According to release received from the HD DVD promo group citing research from The Diffusion Group, close to one-third of non-HDTV households are interested in purchasing a new HDTV in the next 6 months.

This same research apparently found that the characteristics of these "HDTV Intenders" vary widely from that of current HDTV owners.

HDTV Intenders tend to be younger, single, more ethnically diverse, and have lower annual household incomes than current HDTV owners.

How does this relate to HD DVD? Among HDTV Intenders who are likely to purchase a new high-def DVD player in the next 6 months, 43% "prefer" HD DVD, 27% prefer Blu-ray, and 30% are undecided.

"The strength of this preference and its correlation to mainstream attributes are notable", states Michael Greeson, president and principal analyst with The Diffusion Group.

"Today's high-def DVD owner is likely an early adopter with a knack for power gaming; most certainly tech-sophisticates not at all mainstream in temperament."

"The next wave of buyers is comprised of early mass-market consumers, a much larger segment with a focus on practical considerations such as price."

"It is TDG's opinion that the format which can best address the needs of mainstream consumers will emerge as the winner of this format war."