ACTION/ADVENTURE PIX AND "SATURDAY NIGHTS"

TOP CATEGORIES IN NATIONAL LUTRON HOME THEATER SURVEY

"How about an action/adventure movie this Saturday night?"
"Sounds great…my home theater, or yours?
Home theaters named most popular home improvement project, according to homeowners…

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (June 21, 1999) -- Action/adventure movies were the favorite genre, Saturday nights the most popular movie-viewing time, and home theaters topped greenhouses and home fitness centers as most-popular home improvement project, according to just-released findings of a national survey commissioned by Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of lighting controls.

GUY PIX VERSUS GIRL FLICKS

According to the results of the Lutron survey, a whopping 51.6 percent of survey respondents chose Action/adventure as the genre they would pick to debut their home theater, clearly outpacing Comedy (27.8 percent of respondents), Children’s/family

(21.6 percent), Romance (15.7 percent) and SCI/FI (10 percent). More than five times as many respondents selected Action/adventure as did the Western genre, which garnered only 9.7 percent of the vote.

Nearly 63 percent of respondents out West selected the Action/adventure genre, versus only 40.7 percent of respondents in the South. Preferences were clearly split by

ACTION/ADVENTURE PIX AND "SATURDAY NIGHTS"

TOP CATEGORIES IN NATIONAL LUTRON HOME THEATER SURVEY

gender. The Action/adventure category was the big favorite among the men. More than

57 percent of male respondents selected this category, versus 44.3 percent of females.

On the other hand, females overwhelmingly favored Children’s/family fare

(30.7 percent of females versus 14.7 percent of men) and Romance movies (20.3 percent versus 12.2 percent).

HOME THEATERS: THE HOME IMPROVEMENT OF CHOICE

Underscoring the popularity of home theaters, results of Lutron’s national survey of U.S. homeowners earning $50,000 and above indicate that 37.5 percent of respondents would, if they won a hypothetical contest, choose a home theater over other attractive improvement projects. The home theater category bested alternatives such as greenhouse (26.5 percent of respondents), home fitness center (21.5 percent) and wine cellar (7.0 percent) by wide margins.

Respondents in the North-Central region led this selection category with

41.8 percent, while only 29.7 percent of those in the West selected the home theater. More than twice as many health and fitness oriented Westerners (32.6 percent) selected the home fitness center as did those in the North Central region (15.1 percent).

SATURDAY NIGHT IS MOVIE NIGHT

Weekends are the favorite move-watching time, according to more than two-thirds (67.1 percent) of Lutron survey respondents.

Saturday nights are definitely "prime time" as movie nights, according to an overwhelming 42.3 percent of respondents, clearly besting Friday evening (26.9 percent), Saturday afternoon (18.4 percent), Sunday evening (13.3 percent) and Sunday during the day (13.1 percent).

In addition, nearly half (47.9 percent) of Lutron survey respondents indicated

 ACTION/ADVENTURE PIX AND "SATURDAY NIGHTS"

TOP CATEGORIES IN NATIONAL LUTRON HOME THEATER SURVEY

that -- of the last ten movies they have seen -- three or fewer have been at a commercial movie theater, as opposed to being viewed at home.

OTHER FINDINGS

Dimmers, or lighting controls, easily replace traditional light switches and allow adjustment of light levels in the room. Many architectural and interior design experts believe that a home theater just isn't complete without the ability to dim the lights. They insist that lighting controls are the "sizzle" in any home entertainment area from a family/living room setup to a dedicated home theater. According to the survey

respondents, 18.5 percent indicated that they have "four or more" such units in their homes, approximately twice the national average, according to Lutron.

COLOR COMMENTARY: LUTRON HOME THEATER SURVEY FINDINGS

"The results of this survey coincide with the industry’s direction in recent years," said Rick Schuett, Lutron's vice president of new business development. "The home theater industry has become a $10.64 billion-a-year market, for good reason. Today, it is easy to enhance one’s movie-watching environment, and the process need not be expensive.

"The comfort, convenience and fun of entertaining family and friends, and getting away from it all -- right at home -- holds tremendous appeal," he added, "so home theaters are increasingly popular when it comes to choosing the next home improvement project.

"As for the interest in action/adventure films, we can speculate about the popularity of escapist fare in today’s time-pressured world," Schuett said. "Additionally, these films incorporate truly stunning movie-making techniques and special effects that are exciting in commercial theaters and -- thanks to today’s state-of-the-art home theater equipment -- can also thrill homeowners right in their own family rooms."

ACTION/ADVENTURE PIX AND "SATURDAY NIGHTS"

TOP CATEGORIES IN NATIONAL LUTRON HOME THEATER SURVEY

According to Schuett, the selection of Saturday night as "movie night" can also be linked to the rising popularity of home theaters. "Two-income families are now the norm; we work very hard," he said. "Weekdays are harried and sometimes on Saturday night it's fun and more relaxing to stay in than go out But we still want to maintain that tradition of a ‘special night’ and, even those of us who are ‘cocooning’ in our home theaters, keep that Saturday night ‘appointment’ at the movies...at home.

"Those who have made a foray into the world of the home theater have found that for a modest investment, lighting and lighting controls are a great first step in the

transformation of one’s entertainment environment into a Lights! Camera! Action! kind

of place -- hence the growing popularity of such devices in the home," he said.

Results of the Lutron national survey were released today at the debut of the Ultimate Home Theater Experience™ exhibit, the newest attraction in Innoventions at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The exhibit brings the thrill of the home theater experience, the best in home theater technology, and the news of its affordability and ease-of-use to millions of Epcot guests from around the world.

Concurrently, Lutron announced the launch of www.ultimatehometheater.com, the authority site on the home theater experience. The site allows homeowners to virtually "visit" the new Ultimate Home Theater Experience exhibit, preview the industry’s most exciting products and identify local dealers and installers who can help bring this thrilling experience home.

ABOUT LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of lighting controls and architectural lighting control systems for residential, commercial and institutional applications. Through

ACTION/ADVENTURE PIX AND "SATURDAY NIGHTS"

TOP CATEGORIES IN NATIONAL LUTRON HOME THEATER SURVEY

continued innovation, Lutron has grown from a one-room office marketing two products in 1961 to an international company that provides more than 11,000 products worldwide.

Well-known for their reliability, elegant design and superior performance, the company’s products are used in millions of homes and businesses as well as countless high-profile locations including the White House, the Getty Center, Buckingham Palace and the Guggenheim Museum in Spain.

The national telephone survey of 252 U.S. homeowners, men and women, earning $50,000 or more, was commissioned by Lutron and conducted by ICR (International Communications Research), a Pennsylvania-based, independent research firm. The error interval for a sample of this size is +/- 6.2 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.