Consumers in key European TV markets are ready to embrace UHD as a thrilling TV experience and to invest in equipment and content, in a study by Eutelsat.
“Eutelsat has researched consumer awareness and appetite for the UHD experience in order to support our broadcast clients as they evaluate business models and timing for rolling-out UHD content,” said Markus Fritz, Eutelsat director of commercial development and marketing. “The stage is set for UHD to be TV’s next big success story and Eutelsat, as a leader in satellite delivery, is ready to accompany clients in this new rendezvous with viewers.”
The consumer qualitative study was carried out in two waves in Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Poland, Russia and Turkey. The objective, in a series of focus groups, was to expose pay-TV subscribers and free-to-air viewers to an unprompted UHD experience.
The results show common trends across all markets. Panellists identified sharpness, immersion and vivid colour as outstanding benefits. They indicated a willingness to pay up to €10 a month to benefit from UHD in the home.
Their investment threshold for new TV sets also matched current price points of between €1000 and €3000 for screens within the 50-inch range. While pay-TV subscribers showed a strong preference for linear UHD channels, viewers used to free TV expressed a preference to gain their first experience through VoD and event-specific offerings.
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