J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Sony BRAVIA LCD, Pioneer Plasma and Samsung DLP Rank Highest in Satisfying Customers with Large-Screen High Definition Televisions

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Sony BRAVIA LCD, Pioneer Plasma and Samsung DLP Rank Highest in Satisfying Customers with Large-Screen High Definition Televisions

Nearly One-Fourth of New HDTV Owners Plan to Buy an Additional HDTV Within the Next Year

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- In their respective segments, the Sony BRAVIA LCD series, Pioneer Plasma series and Samsung DLP series rank highest in customer satisfaction among large-screen high definition televisions (HDTV), according to the inaugural J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Large Screen HDTV Usage and Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

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The study measures customer satisfaction with large-screen HDTVs by examining four key factors that drive satisfaction: picture and sound performance; ease of operation; features; and appearance and styling. HDTV model series are evaluated in three segments-37- to 49-inch HDTV; 50- to 65-inch HDTV (both of these segments include model series using either LCD (liquid crystal display) or plasma technologies); and Rear Projection HDTV.

The study finds that HDTV owners report notably high levels of repurchase intent. The number of owners who say they would repurchase the same brand averages 91 percent in the 37- to 49-inch segment and 92 percent in the 50- to 65-inch and Rear Projection segments. In addition, HDTV owners are also extremely likely to recommend their HDTV brand to others, with recommendation intent levels averaging above 90 percent in all three segments.

"Considering that purchasing a high definition television involves a sizable investment, these remarkably high repurchase and recommendation intent levels demonstrate that the vast majority of owners are delighted with their large-screen HDTV purchases," said Larry Wu, senior director of the technology practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "This presents an excellent opportunity for manufacturers to not only retain market share but also to leverage their repurchase intentions to other products they sell."

Owners report paying an average of $1,700 for a 37-to 49-inch model, $2,700 for a 50-to 65-inch model, and $2,200 for a rear projection model. Despite these relatively high prices, nearly one-fourth (23%) of current HDTV owners report that they may be in the market for an additional HDTV within the next 12 months. Of these owners, 41 percent say they would purchase an LCD TV larger than 37 inches, 27 percent say they would purchase a plasma TV, and 25 percent say they would purchase an LCD TV smaller than 37 inches.

37- to 49-inch HDTV Segment

The Sony BRAVIA LCD series ranks highest in customer satisfaction in its segment with a score of 815 on a 1,000-point scale and performs particularly well in picture and sound performance; features; and appearance and styling. Following the Sony BRAVIA series in the segment rankings are the LG LCD series and LG Plasma series, achieving scores of 799 and 794, respectively.

50- to 65-inch HDTV Segment

In the 50- to 65-inch HDTV segment, the Pioneer Plasma series ranks highest with a score of 845 and performs particularly well in picture and sound performance; ease of operation; and appearance and styling. The Sony BRAVIA LCD series follows in the segment with a score of 833, performing well in HDTV features. The LG Plasma series follows the Sony BRAVIA series, achieving a score of 814.

Rear Projection Segment

The Samsung DLP series ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the Rear Projection segment with a score of 785, performing particularly well in the ease of operation; features; and appearance and styling factors. Following in the segment rankings are the Sony WEGA series and the Toshiba DLP series, earning scores of 777 and 776, respectively.

   The study results include the following key findings:   -- The primary reasons consumers give for selecting their large-screen      HDTV vary according to where the purchase is made. Consumers who      purchase their HDTVs from big-box retailers, electronics specialty      stores or online outlets say that picture quality is the most important      consideration in selecting an HDTV model. Consumers who purchase from a      discount retailer, a warehouse store or office supply store say that      price is the most important consideration.   -- The majority of HDTV owners tend to conduct a considerable amount      research prior to selecting a model. In researching their purchase, 68      percent of shoppers say they visit Internet sites for information,      while 44 percent report consulting consumer product publications.      Approximately 39 percent of shoppers rely on the salesperson for      information and advice when selecting an HDTV.    

The 2007 Large Screen HDTV Usage and Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 5,389 HDTV owners who purchased a large-screen HDTV between August 2006 and July 2007. The study was fielded in July and August 2007. Find more information on customer satisfaction performance of large-screen HDTVs by viewing HDTV ratings, watching a video, reading an article or learning shopping tips at JDPower.com.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

   Media Relations Contacts:   Jeff Perlman                   John Tews   Brandware Public Relations     J.D. Power and Associates   Agoura Hills, Calif.           Troy, Mich.   (818) 706-1915                 (248) 312-4119   jperlman@brandwaregroup.com    john.tews@jdpa.com   

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. http://www.jdpower.com/corporate

   Customer Satisfaction Index Ranking   37- to 49-inch HDTV Segment   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)    Sony BRAVIA LCD                       815   LG LCD                                799   LG Plasma                             794   Samsung Plasma                        793   Samsung LC                            791   37- to 49-inch HDTV Segment Average   789   Panasonic Vieta Plasma                788   Sharp AQUOS LCD                       783   Philips Plasma                        775   Hitachi Plasma                        769   Vizio LCD                             765   Philips LCD                           765   Westinghouse LCD                      763   Sony BRAVIA Plasma                    761   Toshiba LCD                           760   Olevia LCD                            722   

Included in the study, but not ranked due to small sample size are: Dell Plasma, Haier Plasma, HP LCD, HP Plasma, JVC LCD, Magnavox LCD, Magnavox Plasma, Mitsubishi LCD, Pioneer Plasma, Sylvania Plasma and Toshiba Plasma.

   Customer Satisfaction Index Ranking   50- to 65-inch HDTV Segment   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)   Pioneer Plasma                        845   Sony BRAVIA LCD                       833   LG Plasma                             814   Sharp AQUOS LCD                       793   50- to 65-inch HDTV Segment Average   791   Panasonic Vieta Plasma                788   Philips Plasma                        787   Hitachi Plasma                        782   Samsung Plasma                        778   

Included in the study, but not ranked due to small sample size are: HP Plasma, Pioneer Elite Plasma, Toshiba Plasma and Zenith Plasma.

   Customer Satisfaction Index Ranking   Rear Projection HDTV Segment   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)   Samsung DLP                           785   Sony WEGA                             777   Toshiba DLP                           776   Rear Projection HDTV Segment Average  775   JVC                                   770   RCA DLP                               761   Mitsubishi DLP                        760   Panasonic LCD                         750   

Included in the study, but not ranked due to small sample size are: Hitachi CRT, Hitachi LCD, Mitsubishi CRT, Mitsubishi LCD and Panasonic DLP.

First Call Analyst:
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Source: J.D. Power and Associates

CONTACT: Jeff Perlman of Brandware Public Relations, +1-818-706-1915,
jperlman@brandwaregroup.com, for J.D. Power and Associates; or John Tews of
J.D. Power and Associates, +1-248-312-4119, john.tews@jdpa.com

Web site: http://www.jdpower.com/
http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment