TOKYO: Nearly 70 percent of Japanese households are prepared for that country’s transition to digital broadcasting, which is two years out, Variety reports. The Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported the percentage in September, when the goal was to have 72 percent of households ready. The actual figure--69.5 percent--is nearly 9 percent better than the readiness figure in March.
Between April and September, 4.4 million Japanese households adopted DTV technology. Shipments of DTVs reached nearly 9.2 million during the period, up 35 percent from the year before.
Among those who’d not yet bought a digital TV receiver, 80 percent said there was still time before the July 24, 2011 deadline there. Another 40 percent said they didn’t have the money to convert.
Japan is among a handful of countries slated to make the transition in 2011, along with France, Canada, Greece and South Africa.
