1080p HDTVs are a harder sell than you might think

Never mind the fact that most people can't tell the difference in sets smaller than 50 inches, never mind that there's not much available content if you don't own a Blu-ray player or a next-gen game console: You have to have 1080p. Or at least that's what you might think if you listen to HD gurus. Despite the hype, the 1080p revolution hasn't exactly taken off as quickly as you might imagine. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is predicting that just 34 percent of TVs sold this year will be 1080p sets.

Price, of course, is the primary impediment to a quicker adoption of the higher high-definition format. You're paying a premium for a 1080p HDTV, and the advice that you're "future-proofing" your viewing to justify spending extra isn't going to fly easily in this economy. Of course, those jumping to Blu-ray or who own an Xbox 360 are going to take the plunge, and, in slowly increasing numbers, so will more and more consumers: The CEA estimates 64 percent of sets in 2012 will be 1080p HDTVs.

Have you taken the 1080p plunge, whether for watching Blu-ray discs or playing videogames? If not, what's holding you back?

[Via Computerworld.com]