In-Stat/MDR announced the availability of it's new report, "Digital TV Sets: Expect Great Things," covering five-year shipment and revenue forecasts for DTV sets in North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. The In-Stat/MDR report said that the increasing number of terrestrial DTV broadcasters in Europe, the FCC mandate requiring DTV tuners in TV sets in the U.S., and a dropping price differential between analog and digital TV sets would drive DTV set unit shipments from 17 million units in 2004 up to 93 million units in 2008.
"There are two important trends in the TV set market today," says senior In-Stat/MDR analyst Michelle Abraham. "CRTs are being replaced with flat panels and microdisplays in direct view and rear projection TVs (RPTVs). Digital tuners are being integrated alongside analog tuners in large TV set markets like North America, Europe and Japan."
After reading the reports on the DTV transition in Europe, you may be surprised to find In-Stat/MDR analysts believe the U.S. DTV set market conversion is more certain than in Europe and Asia, where consumer demand--rather than supply--is the main factor. In-Stat/MDR found, however, that the price differential between analog widescreen sets and sets with digital tuners "is declining to less than the price of a set-top box. This means consumers in markets where set-top boxes are not subsidized will be more likely to replace analog sets with DTVs. However, DTV monitors, especially flat-panel TVs, are selling well even in countries like China that do not yet have terrestrial DTV."
More information on the report, including information on how to purchase it, can be found in the In-Stat/MDR press release.
