90% of UK homes ready for digital

With the digital switchover fast approaching, figures from Ofcom reveal that viewers are taking the way they watch television into their own hands as 18 million households are now capable of receiving digital TV.

The research also showed that the number of digital recording devices in homes, which let the viewer record, pause and rewind live television, are also increasing rapidly.

Almost one million were sold in the first quarter of 2009, bringing the total in UK homes to 8.9 million.

According to Ofcom’s figures, these include five million Sky+ boxes, over 2.6 million Freeview recorders and the remaining 2.1 million being Virgin Media’s V+, BT Vision and Top Up TV boxes.

Instant Expert guide to the digital switchover

These figures suggest that viewers are turning to more sophisticated ways of enjoying television with nearly two million UK households accessing high-definition channels.

Another step towards the improved image and sound quality and the variety of broadcasting opportunities the digital switchover is set to bring when it is completed in 2012.