UK consumers switch on to digital TV

Ofcom said that 800,000 households made the switch to digital TV over the three months to September

By the end of September 2006 almost three out of every four UK households, or 73.3 per cent, were viewing digital television on their main set, according to Ofcom estimates.

The communications watchdog's report suggested that around 800,000 households made the switch to digital TV over the three-month period to September.

Around 600,000 of these households are watching digital terrestrial television (DTT) or Freeview for the first time.

The report shows that an increasing number of households are watching digital television on second or third TV sets (for example, in a spare bedroom or the kitchen) in addition to their main set.

As of September 2006 there were almost eight million second sets connected to some form of digital reception device, either a set-top-box or an integrated digital tuner, up from four million in the same period last year.

Ofcom estimates that 9.3 million UK households now have DTT on at least one set in the home, up from 6.8 million in the third quarter of 2005.

Sales of DTT equipment during the quarter approached 1.4 million units (835,000 set-top-boxes and 556,000 televisions with integrated digital tuners), marking the fifth consecutive quarter with sales over the million mark.

Sales in the three months to September 2006 were up 36 per cent on the same period last year.