Nielsen: DTV Unready Households Decline
As the switch from analog to digital draws closer, more households become prepared.
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/4/2008 5:51:00 AM
Nielsen said Tuesday that the number of TV households "completely unready" for the DTV switch declined from 8.4% of TV households in September to 7.7%, the biggest decline in the past six months.
Since there are 114,500,000 TV households, according to Nielsen, that would mean if the switch to DTV happened today, about 8.8 million households would not be ready, meaning they do not have a DTV set, an analog-to-digital converter box or cable or satellite service.
The “completely unready” figure is down from 9.8% in May as broadcasters and the government continue to alert viewers to the switch via public service announcements and outreach efforts.
Nielsen says that Hispanic viewers, who tend to have a larger percentage of over-the-air viewers, continue to lag their non-Hispanic counterparts, with 12.4% completely unready vs. 7.1% for non-Hispanic households.
Those households have until Feb. 17, 2009 in most areas of the country, though a few stations/markets will make the switch earlier due to weather and other factors.
Nielsen said that for October, 10.7%, or an additional 15 million homes are partially unready, down from 11% in September, meaning they have one or more set not currently able to receive a digital signal. Some of those sets may be being used for other purposes, however, including as monitors for video players or gaming.
The percentages are based on Nielsen's National and local People Meter Samples.
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"... if the switch to DTV happened today, about 8.8 million households would not be ready, meaning they do not have a DTV set, an analog-to-digital converter box or cable or satellite service."
The myth is that a household is "ready" for the transition if it has a DTV set or converter box, or subscribes to a cable or satellite TV service. Apparently, it's not necessary to actually be able to receive a digital signal.
We live in a rural area where cable TV is unavailable and our satellite system does not provide local channels. (The city from which the local affiliates transmit is too far down on the Nielsen market list.) We we receive analog signals from 3 of the 4 major networks over our large, directional antenna (on a 24-ft pole). However, we are unable to bring in any digital signals through the converter boxes we purchased last fall. This may be due to distance, terrain, and/or digital signal drop-off.
When the switch occurs next month, we will lose all our local stations, despite having done everything possible to maintain them. Yet, according to the Nielsen survey, our household is "DTV ready."
C. Brunner - 1/8/2009 10:53:00 AM EST -
Sorry, I disagree.
The public has had plenty of time to get ready.
9% not ready means that 91% are. They're probably many of the same folks who wait until April 13th to deal with their income tax return.
Michael Smith - 1/7/2009 9:31:00 PM EST -
What industry disenfranchises nearly 9% of its customers? This is insanity, and will hurt stations' bottom line, not to mention viewers who won't be ready by the deadline. Members of Congress as well as the industry will regret not being more consumer-friendly.
Adam Smith - 11/5/2008 2:21:00 PM EST
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