HDTV Takes Over By Mark Fleischmann August 6, 2009 — HDTV now dominates the American livingroom, with 52 percent of households owning a high-definition display. This is a big percent improvement over 2008, when HDTV was in just 35 percent of households. We've gone from a third to more than half in just a year. You go, American households!

That's the news from the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, or CTAM. The same study reports that larger screens (32 inches and up) are preferred by 59 percent, versus 52 percent a year ago.

Sixty-nine percent of households subscribe to an HD service, versus 56 percent a year ago. Digital cable penetration is at 34 percent, satellite at 28 percent, and telco TV at six percent (with a bullet, though we say that, not CTAM). Cable is the most popular video delivery service with 53 percent of the market. Folks who move to new homes are more likely to buy an HDTV (26 vs. 15 percent), subscribe to an HD service (15 vs. 8 percent), or buy a DVR (17 vs. 7 percent).

The study surveyed 1144 randomly selected adults, 18 or over, during the month of June. See press release.