CEA Previews 2003 HDTV Promotional Plans

[Gregg Lengling]

Arlington, Virginia 12/5/2002

Anticipating another banner year for digital television (DTV) product sales, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today announced plans for high definition television (HDTV) promotional activities throughout 2003. These include HDTV update meetings for retailers, broadcasters and cable operators; home show exhibits and expansion of the Cinema Screen program, which promotes HDTV to movie audiences in "slides" displayed before the movie trailers and feature presentation.
"The DTV marketplace is thriving and our industry is proud to be at the helm of so many exciting promotional programs," said CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro. "Many in the policy community have identified DTV consumer awareness and education as an obstacle to be overcome in the analog to digital transition. CEA and our entire industry have been and will continue to lead the way in that regard and so many more."

Bringing DTV transition parties together at the local level is a key element of the CEA educational and promotional program and CEA today announced it is continuing to build on the successful 2002 HDTV Update program by adding six new markets in the first half of 2003. The markets are Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Tampa, Phoenix and Seattle. Earlier this year, CEA conducted HDTV Update meetings in eight markets across the country, including Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit and Washington, D.C.

CEA's HDTV Update meetings give local parties - retailers, broadcasters and cable providers - an opportunity to discuss ways of working together to achieve greater consumer awareness of HDTV in their particular market. After visiting the six new markets in the spring, CEA will have visited 9 of the top 10 markets and 14 of the top 15 markets.

"These meetings have been an excellent opportunity for the people 'in the trenches' to sit down and talk with one another about their needs, especially as they relate to their own market," said CEA media spokesman Jim Barry, who leads the presentation during the HDTV Updates. "The local cable representatives who have attended have provided some of the most interesting information, because, of course, everyone wants to know when they can receive HDTV on cable."

"Our goal with these Updates is not only to allow local HDTV transition participants to hear about the national state of the transition from the consumer electronics community's perspective, but also to help make introductions, build inter-industry relationships and share other markets' successes and programs," said Shapiro. "By all accounts, we're meeting those goals."

In addition to the expanded HDTV Update markets, CEA will distribute a monthly email newsletter to past HDTV Update attendees and others interested in moving the HDTV transition forward across the country. The newsletter will help facilitate continued dialogue between the attendees and allow CEA to share the latest information on HDTV with those on the "front lines" of the HDTV transition.

Soon after the 2003 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), CEA will take HDTV on the road as part of an ongoing education and awareness project (I think this is misleading since we only have one show - I think the next paragraph addresses this concern). to reach mainstream consumers. CEA will showcase a sampling of HDTV home theater products available to consumers today at the Minneapolis Home Show, February 5-9. CEA previously has exhibited HDTV at home shows in cities including Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis and New York as part of the industry's broad campaign to make as many consumers as possible aware of the incredible viewing experience that HDTV delivers.

Throughout the DTV transition, CEA also has been pleased to host and organize HDTV "watch parties" across the country when HDTV programming has become available. Looking to 2003, CEA plans to celebrate live HDTV broadcasts of major sporting events, such as the SuperBowl(r) XXXVII, Masters Golf Tournament and NCAA Final Four, with American consumers through more fun and exciting viewing events. More information about this program will become available as broadcasters announce their HD programming plans.

CEA will promote HDTV to a wide consumer audience through in-theater HDTV advertising slides, expanding upon a successful fall 2002 Cinema Screen movie promotion. Test market advertising through this campaign proved beneficial in getting the word out about HDTV home theater to consumers in the greater Washington, D.C. and Richmond, V.A. areas. CEA is investigating demonstrating HDTV home theater systems in some of the theaters, as well.

In addition to these consumer-oriented promotions, CEA again will provide a forum for government officials and industry leaders to discuss public policy issues that are crucial to the DTV transition. CEA's annual HDTV Summit will be held on March 10, 2003 in Washington, D.C. and will feature a special luncheon presentation of the 2002 Academy of Digital Television Pioneers Awards.

The Academy of Digital Television (DTV) Pioneers - the DTV Academy - is a select group of nearly 200 individuals who have played a significant role in the decade-long effort that has made digital television a reality for consumers. The DTV Academy includes individuals from the broadcasting, program development, consumer electronics manufacturing and retail industries, as well as present and former government officials and members of the media.

Each year, the Academy of DTV Pioneers honors excellence in all aspects of digital content development and delivery, analog to digital transition leadership, and high definition manufacture. A new category has been added for the 2002 DTV Awards program, which will allow American consumers to participate in celebrating HDTV. The People's Choice Award will recognize the HDTV program most loved by the public. Voting via CEA's website, www.CE.org/dtvacademy,  will go live on January 9, from the 2003 International CES.

"CEA is pleased to be honoring members of the DTV Academy and 2002 DTV Award recipients at the HDTV Summit, as well as highlighting the best of HDTV throughout the calendar year," said Shapiro.

Sales of DTV products continue to rise as consumers see more HDTV programming. DTV products are defined by CEA as integrated sets and monitors displaying active vertical scanning lines of at least 480p and, in the case of integrated sets, receiving and decoding ATSC terrestrial digital transmissions. CEA has reported that 2002 DTV product sales through October total more than 1.8 million units. The total DTV product sales total since market introduction now stands at more than 4 million units, which represents consumer investment of more than $7.5 billion in just four years. CEA projects year-end 2002 DTV product sales to total 2.5 million units and 2003 sales to reach 4 million units.