Skip to main content

High-Definition (HD) TV Rapid Market Growth

The number of households watching High-Definition (HD) TV programming continues to rise rapidly, according to the latest In-Stat global market study.

Households with HDTV service, which are defined as homes with an HDTV set that receive and watch HD programming, are projected to grow from 15 million in mid-2006 to 20.3 million at the end of 2006. This impressive household growth is tempered by the fact that it is occurring in just a few countries. On a more positive note, several new countries introduced HDTV service this year.

"Consumer demand to see the World Cup in HD served as a catalyst for the start of HDTV services in several European countries," says Mike Paxton, In-Stat analyst. "In addition, select TV households in countries like China, Singapore, and Mexico can now also get HDTV service.

In-Stat study found the following:

- As of mid-2006, the U.S. and Japan accounted for 91 percent of all worldwide HDTV households. Other countries with significant numbers of HDTV households include Canada, Australia, and South Korea.

- The number of worldwide HDTV households is expected to spike over the next few years as new markets for HD services, particularly in Europe, open up. By the end of 2009, In-Stat is projecting that the number of HDTV households will exceed 55 million.

- HDTV services are currently being delivered by all types of television service providers, including satellite/Direct-to-Home service providers, cable TV operators, telco TV operators, and terrestrial broadcasters.

- In the US, there is still a "disconnect" between HD services and the penetration of HDTV sets. Currently, only one-third of US households with HD-capable TV sets are actually using them to watch HD programming.

Popular posts from this blog

The AI Application Integration Challenge

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly become the defining force in business technology development, but integrating AI into applications remains a formidable challenge. According to a recent Gartner survey, 77 percent of engineering leaders identify AI integration in apps as a major hurdle for their organizations. As demand for AI-powered solutions accelerates across every industry, understanding the tools, the barriers, and the opportunities is essential for business and technology leaders seeking to evolve. The Gartner survey highlights a key trend: while AI’s potential is widely recognized, the path to useful integration is anything but straightforward. IT leaders cite complexities in embedding AI models into existing software, managing data pipelines, ensuring security, and maintaining compliance as persistent obstacles. These challenges are compounded by a shortage of skilled AI engineers and the rapid evolution of AI technologies, which can outpace organizational readiness and...