More than half of UK households do not know the difference between analogue and digital television, despite a series of high-profile advertising campaigns.
This is according to new research carried out by the
Consumer Analysis Group (CAG) and commissioned by Sony. The study reports that 48% of licence fee payers do not yet know how to receive the BBC’s digital terrestrial service, Freeview.
The findings suggest that the industry needs to pull together to support the adoption of digital television throughout the UK, in order to help the Government achieve its target of turning off the analogue signal by the end of this decade.
The research shows that recent advertising by the BBC has done much to increase awareness of DTV. However, by only focusing on its own branded channels, the Corporation has done little to increase understanding of what digital terrestrial television offers across the board, according to CAG.
The BBC’s reference to a one-off payment for Freeview led almost two thirds of households surveyed to believe it related to an additional payment to the broadcaster, rather than for the set-top box needed to receive the digital terrestrial channels.
The research also offered an insight into how UK viewers would like to receive digital television once the Government eventually turns off the analogue signal and switches the entire country to digital. Set-top boxes proved unpopular, with only 17% of men and 15% of women opting for this method. Three quarters of men and two thirds of women said they would prefer an integrated digital television set with no extra box.
Recent research carried out by iDTV suggests that sales of integrated digital television sets are set to double or triple this year. The average price of a standard iDTV fell by almost £100 last year. However, it is still far cheaper for consumers to buy a Freeview decoder than an digital television (see Digital Television Sales To Soar, Says Report).
