High-definition TV in Europe

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Introduction
• Market context
• 720p versus 1080i
• The complicated consumer equipment market
• Next generation of compression: MPEG-4 versus WM9
• Why is this market developing now?
  • How can the momentum be maintained?
• Competitive dynamics
• Satellite network first
• Cathode ray tube televisions to dominate
• Germany, the UK and France to lead the growth
• Vendor opportunities abound
• Summary: unstoppable momentum

CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION

• What is this report about?
• Who is the target reader?
• How to use this report

CHAPTER 3 MARKET CONTEXT

• Introduction
• Key findings
• High-definition TV: a subset of digital TV
  • TThe HD standards: 720p and 1080i
• Signals: progressive versus interlaced
• The new boy set to rule the roost?
  • HD broadcast technology: from studio to the TV
    • Capacity limitations lead to quality reduction
    • But at what cost?
  • Consumer electronics equipment
  • The complicated HD-capable TV market
    • Commercial market vs consumer market
      • Flat-panel only?
      • Not cheap
  • SET-TOP BOXES
    • Slightly more complex than just adding an HD tuner
      • Interfaces
    • PVR: more than just a larger hard disk
    • European pricing
      • The Australian invasion
  • HD tomorrow: super-size my TV
  • Why not 1080p?
  • Japanese maintain their technical lead
  • New compression technology
  • A new STB upgrade cycle
    • But not yet there
  • MPEG-4 vs WM9
    • MPEG-4 to win
    • Europe to lead the world into MPEG-4
    • WM9 to find success on smaller platforms
  • Why today, not last year or next year or the year after?
  • Massive opportunity for TV manufacturers
  • Why buy a TV if there is nothing to watch?
    • The coincidental market
  • Cable returns to the fight
    • Satellite operator industry picks itself up off the floor
  • But what is required to maintain the momentum?

CHAPTER 4 COMPETITIVE DYNAMICS

• Introduction
• Key findings
• Worldwide developments
• Japan
• United States
• Australia
• Europe
• Future HDTV plans announced
  • Plans paint European deployment map
    • On all networks, but satellite first
      • Terrestrial to skip SD and go straight to HD?
  • Market forecast
  • TV market biased towards cheaper CRTs
  • Subscriber growth rocket fuel or a defensive strategy?
• Vendor/integrator opportunities
  • Satellite opportunities first and foremost
    • Terrestrial a non-starter, except for the broadcasters
  • MPEG-4, with an increasing focus on 720p
    • Hardware equipment needed today
      • Storage vendors facing large short-term opportunity
      • Demand for equipment, integrators and installers
• Case study: Euro1080
  • Limited beginnings
  • Substantial targets
  • The end-game
• Case study: VOOM
  • Planning to compete head-on
  • But a slow start
  • An uncertain future
    • Picked off further down the road

CHAPTER 5 APPENDIX

• HDTV forecasts by country
• Glossary/Definitions
• Future readings
  • 2003 reports
  • 2004 reports
• SPP writing team
• How to contact experts in your industry

List of Tables

• Table 1: Popular TV formats
• Table 2: The most common HDTV display formats
• Table 3: Comparison: MPEG-4 vs Windows Media 9
• Table 4: Average selling prices of European consumer HD equipment
• Table 5: Deployment speeds of recent TV-centric new technologies
• Table 6: Forecast of European HDTV household penetration
• Table 7: HDTV market development comparison
• Table 8: HDTV household forecast by country
• Table 9: SWOT analysis: Euro1080
• Table 10: Detailed HDTV forecast for Austria, 2003-08
• Table 11: Detailed HDTV forecast for Belgium, 2003-08
• Table 12: Detailed HDTV forecast for Denmark, 2003-08
• Table 13: Detailed HDTV forecast for Finland, 2003-08
• Table 14: Detailed HDTV forecast for France, 2003-08
• Table 15: Detailed HDTV forecast for Germany, 2003-08
• Table 16: Detailed HDTV forecast for Italy, 2003-08
• Table 17: Detailed HDTV forecast for the Netherlands, 2003-08
• Table 18: Detailed HDTV forecast for Norway, 2003-08
• Table 19: Detailed HDTV forecast for Portugal, 2003-08
• Table 20: Detailed HDTV forecast for Spain, 2003-08
• Table 21: Detailed HDTV forecast for Sweden, 2003-08
• Table 22: Detailed HDTV forecast for Switzerland, 2003-08
• Table 23: Detailed HDTV forecast for the UK, 2003-08

List of Figures

• Figure 1: Forecast of European HDTV household penetration, 2003-08
• Figure 2: Pioneer HDTV (PDP-434HDE) plasma screen: 1024x768 pixels
• Figure 3: EchoStar's HD-PVR: the DISH Player DVR 921
• Figure 4: Average price of an HDTV relative to average gross income
• Figure 5: Forecast of European HDTV household penetration
• Figure 6: HDTV market development comparison