Olympics spur electronics purchases

SAN FRANCISCO, July 19 (UPI) -- More consumers plan to buy electronic devices to watch the 2012 London Olympic Games compared with the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, a survey shows.

TechBargains.com found 16 percent of consumers visiting its Web site said they plan to buy a new TV, laptop, tablet or smartphone to watch this year's London games compared with 13 percent for the 2008 Beijing games, Twice.com reported.

Ninety-four percent of respondents said they would watch the games on TV, while 46 percent said they will also watch on laptops, 39 percent on desktops, 31 percent on tablets and 27 percent on smartphones.

Those younger than 30 were most likely to purchase a new TV just for the Olympics this year, while those ages 60 and older were least likely to invest in a new set, the survey found.

While some Olympic events will be broadcast in 3DTV, numbers of people actually watching in 3D will be small, Young Trang, president and editor in chief of TechBargains.com, said.

"While the [survey] results indicate that not many people will actually be watching the events via a 3DTV, it's simply because they don't have access to the proper entertainment system and not because of a lack of interest," Trang said.

TechBargains conducted the survey on its Web site and had 1,330 respondents.