UK 'ahead in digital TV uptake'

The Scotsman

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Digital television is spreading faster in Britain than in France, Canada, the US, Germany, Italy and Japan, according to UK communications regulator Ofcom.

Research suggests that 86% of homes in Britain can now receive digital on their main set, while 30% have digital video recorders.

Ofcom also says British consumers pay less than those in other countries for TV, mobile phones and broadband.

The report also says people in Ireland send the most text messages.

The regulator found that last year the Irish spent an average of 179 minutes on their mobiles each month and sent nearly twice as many text messages as people in the UK.

High definition

The International Communications Market report looked at the spread of different technologies across the globe.

It found that the US was leading the way on internet use, with Americans spending an average of just over 15 hours a week online.

The UK was second for surfing at just under 14 hours a week.

The research also found that:

Across all the countries examined, average broadband take-up was 56% of households in 2007. Britain came in at 60%.
Britain has more high definition television sets per capita than any other country in Europe, but less than in the US and Canada.
Mobile phone use is soaring in emerging markets with 216 million new mobile subscriptions registered in Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2007.
China alone added 88 million mobile users last year, more than the total number of subscriptions in Britain.
The digital switchover in Britain must be completed by 2012 when the analogue signal will be turned off for good.

Whitehaven in Cumbria was the first town to switch in October 2007.

Ofcom says British consumers get a good deal when it comes to technology, particularly where they purchase a "bundle" of television, phone and internet subscriptions from one provider.


I can understand why there is more time on the internet in the US as the amount of advertising makes watching TV almost impossible!
 
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why do we have to go to this? It bothers me, my tv is fine just like it is.

is the whole world doing it?
I have read two views on this. The technology view is that you can make more efficient use of the limited bandwidth, and you get a higher quality picture.

Others say that the government is mandating it because broadcasters want more channels to gain a higher advertising revenue. Also the converter box is another product for the consumer society.

The technology view is true. However, weak analog signals result in snow. Weak digital signals result in gross picture breakup, or no picture at all.

The second viewpoint could be conspiracy theory wackiness, or it could actually be true. I don't know.

The whole world will eventually do it.
 
I dont like having something pushed on me and they are pushing this, I am considering giving up TV all together if they are going to "make" me have Digital television. I dont see why they dont let people who dont want it not have it
 
I dont like having something pushed on me and they are pushing this, I am considering giving up TV all together if they are going to "make" me have Digital television. I dont see why they dont let people who dont want it not have it

I don't like it either (unconscionable better describes my feeling). The law only applies to airwaves. If you use cable, the rules don't apply. My cable company will still keep analog in the first 99 channels and digital in the upper channels. The cable box won't have to change.
 
I don't like it either (unconscionable better describes my feeling). The law only applies to airwaves. If you use cable, the rules don't apply. My cable company will still keep analog in the first 99 channels and digital in the upper channels. The cable box won't have to change.

i have dish network, but i can change to cable i guess. it just seems wierd to me that the government doesnt have something better to do than make laws like these and I dont trust any of them, so I think there is another motive for doing it
 
i have dish network, but i can change to cable i guess. it just seems wierd to me that the government doesnt have something better to do than make laws like these and I dont trust any of them, so I think there is another motive for doing it
If you have a satellite dish, you won't have to change or do anything. The signal is already digital and your satellite decoder box does the conversion.
 
...how many channels do you guys get?

I get Sky and its got around 300 channels!!! Most are regurgitated crap but the High-Def channels are really neat!!

I have cable that gets around 200 channels - also mostly crap. Only about 8 high def channels, great picture, but not always good programming.
 
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...how many channels do you guys get?

I get Sky and its got around 300 channels!!! Most are regurgitated crap but the High-Def channels are really neat!!

I get like 670 channels but most of them are really really really stupid

and about 100 or more of them are just music channels
there are at least 100 sports channels that i refuse to watch :)

I only watch news, discovery, history and A&E
 
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