Armchair fans looking forward to watching the FIFA World Cup for the first time in HD may be in for a shock. According to the latest research from the British Video Association more than 6 million Britons think that they are already watching High-Definition TV, completely unaware that they are not connected to the right set-top boxes or Blu-ray disc players that unlock the potential of their brand new HDTVs.

In a study of 9,500 respondents commissioned by the BVA, many viewers – over 55% of UK households - revealed that they have spent hundreds or even thousands of pounds on the latest High-Definition TV technology without seemingly having appreciated the experience high definition screens are meant to deliver, even though, in the vast majority of cases, the extra equipment they need is relatively cheap and widely available.

The most surprising finding is that 6.5 million people (1 in 10 of the population) think they are watching high definition content when actually they are not. In the survey 28% of people think they can watch movies in high definition with a DVD player when actually a Blu-ray player or a high definition set-top box is needed to do so, and a further 27% believe that an HDTV shows everything in high definition when in fact they need a Blu-ray player to actually view content in the best possible quality.

Broken down further, 30% of respondents (14.6 million people across Great Britain) think they can watch Blu-ray discs or high definition broadcasts at home, while only 58% of that group have an HDTV with a high definition source connected. This means only 8.1 million people can in fact access high definition content, hence the 6.5 million of us who are very confused.

Simon Heller, from the British Video Association, comments: “In the run up to the World Cup even more people will be looking to invest in an HDTV, but they need to be aware that an HDTV alone does not mean that they are watching content in high definition. You are only getting a high definition experience if you are watching content via a bolt-on high definition set top box, a Blu-ray player, or a PS3 console.”

“With bolt-on technology such as a Blu-ray player at a fraction of the cost of the HDTV itself, it seems a shame to miss out on the ultimate high definition experience - with five times the picture quality and improved sound – that your HDTV is designed for.”

Story filed 10.04.10