ITV

Tag: Digital television

  • UK switchover almost complete with 98 per cent getting digital signals: Ofcom

    UK switchover almost complete with 98 per cent getting digital signals: Ofcom

    MUMBAI: A total of 25.1 million households in the United Kingdom were receiving digital TV across all platforms in the fourth quarter in 2012, marking an increase of almost five per cent from the year before.

    The Digital Television Update report by the British media watchdog Ofcom says digital TV is now received in 98 per cent of UK households following the completion of digital switchover last October.

    A total of 75 per cent households watched TV over digital terrestrial signals in the fourth quarter of 2012, an increase of 0.5 percentage points on the fourth quarter of 2011. In the fourth quarter of 2012, 54 per cent households subscribed to pay TV, up by two percentage points on the same period in 2011. A total of 37 per cent households subscribed to pay satellite in the fourth quarter of 2012, the same proportion in the corresponding period in 2011. A total of 13 per cent households subscribed to cable in fourth quarter of 2012, which was the same proportion in the corresponding period in 2011.

    In the fourth quarter of 2012, 3.4 per cent households had multi-channel platforms other than digital terrestrial, satellite and cable, up by 1.4 percentage points on the same period in 2011.

    There were an estimated 2.12 million free-to-view digital satellite households in the fourth quarter of 2012, up from 2.04 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the survey data.

  • Most Americans are unaware of Digital TV transition: Study

    Most Americans are unaware of Digital TV transition: Study

    MUMBAI: The majority of US households that receive their television signals over the air are still unaware of the digital TV transition.

    This is despite the fact that an estimated 22 million over-the-air homes need to make some kind of digital decision by 12 February, 2009, according to a Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) survey.

    The bulk of the survey participants—61 per cent—had no idea that the DTV transition was taking place. 10 per cent said they had limited awareness, while 25 per cent said they were somewhat aware or very aware. While some respondents were aware of the digital transition, 53 per cent had no idea when analogue transmissions were scheduled to be turned off.

    In order for the DTV transition to be successful, consumers must be well-informed and primed to adapt successfully to the new technology. This cannot occur unless there is a comprehensive, coordinated national consumer outreach effort. Therefore, APTS is urging Congress to designate targeted funding for consumer outreach on the switch from analog to digital. During APTS Capitol Hill Day 2007 from 13-14 February more than 200 executives and volunteer board members of local Public Television stations are scheduled to ask Congress to recognise Public Television’s unique outreach ability in the community and provide funding for those efforts.

    APTS president and CEO John Lawson said, There are more than 21 million US households that get their TV exclusively free and over the air, and we know these homes are heavy viewers of Public Television. That puts us, working with our partners, in a strong position to provide information about the digital transition to the people who need it most.”

    APTS is spearheading a coalition of trade and interest groups to compete for the $5 million Congress set aside for consumer education in last year’s DTV transition bill. The diverse group includes the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Consumer Electronics Association, American Library Association and Women Involved in Farm Economics. In addition, APTS is now a part of the DTV Transition Coalition, a separate but related effort led by the National Association of Broadcasters.

    The need for vigorous outreach efforts is evident when looking at analog consumers’ attitudes and awareness toward their options for digital TV reception after the transition. Roughly 45 per cent of respondents to APTS’ survey said they will either “do nothing” or “don’t know” what option they will take to obtain digital signals. 19 per cent will purchase a converter box, 17 per cent are likely to sign up for cable TV service, and nine per cent will sign up for satellite TV. Another nine per cent indicated they would buy a digital television set so that they can continue to receive over-the-air broadcasts.

    The survey also found that at least 38 per cent of analog households would “definitely not” or “probably not” select a particular video service provider if they didn’t offer Public Television channels after the DTV transition. This suggests that the lack of Public Television offerings by video providers will cause a serious barrier to these analog households in choosing cable or satellite to receive digital television.

  • Digital television progressing steadily in the UK : Ofcom

    Digital television progressing steadily in the UK : Ofcom

    MUMBAI: Britain’s media regulatory body Ofcom has published its Communications Market: Digital Television Progress Report for the second quarter of 2006 (April-June).

    The report shows that by the end of June 2006 70.2 per cent of UK television households (17.7 million) were watching digital television on at least one set in the home – up from 69.7 per cent at the end March this year.

    The report also reveals that the large majority of digital television receivers are now being bought for use on additional television sets within the home to complement digital viewing on the household’s primary television. The number of secondary television sets (for example, those used in a spare room or a child’s bedroom) viewed using digital receivers has more than doubled in the year to June 2006, from just under 3.5 million to over seven million.

    In total, more than 40 per cent of television sets in the UK are either connected to a digital set-top-box or have an integrated digital tuner demonstrating that a substantial number of households are now going fully digital.

    Key trends for the second quarter of 2006 include:

    Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) – Freeview services

    The three months to the end of June 2006 was the fourth consecutive quarter in which sales of DTT equipment (either set-top-boxes or televisions with built-in DTT tuners) exceeded the million mark. DTT sales, at 1.2 million for the quarter, were up more than 70 per cent on the same period in 2005.

    DTT services are now viewed on 19.4 per cent of the UK’s 60 million television sets, compared to 17.6 per cent in the previous quarter.

    The number of households viewing DTT services on their primary television set now stands at 6.4 million up 0.2 per cent since the first qyarter of 2006. The number of secondary sets used to watch DTT services has more than doubled in the past year and now stands at more than five million.

    Digital satellite television remains the most popular digital television platform on primary television sets in UK households. In total 33.4 per cent of UK television homes either subscribe to BSkyB’s television services or receive free-to-view satellite services.

    In the year to June 2006 satellite television accounted for around one quarter of net digital household additions. In the second quarter of 2006, of the 168,000 homes viewing digital services for the first time on their primary television sets, 64 per cent chose to do so via digital satellite television.

    The total number of Sky Multiroom subscribers (a subscription service which allows viewing on multiple sets in the home) broke through the one million mark in the second quarter of 2006 and the number of Sky+ subscribers stood at more than 1.5 million.

    Cable Television– NTL:Telewest services plus others

    An additional 50,000 households began subscribing to digital cable television in Q2 2006; the majority of those switched from legacy analogue cable television services. There are now over 2.8m digital cable television subscribers, representing 11.3% of all television households compared to 10.4% a year previously.

    Around 86 per cent of all cable television subscribers now view digital television services (with 14 per cent remaining on legacy analogue systems), up from 84 per cent in the previous quarter. When analogue cable subscribers are also taken into account, the total number of cable television subscribers stood at 3.3 million (13.1 per cent of all television homes) in the second quarter of 2006.