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SES Astra unveiled impressive digital viewing data on March 18. But despite some digital progress in Germany the nation remains stubbornly analogue.
There’s little doubt about digital enthusiasm amongst some German homes. Just this week it has emerged that 3m digital receivers were sold taking the total installed base (of DTT boxes and DTT-equipped integrated TVs) to almost 8m. Indeed, forecasters are suggesting that this year could see sales of DTT boxes (or suitable TVs) hit the 6m mark.
But Alexander Oudendijk, SES Astra’s chief commercial officer, said despite the progress being made towards digital, in satellite, cabled and now DTT homes, there are still (at the end of 2007) millions of analogue homes in Germany. Astra’s data states that Germany is only 42.2% converted to digital. This is, of course, very good for SES Astra’s revenues with one analogue channel taking a complete satellite transponder.
Oudendijk said Germany was being slow to convert. Some 11.8m homes were still analogue satellite only (an improvement from 2006 data when it was 15.6m) and he said that while every effort was being made to persuade those households to convert it was a tough process. “We still have a long way to go,” he admitted, “and it is possible that the 2010 target date [for analogue switch off] will not be met, although we are hopeful that by 2011-2012 it will have caught up [with the rest of Western Europe].”
There’s little doubt about digital enthusiasm amongst some German homes. Just this week it has emerged that 3m digital receivers were sold taking the total installed base (of DTT boxes and DTT-equipped integrated TVs) to almost 8m. Indeed, forecasters are suggesting that this year could see sales of DTT boxes (or suitable TVs) hit the 6m mark.
But Alexander Oudendijk, SES Astra’s chief commercial officer, said despite the progress being made towards digital, in satellite, cabled and now DTT homes, there are still (at the end of 2007) millions of analogue homes in Germany. Astra’s data states that Germany is only 42.2% converted to digital. This is, of course, very good for SES Astra’s revenues with one analogue channel taking a complete satellite transponder.
Oudendijk said Germany was being slow to convert. Some 11.8m homes were still analogue satellite only (an improvement from 2006 data when it was 15.6m) and he said that while every effort was being made to persuade those households to convert it was a tough process. “We still have a long way to go,” he admitted, “and it is possible that the 2010 target date [for analogue switch off] will not be met, although we are hopeful that by 2011-2012 it will have caught up [with the rest of Western Europe].”