UK takes lead in digital TV uptake

Digital TV will be watched in a greater percentage of homes in the UK than any other country by 2010, a report says.

Around 95 percent of UK households will have digital TV, compared with 66 percent in the US and 50 percent in Germany, according to market analyst Datamonitor.

The report also predicts that Europe will continue to lag behind the US in adopting high definition (HD) TV, reports BBC News. It blames lack of interest in HD on the fact that the improvement in picture quality is smaller in Europe compared with the US. However, HD broadcasts of this summer’s football World Cup have sparked interest in the format amongst Europeans, the report’s authors say.

The UK already has the world’s highest level of digital TV viewers at almost 70 percent, broadcasting regulator Ofcom revealed earlier this year. The US is second with 55 percent.

Growth in digital services is expected to be fuelled by hi-tech developments such as TV on demand and personal video recorders.

Source: Media Network, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union

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