Consumer confusion reigns over digital TV switchover
Many consumers are still confused about the switchover from analogue to digital TV, with shoppers continuing to buy analogue TV sets despite the fact that analogue TV signals in the UK are being switched off between now and 2012.
A parliamentary report has found that many viewers do not understand the implications of the digital switchover, despite a £200m ad campaign. It says the 'digital tick' labelling scheme used on TVs with built-in Freeview receivers remains a mystery to sales staff and shoppers.
Nearly half of all TV sets sold in the first six months of 2007 were analogue.
Committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "Many viewers do not seem fully to understand the implications of the analogue switchoff and are still buying analogue TVs – unaware that they have built-in obsolescence.
"The evidence is that the digital tick label, with which digital TVs are labelled in shops, is a mystery to many retail staff, let alone the people to whom they sell TVs."
He added that just 15 per cent of households needed to make the switch to digital for their main TVs, but that left 26 million analogue TVs to be converted or replaced.
The Government claims 87 per cent of UK homes now have access to digital TV.
Whitehaven in Cumbria was the first town to have its analogue signal switched off last October.
Comments
"26 million analogue TVs to be converted or replaced"
Converted? I wasn't aware it was possible to 'convert' an analogue TV, maybe it's the Digital TV Committee that has the problem 'understanding' - there's no need to buy a TV with built-in Freeview, hat's what the stand alone boxes are for, as mring (above) has pointed out. Also, as Hammill has suggested, most people these days have Sky or it's equivalent. I don' believe this switch over is as big a deal to consumers as this committee like to make out.
who replaces their tv? for something as simple as DVB-T/S/C?
boxes are better then almost all built-in decoders.
"TVs with built-in Freeview receivers remains a mystery to sales staff and shoppers" - Sales staff?! If TV sales staff are still confused by a Freeview receiver, then this speaks volumes on the level of expertise in these places. I didn't even think you could still buy a TV without a freeview tuner in it!
The MP's report seems to have forgotten that people with Sky or Virgin media do not require a freeview tuner. Also, those of us who already have a PVR or set up box may prefer to buy a slightly cheaper TV with no built in freeview. I doubt these statistics are as bad as they seem