HD Signals Lag HDTVs

The good news is that HDTV ownership is up. The bad news is that many HDTVs in U.S. homes can't get an HD signal.

The news, good and bad, comes from Nielsen. In its latest "Television Audience Report," the ratings firm found that 53 percent of U.S. households are HD Display Capable in 2010, up from just 32 percent the previous year. But those described as HD Capable were just 46 percent, though that was still double the previous year's figure.

The study also showed that homes with three sets continue to increase, now at 55 percent, having already outpaced homes with one or two TVs in 2006. Ad-supported cable is the most popular programming source, with 57 to 66 percent of the audience depending on time of day. The most popular primetime programming is general drama.

See Nielsen blog and study (latter PDF).

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