The number of digital TV households worldwide will double between 2010 and 2016 to reach 1.189bn, according to a new report from Digital TV Research.

The report estimates that penetration of digital TV services will climb from 42.5% at the end of 2010 to 80% by 2016, at which point 33 countries will be completely digital, compared with only one (Finland) at the end of last year.

Although there were still around 780mn analogue TV households (both terrestrial and cable, with a few analogue DTH ones) by the end of 2010, this total will fall to 297mn by the end of the forecast period, according to the report. Analogue penetration is expected to drop from 57.5% at the end of 2010 to 20% by the end of 2016.

In terms of platforms, there are predicted to be 220mn analogue terrestrial TV homes and 77mn analogue cable ones at the end of 2016. However, digital cable subscribers will reach 458mn homes, followed by 195mn pay digital DTH and 119mn free-to-air digital DTH. Pay IPTV is forecast to contribute another 155mn households, up from just 35mn at the end of 2010. Meanwhile, free-to-air DTT homes will reach 248mn, with pay DTT generating a further 13mn.

Out of the 613mn digital TV households to be added between 2010 and 2016, 388mn are expected to be in the Asia Pacific region, bringing its total to 607mn. China became the largest digital TV household nation in 2010, and will have around 352mn digital TV homes by the end of 2016, according to the report.

Source: IPTV News