is that most people aren't even aware of its existence!

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26221

According to the Diffusion Group, while 80 per cent of US households own game consoles capable of DVD playback, only 30 per cent were aware of that fact and only 13 per cent of gamers are using them for that purpose.

The Dallas-based research firm also found that, of the households who view movies on their game consoles, 74 per cent are watching physical DVDs and only 26 per cent are going online to purchase or rent a digital movie download.

"Today's next-generation games consoles such as the Xbox 360 or Sony PS3 are true digital multimedia powerhouses," said Dale Gilliam III, author of the Diffusion Group report.

"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 report also found that approximately half of US households with broadband own at least one game console, with 15 per cent owning two or more game consoles. Those consoles are most likely to be located in the living room or family room (52 per cent) than in a second bedroom (24 per cent) or in a dedicated games room (21 percent).

The Diffusion Group's report, On The Use of Game Consoles for Movie Viewing, is based upon a survey of 2,000 US broadband heads-of-households.

Seems like us regulars (who are probably more well-versed than the average Joe) are the only ones putting stock on these multimedia features when the rest of the world is blissfully unaware that their consoles even have these capabilities! 

Okay, let me get this straight. 80 percent of households in America have a console capable of DVD playback, but only 50 percent of households with broadband internet have any console at all?

That seems unlikely. Am I reading this wrong?  

93% of statistics are made up on spot, including this one.

50% of households with broadband without console:

how is that surprising? people who play games are a minority. and many of my relatives purposefully don't buy consoles so that their kids won't waste time playing games. my mom did the same when i was a kid.

It's not surprising that 50 percent of households with broadband don't have a console.

It's just surprising when, earlier in the post, it said 80 percent of all households DO have a console.

Let's round this up again:

Statement 1: 80 percent of households have a console

Statement 2: 50 percent of households have a console

It seems unlikely that the difference between DVD playback and not makes a 30 percent difference, and that difference is NEGATIVE.  

I'm guessing that is just written very badly (no way that 80% of households in the US own a console).

I think its meant to say:

"while 80 per cent of US households that own game consoles which are capable of DVD playback, ..."

(i.e. 80% of households that own a console, are able to watch a DVD on a console) 

I remember a report/poll that something near to 60% of PS2 owners used the DVD playback capabilities... I'll try to find it... for this gen, who's buying all those BDs(not many standalones out there) I for one have about 60 BDs now.... though WW there's not even one BD per PS3(did they count the ones they gave away in that 844k figure???) AND s/w attach isn't very high.............................. so they were right, the first few million did buy a PS3 with nothing for it..................what the hell are they doing with them... KINKY ;)

 I think that's likely.