Console Owners Largely Unaware of DVD Functionality, Says Report

According to The Diffusion Group, which describes itself as a "digital home and new media research consultancy," most console owners remain blissfully unaware of their unit's media functionality.

The Dallas-based firm found that only 30 percent of households with a DVD-capable console knew the system was capable of playing DVDs, and only 13 percent were using them to that end.

It also reported that three-fourths of those who do watch movies on their gaming consoles are staying with the physical DVD format as opposed to online movie downloads.

The author of the report, Dale Giliam III, said:

Today's next-generation games consoles such as the Xbox 360 or Sony PS3 are true digital multimedia powerhouses.

"Yet very few of these devices are connected to the Internet and, even though these same platforms may feature a high-definition DVD playback system, very few consumers are using them for non-gaming media applications.

The survey the data is based on encompasses 2,000 U.S. broadband heads-of-households.

It was unclear how - or if - the survey accounted for the possibility that parents do not necessarily know how a console's primary user, in many cases the children, actually use and intend to use the device.

Sources: Digital Media Wire, Gamesindustry.biz.