According to a report by Dataxis, High-definition television (HDTV) segment in the SAARC region is expected to boom in the next three years driven by digitization. Among the countries in the region, India accounts for more than 90% of the total subscribers.
The HDTV penetration in India is driven by DTH players who are promoting HD STBs in the country. According to the report, India seeded around 4 million STBs in Q1 2015 compared to less than 0.3 million HD STBs seeded by the MSOs in the same period. In 2010, India had only three true HD channels and this has grown to 50 channels by Q1 2015.
Also read: Videocon To launch 4K Ultra HD DTH services in India Soon
“DTH players are expected to lead the HDTV penetration in India for the next couple of years, however, MSOs are also expected to come on board as the demand for HDTV and UHD content is on the rise in the phase-2 cities where cable TV dominates the Pay-TV market.”, according to Sreeja VN, Media Analyst at Dataxis.
The report says that the SAARC region, comprising of Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka shows an increase in HDTV subscribers with the HDTV penetration reaching 4.2 million in the quarter ended in March 2015. The HDTV broadcast in the SAARC region has also increased in the last few years and consumers demand quality content.
