli has found that U.S. consumers rate screen size as "far less important" than such factors as pricing, brand and picture quality.

The survey, which is part of iSuppli's ConsumerTrak service and collected during the second quarter of 2008, said that screen size was only fifth on the list of considerations among consumers with annual incomes in a range from less than $25,000 to $99,999. The factor registered only single-digit percentages of those naming it as the primary consideration.

iSuppli said only 5.24 percent of those making less than $25,000 named size as the most important factor. Moving to higher income brackets, size was less critical, falling to sixth and seventh place, the market research firm found.

The study found price, picture quality and brand name as the top three considerations in making a TV set purchase, respectively, among consumers with incomes in the less-than-$25,000 to $99,999 income range.

iSuppli said the development "could have major ramifications for television brands."

"Since the inception of the flat-panel television market, much of the focus has been on size, with suppliers focusing on making larger panels at lower costs," stated Riddhi Patel, television principal analyst, for iSuppli.

For more details see www.twice.com and www.isupply.com.