Lower retail prices and the increase in digital content are set to boost demand for integrated digital televisions (iDTVs) and high-definition TVs (HDTVs), according to a new report from IMS Research.
Consumer take-up of iDTVs, which are capable of receiving digital programming without a separate set-top box, has had a slow start, says IMS. High prices, the large size of many iDTV models and poor consumer knowledge have all deterred customers from buying iDTVs to access digital television.
IMS says that demand is now growing steadily, with more manufacturers offering a greater number of iDTV models in major TV markets such as the UK, US and Japan.
In 2002, Japan accounted for the largest iDTV market, with over 450,000 sets deployed. The US and UK are the second and third largest markets for iDTVs, with over 165,000 and 130,000 units deployed in each country respectively last year. Unlike Japan, in the US and UK the digital terrestrial platform is the main driver of iDTVs.
The ITC estimates that there were 338,000 iDTV sets being used to access digital terrestrial television in the UK by the fourth quarter of 2002 (see UK Digital TV Penetration Could Overtake Internet, Says ITC).
