187 million digital TV households expected in Europe, US by 2010
By Our Corporate Bureau | 23 Aug 2006
Mumbai: 2006 will be a watershed year for new services such as high-definition TV, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television. Refers to content that, instead of being delivered through traditional formats and cabling, is received by the viewer through the technologies used for computer networks.) and mobile TV, according to a report by independent market analyst Datamonitor.
The report, The Evolving Broadcast Sector, expects the European digital TV market to overtake that of the US in absolute terms by the end of 2006, at which point Datamonitor estimates 65 million households, across the region, will have made the transition to digital TV services. Digital penetration will however remain higher in the US until the end of 2009, when an estimated 63 per cent of households in both regions will be receiving digital TV services.
The report provides a detailed analysis of the drivers and catalysts of digital TV penetration in 15 countries from 2005-10. It focuses on expected developments in all the digital broadcast platforms: cable, satellite, terrestrial and IPTV, providing market insight and forecasts. The report provides analysis and subscriber forecasts, by platform and major operator, in each of the 14 western European markets and the US.
"Competition across the digital TV sector is now greater than ever before, prompting operators to develop their offerings in order to attract and retain subscribers", says Adrian Drozd, senior media and broadcasting analyst and author of the study. "The emergence of IPTV will act to boost levels of competition and add new impetus to the plans of established operators."
Development will continue to vary considerably between country markets
Datamonitor's report provides an overview of current and future developments across the European and US digital TV market, including the potential of IPTV services, uptake of PVRs (personal video recorders), high definition TV and mobile TV.
Thus far, more than 100 million households across Europe and the US have made the transition from analog services, although penetration between individual countries continues to vary significantly.