Digital Divide? Over 50% of new TVs sold in UK last year analogue
According to the latest figures from GfK, over half of the 7.5 million TVs sold in the past year were analogue (4.4m).
Though the number of digital TVs sold in the year ending May 2007 had increased almost threefold over the previous year, at just over 3m compared to just over 1m, still more analogue TVs were sold, though the figure had dropped from around 5.6m in 2006 to 4.4m in 2007.
Nick Simon at GfK expressed some concern over the figures. “Unfortunately there were still more than 4 million analogue TVs sold in the last 52 weeks, suggesting that there is still a lot of work required to convert all 25 million plus UK households. This is especially an issue when GfK ConsumerScope research reveals an average of two and a half sets per household.”
Though it’s far from disastrous buying an analogue TV five years before the whole nation has switched over to digital as you can always add a Freeview box, it’s potentially worrying that some of those purchases could be due to misinformation.
Of course some people still rate the picture produced by a CRT TV as superior to that of an LCD or plasma, particularly when it comes to colour, brightness, and response time, but I’d be surprised if that accounts for everyone. There are probably some decent deals around on CRTs, which manufacturers and retailers must realise are fast becoming outdated stock.
There are many advantages to a digital, flat screen TV, but for now it seems that analogue is hanging in there.
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