High definition TV fails to impress women with all sport and action content

LONDON - High definition TV might have revolutionised the world of watching sporting triumph and action films, but it has failed to cut the ice with the ladies.

Despite its razor sharp images, HD TV has not been able to impress women.

Experts say the focus on sports broadcasts and movies filled with fist fights and car chases lies behind a lacklustre take-up of the latest in broadcast technology.

Around 19.5million people in Britain have an HD-ready TV at home, making it the most popular of the recent television innovations.

However, only half of those with the new televisions pay the extra premium to actually watch programmes in high definition.

Furthermore-only 39 per cent of those with an HD package say that it is worth paying more for the enhanced picture quality offered by the screens.

Figures from market analyst Mintel show women are much more lukewarm than men when it comes to enhanced TV technology such as high definition, Blu-ray and 3D.

And in their opinion, it is because many of the programmes currently shown in HD involve sport, which is aimed at male audiences.

High definition channels also offer a schedule rich in action films and nature documentaries.

“Women are less enthusiastic than men about HD TVs, particularly when it comes to agreeing that the picture quality is worth paying extra for,” the Daily Mail quoted a Mintel spokesman as saying.

“They are nearly twice as likely as men to not understand what Bluray is and half as likely to agree that the higher quality of films on Blu-ray is worth paying extra for, while they also display less interest in 3D TVs than men.

‘Some grounds for optimism lie in the fact that almost as many women as men have seen 3D and Imax films in the cinema and they are nearly as likely as men to agree that it is worth paying extra to see a 3D movie,” added the spokesman.

The researchers say manufacturers and broadcasters should focus on ‘anything but sport’ if they want to win the hearts of women viewers, a group they describe as an ‘extremely influential audience’.

“They should look to focus on the provision of other content which they know will appeal to a female audience, such as films, fashion and cookery,” they said. (ANI)