Bangkok--Dec 24--Carl Byoir & Associates
The results of the Thailand “consumer digital living survey” released today reveal that entertainment PC tops this year’s holiday wish lists. The survey, commissioned by Intel and conducted by Synovate, an independent market research company, shows that young people in Thailand and across the region liked the idea that they can enjoy entertainment by simply using “only one box”.
In Thailand, when introduced to the features of an entertainment PC, 80 percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 indicated keen interest in having one in their homes. This is significantly higher than the average across Asia Pacific (69 percent). Thailand’s desire to own an entertainment PC was the highest among the five countries surveyed - Taiwan (79 percent), China (78 percent), Australia (60 percent), Korea (57 percent) and Hong Kong (55 percent).
The consumer digital living survey was conducted in November 2004 and covered over 3,000 people from Thailand (Greater Bangkok with a sample size of more than 500 total), Australia (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney), China (Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenyang), Korea (Kwangju, Pusan, Seoul, Taegu and Taejon) and Taiwan (Kaohsiung, Taichung and Taipei).
Respondents in Thailand were also asked what would top their lists as a preferred gift from Santa for this holiday season. When asked to choose from a list of items, entertainment PC ranks first on the wish lists of young Thais in their 20s with 36 percent, next followed by their desire for a desktop or laptop PC (30 percent). Other popular gadgets that people could use this Christmas include personal digital assistant (13 percent), mobile phone (11 percent), DVD player (5 percent) and portable music player (2 percent).
“Intel is addressing the consumers’ needs of entertainment. With a PC equipped with the Intel? Pentium 4 Processor supporting Hyper-Threading Technology coupled with the Intel? 915 Express Chipset, it represents one of the most compelling PC platforms,” Accharas Ouysinprasert, Country Manager of Intel Thailand. “These technologies usher in a range of audio, video, wireless and other capabilities found previously on specialty PCs with custom configurations.”
“With a high-performance PC based on this platform, and other connected computing and entertainment devices in your digital home, users can experience new possibilities for communicating, learning and playing,” added Mr. Ouysinprasert. “Consumers can live a more connected lifestyle.”
The entertainment PC is a new type of PC designed to act as the media “command center” of the digital home. It sits on an entertainment rack and works with a TV set through a remote control or a wireless keyboard. It combines the functionality of home audio and video devices with the power of a high-performance multimedia computer. The entertainment PC plays and records CDs and DVDs, pauses, rewinds and replays live TV programs, and streams digital content over a wireless home network so that one can share, play or watch his or her contents anywhere in the home. Consumers can also enjoy pre-recorded music, games and movies, and create personal digital content, including home movies and custom music mixes. The entertainment PC delivers computing power so consumers can take full advantage of incoming broadband e-services, such as DSL Internet access and digital broadcast services and download.
Trends of Enjoying Entertainment on PCs Growing
The survey also shows that consumers favor using their PC to make home digital movies and download digital music and movies from the Internet. In fact, 51 percent of Thai online users surveyed currently use their PC this way, and the number of users enjoying entertainment at home is expected to grow over the next 12 months.
Young adults in their 20s are leading the pack on online entertainment. In Thailand, 65 percent of young Internet users aged 18 to 29 are currently engaged in entertainment download activities, and the number of users from this age group is also expected to grow in the next 12 months.
“Today’s survey confirms that young people are leading Thailand’s growing trend of enjoying entertainment on their PCs. While young adults are currently the largest group which downloads entertainment onto their PCs, consumers of all ages are also getting online for their entertainment,” said Mr. Ouysinprasert. “With the increasing desire from the young consumers for music, photos and video entertainment, the craving for an entertainment PC has become even greater.”
The results from the survey in other Asia Pacific countries are;
Australia: 56 percent of male Internet users in their 20s and just slightly fewer of women in that age group download music.
China: 76 percent of Internet users regularly download music, TV shows and movies from the Internet to their PCs or mobile devices.
Hong Kong: 57 percent of Internet users in their 20s enjoy downloading music to their PCs or mobile devices.
Korea: 86 percent of Internet users in their 20s regularly download music, TV shows and movies from the Internet using their PCs or mobile devices.
Taiwan: 68 percent of male Internet users in their 20s and even more of women in that age group download music.
About the Survey
This regional quantitative study was sponsored by Intel and conducted under the direction of Synovate, an international research and strategy agency. Fieldwork was executed using a proprietary questionnaire on computer usage, lifestyle and attitudes. Findings in this regional survey are based on respondents aged 18-49 from 20 major cities in five countries across Asia Pacific, and are projected up to population based on age, gender and geographical distribution. The margin of error is approximately +/- 4 percent.
About Intel
Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.
Intel and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
CONTACT:
Petcharaporn Charoennibhonvanich Kanpirom Ungpakorn
Intel Microelectronics (Thailand) Ltd. Carl Byoir & Associates
Tel: 0-2654 0654 Tel: 0-2627 3501
e-Mail: [email protected] e-Mail: [email protected] End.