The total number of HD households globally will likely triple over the next five years, according to Informa Telecoms & Media. The number of HD dwellings is projected to grow to slightly more than 150 million by 2011 (from an estimated 48 million at the end of 2006). IT&M said there are currently about 1.2 billion TV households worldwide.
The survey finds nearly 60 percent of all homes with high-definition units are currently found in the United States; Japan accounts for about 20 percent. Making up much of the remaining 20 percent are Britain, Canada, China and Germany, according to Reuters.
While the study finds a growing minority of the public is starting to transition to HD in impressive numbers, there remains a lingering problem of "buyer's remorse" due to the lack of HD content on a regular basis. IT&M said the dilemma inevitably will lessen in the next few years, especially in countries that have set cutoff dates for adopting total digital broadcasting--and notably in America, Japan and Australia. An IT&M media analyst suggests other countries should also set deadlines.
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