Eight out of ten TV screens now digital ready Links: http://www.ofcom.org.uk.

The total number of digitally-enabled TV sets in the UK has reached 80% due to a surge in the conversion of secondary TV sets. Ofcom’s Digital TV Progress Report for the second quarter of 2009 shows that 24.3 million secondary TV sets had been converted to digital by the end of June. In total, nine out of ten main television sets are now connected to a digital decoder as the Granada region prepares to begin switchover in November.

The report also reveals that there were 29.7 million Freeview-enabled sets, of which 9.9 million were primary and almost 19.8 million were secondary sets. Year on year IDTV sales were up by 41% and total IDTV sales have now reached almost 22 million, nearly overtaking those of set-top boxes (24 million) this year, according to Ofcom. DTG Staff | 29.09.2009

“This means that the Internet on your TV as pushed by the CE manufacturers has to account for this large deployment of which only a very  small percentage will be actually Ethernet and Browser enabled.   As we know today’s TVs are more stable, robust and less likely to be swapped out in the near term.   So it may be wise for the CE manufacturers to once again enter the STB business if they want to see their dreams of a seamless Internet and TV Experience come to fruition…no matter what the Standard is or may become.”   Anthony Smith-Chaigneau