BARB has developed a new version of its measurement system to collect digital television audience data. A probe inside viewers’ set-top boxes will allow the research board to measure audience data for digital channels.
Channels are currently measured by checking the frequency being received by a television set. With digital broadcasts however the frequency is identified as a multiplex rather than as separate channels. In order to separate the digital channels a probe has been devised which will be placed inside the viewer’s digital de-coder box.
Tony Wearn, research director at BARB, says the technology for measuring digital data has had a few setbacks but is almost complete. Sky Digital will switch to the new system imminently but ONdigital channels will be measured with a Picture Matching technique until its own specific measuring device is complete. Picture Matching works by picking up code from each channel being viewed and matching it against a reference site.
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