The share of digital households among cable customers in Germany has risen by 15% to 72.5% in the past 12 months – a considerably stronger increase than in previous years.
4.5 million households still solely use analogue cable television, the only remaining analogue TV reception method, according to the media authorities’ new digitalisation report 2015.
The share of digital cable households has now almost reached the same level as digital DTH satellite reception in 2009, three years ahead of analogue switch-off. The termination of analogue cable television at the end of 2018 proposed by cable operator association ANGA therefore seems to be a realistic target.
However, still lots of information and communication seems to be necessary in the meantime as 75% of analogue cable households don’t plan a transition to digital reception.
Regarding TV reception methods, not much has changed since last year: With 46% each, cable and satellite are leading, followed by DTT (9.7%) and IPTV (4.8%).
With 48.1%, almost half of the TV households receive HD channels – an increase by almost 10% in the past 12 months. However, only 18.8% of TV households (7.3 million households) have opted to watch the commercial channels in high resolution. The reluctance is probably based on the monthly fee the commercial broadcasters charge for reception of the HD versions of their advertising-funded free-to-air TV channels.
20% of households own a smart TV set, but only 11.8% have actually connected it to the internet. If Blu-ray players, HDMI sticks and other internet-capable devices are added, 19.1% of TV screens have internet access.
