By Craig Zammit

SYDNEY: Free-to-view digital television receivers, including integrated units, PVRs and set top boxes, sold to retailers and installers in the Australian market has reached over 2,547,000 units, with sales over the last quarter accounting for almost 10 per cent of the overall figure.

“This means the home take-up or penetration of free-to-view digital television has reached an estimated mark of 2.2 million or around 28 per cent of Australia’s 7.8 million homes,” said Digital Broadcasting Australia (DBA) in statement today.

According to DBA and GfK Informark data, digital television sales are now steadily on the increase, with 247,000 units sold during the period of 1 January to 31 March 2007 alone, and it is expected that the trend will continue as consumers become increasingly familiar with the technology.

The average monthly sales volume of digital television receivers to retailers and installers during the first quarter of 2007 was 82,600 per month, which is a 14 per cent increase on the monthly average of 71,420 units for the corresponding quarter during 2006.

“Strong retail demand for LCD and plasma televisions equipped with integrated digital tuners continued driven by consumer uptake of newer flat panel televisions with reported sales of integrated digital televisions representing 61 per cent of all digital television receivers sold to Australian retailers and installers,” the statement said.

“This continued to drive the growth of high definition digital television with high definition digital television receivers accounting for the majority of all sales to Australian retailers and installers for the second quarter in a row. As a result, High Definition receivers are now estimated to account for 39 per cent of all digital television receivers present in Australian homes.”