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European HD faces content gap: Screen Digest

Indiantelevision.com Team

(26 June 2008 2:10 pm)

MUMBAI: HD technology has reached a tipping point in Europe, according to Screen Digest's latest report on the high-definition (HD) technology penetration in Europe. However, there is a significant ‘content gap’ caused by a lack of HD content on free-to-air platforms across the region.

By the end of 2007, 18 per cent of the 165 million European TV households were equipped with HD displays - but less than one per cent of these (approximately one million) were fully equipped with an HD set-top box and an HD subscription enabling them to watch HD broadcasts.

Screen Digest also predicts that by 2012 only 20 per cent of the 85 per cent of European households with HD displays will actually be watching in HD.

“In the next five years, HDTV will remain little more than a pay TV product in Europe – primarily on satellite,” said Screen Digest senior analyst and report author Vincent Létang. “HD TV will become the mainstream and ultimately the standard form of free television around the middle of the next decade. In ten years time, nobody will ever refer to ‘high definition’ because HD will be everywhere.”

According to Screen Digest, there are three factors that will support the successful expansion of HD TV: Penetration of HD displays, supply of HD content and the availability of HD broadcast platforms.