Eighteen months after the first DTT popularity poll, a new TDF-commissioned poll conducted by pollster IFOP confirms that DTT is still just as popular among French people
Roughly seven out of ten French people, ie 68 percent of the population, watch TV either directly on their DTT-enabled TV sets or via a DTT set-top box.
Among people surveyed, 34 percent say they their primary home TV set is DTT-enabled and have no set-top box, ADSL or fiber. 29 percent have ADSL or fiber but have plugged either their TV set or set-top box to their DTT antenna socket. The remaining 5 percent have connected another home TV set rather than their primary set to DTT.
The survey shows that the vast majority of homes using a set-top box, ADSL or fiber have also opted for DTT, either via their set-top box or their DTT-enabled TV set. While this upward trend is somewhat more noticeable among ADSL users (61%), it also applies to most (55%) fiber users, who especially like the enhanced reception quality.
People like that DTT is free and enhances reception quality
Reasons stated by polled homes for adopting DTT focus on the fact that it is user-friendly, reliable (virtually never breaks down unlike Internet streaming), free, has countless channels and is independent of the Internet.
Free access is the main reason why users adopt it. They also like its reception quality, which brings many benefits including reliable reception, top quality and stable pictures, perfect picture / audio synchronization and HD. They furthermore mention its immediate availability and rapid zapping features.
A service that “French people don’t want to miss out on”
The high quality and widespread DTT service is crucial for the vast majority of French people, 97 percent of whom depend on it for watching TV, and the service has unmatched regional coverage.
62 percent of the French say DTT is essential or important for watching TV via their home antenna. The main reasons for DTT’s popularity are both the fact that it is free and that everyone is entitled to have it. Its popularity is consistently high among all age bands (60 percent of 18-24 year-olds) and regions (59 percent in the Paris region).
DTT symbolizing modern life
As French DTT broadcasting market leader, TDF epitomizes the importance of DTT as an effective and vital media content distribution platform, while promoting the French media broadcasting regulator’s (“CSA”) roadmap. Looking forward to the 2024 Paris Olympics, the CSA seeks to modernize and enhance the DTT platform and to introduce further services by then.
Olivier Huart, TDF CEO, said: “Once again this year, the IFOP poll confirms that French people think DTT is essential and unmissable. Over the last eighteen months, DTT’s popularity is unchanged. Backed by its customers, TV/radio channels and the media community at large, TDF is people’s partner of choice to usher in latest practices, and even more so in our current tech age. We help bring digital services to everyone in the regions. “