AfterDawn: News

Japan leads world in HDTV viewership

Japan's HDTV innovations in the 1980's and the 1990's have helped the country to tout the higher number of HDTV viewers in the world. According to research firm, SNL Kagan, the number of HDTV viewers in the world continues to increase at a healthy rate, helped by falling prices for the technology. Its new study, "Global High Definition Television Trends", named Japan as the world leader in HDTV viewsership currently.

Japanese broadcasters offer low-cost HDTV services to consumers, while some offer HDTV content completely free, helping to drive demand. The United States sits in second placer currently but is predicted to overtake Japan by the end of 2008, when the number of HDTV-households in the U.S. jumps from 6 million (currently) to the expected 12 million.



HDTV markets in Canada, France and the United States have become better suited to pay-HDTV content, and in the United States, cable and satellite broadcast services are offering a growing number of HDTV channels to subscribers. SNL Kagan estimates that the HDTV service provider market will turn revenues of $1 billion in 2007 and will grow to $12 billion by 2016.

Source:
HDTV News

Written by: James Delahunty @ 27 Nov 2007 13:25

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• 4 comments

• vinny13

  Too bad it's not free... Legally ;)

  2.12.2007 10:26 #1

• hughjars

  Pity they didn't give us an update on the overall market penetration in US, Europe & Japan in neat percentage terms when compared to the total TV market.
  That's the really important figure and one that seems to be difficult to come by (which is interesting in itself).

  2.12.2007 11:57 #2

• borhan9

  Well japan is leading its good with the tech side of thing i guess thats the way it is.

  20.12.2007 17:34 #3

• Shegax

  But here in the usa HDTV is not free. They need to change thier buisness model. I mean yeah you can buy a hi def tv, but how many channels actually have HD!!??? and usually you have to pay more to aquire those channels. Dunno I'm waiting number 1: till blu ray dvd movies are around the 10-15 dollar mark, and number two, I can buy a spindle of bluray or hd-dvd to write to for 30$. Untill then I'll keep watching my regular tv and dvds.

  20.12.2007 18:00 #4