Latest research from Ofcom reveals that more viewers are taking greater control over the way they watch television as the total number of digital video recorders sold reaches almost nine million (8.9 million).

Its Digital Progress Report for the first quarter of 2009 showed that the number of digital recording devices which allow viewers the ability to pause, store and rewind live programmes had increased by nearly one million on the quarter. This includes:

• Some five million Sky customers with a Sky+ service;
• More than 2.6 million Freeview digital video recorders, such as Freeview +;
• Around 600,000 Virgin Media subscribers with a V+ service; and
• A further 600,000 homes with BT Vision and Top Up TV.

Viewers are also choosing more sophisticated ways of enjoying television, with nearly two million (1.9 million) households in the UK with access to high definition (HD) channels.

The report also shows that the total number of digital households reached 89.2 per cent with digital switchover now underway in the West Country, Border and Isle of Man.

DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION (DTT)

• The total number of households with a DTT device on any set reached 18.0 million, up from 17.7 million during the quarter

• Since Freeview launched in 2002, the total sales of DTT devices reached over 43 million units, with over 23 million set-top boxes and nearly 20 million Integrated Digital TVs (IDTV)

DIGITAL SATELLITE SERVICES (Pay TV services)

• BSkyB reported that its customer base grew by 80,000 to over 9.3 million households in the UK and Ireland during the quarter. This is up by 430,000 subscribers year-on-year.

• Some 19 per cent of its customers (1.77 million) have at least one extra set connected to Sky through its Multiroom service, an increase of 46,000 on the quarter

DIGITAL SATELLITE SERVICES (Free services)

• By March 2009 the BBC/ITV Freesat service reported that sales had reached 350,000 up from 230,000 sales in the previous quarter. Of these almost three-quarters of sales were HD ready receivers (263,000)

• According to the latest consumer research there were around 500,000 households with free satellite services down around 100,000 on the previous quarter

CABLE (Virgin Media subscribers)

• The total number of cable TV customers reached its highest ever figure with 3.65 million subscribers, up by almost 137,000 in twelve months
• Over half (53 per cent) of its customers were using its video on demand (VoD) service

The full report can be found here http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/tv/reports/dtv/dtu_2009_01/