According to research by TNS, HDTV households watch more TV overall than non-HD households. The study is based on set-top box tuning data from approximately 300,000 households in Charter Communications' Los Angeles cable system, one of the largest in the U.S.
The study found that HD homes still tune into standard-definition (SD) channels in large numbers, even when HD versions are available. It also shows that simulcast HD networks that mirror a channel's standard-definition programming outperform compilation HD channels, which show some of the network's programs in HD, but whose schedule does not coincide with that of the SD network.
The study suggests that the cable industry's practice of separating HD channels into tiers far apart from their SD counterparts may discourage the viewing of HD programming. Satellite operator DirecTV, on the other hand, assigns HD and SD feeds the same channel number, and their interactive program guide can be programmed to enable automatic HD tuning.
Source: Cartt, 05/19/2008