Global Survey from Dolby Reveals New Trends in Home Entertainment Consumption and Purchasing

Consumers seek out better audiovisual experiences and new ways of interacting with friends and family. Globally, 87% of people who connected over entertainment virtually did so for the first time ever in the last six months

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB), a leader in immersive entertainment experiences, released findings from a new global survey illustrating a significant shift in consumer entertainment behavior. Findings include a strong intent from consumers to pay more for enhanced picture or sound quality, new ways of interacting with friends and family while enjoying entertainment, and insights that people are investing more in their home entertainment. From this survey, it remains clear that consumers continue to want, demand, and are willing to spend more on enhanced experiences, now more than ever.

“Despite all of the challenges of this past year, this study has illustrated the power of entertainment in bringing us together with those that are most important to us,” said John Couling, SVP Commercial Partnerships at Dolby Laboratories. “We take great pride in creating more immersive experiences through our technologies and see the significant growth of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos as proof that consumers are seeking these experiences as well.”

The survey, in partnership with Wakefield Research, polled 5,000 respondents from China, France, India, and the U.S. – examining consumption behavior, device buying decisions, and new habits being formed in the wake of this unprecedented year. With more time than ever before to watch and engage with entertainment, consumers are accelerating their interest in immersive content and new experiences.

The Power of Entertainment as a Shared Experience
One thing that remains clear during this year – the importance of human connection. Given the limitations of in-person experiences, society has shifted to new, virtual-first ways of connecting with friends and family when watching entertainment.

• 86% of global respondents connected with family and friends virtually while enjoying entertainment together over the last six months. This included activities like talking on the phone while watching the same content (45% of global respondents), texting while watching the same content (44%), video chatting while watching the same content (43%), as well as engaging in live chats while watching streaming videos (41%).

° For a significant majority of people, within the last six months was the first time they have ever participated in virtual shared experiences while enjoying entertainment - with 87% of respondents noting this was their first time.