Service Reaches 84 Million Homes
Consumers in 155 Markets Nationwide Can Receive High Definition TV Over Cable;
382 Local Digital Broadcast Stations Now Being Carried by Cable
Washington, D.C. - More than three-quarters of U.S. television households can now receive high-definition television (HDTV) from their local cable operator, according to new data released today by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA).
Of the 108 million U.S. TV households, 84 million are passed by a cable system that offers a package of high-definition programming, NCTA said, reflecting nearly 125 percent growth since January of 2003, when 37 million homes could receive HD service from a local cable system.
At least one cable system in 99 of the top 100 Designated Market Areas (DMAs) is offering a package of HD programming to consumers, according to an NCTA survey of its member companies that reflects activity through March 31, 2004 . Additionally, 56 markets beyond the top-100 also are being served by a cable system offering HDTV, bringing the total number of DMAs in which at least one cable system is offering HDTV to 155 of the 210 DMAs nationwide.
NCTA survey results also show that cable operators are now carrying a total of 382 local digital broadcast stations, a more than four-fold increase since January 2003, when 92 local digital broadcast stations were being carried. Just since December 2003, cable systems have added the digital signals of 78 local broadcast stations. The selection of national and local HD programming available to consumers varies by cable operator and market.
In addition to the growth in consumer availability of HDTV service, 15 cable networks are now producing HD programming in genres that include movies, sports and general interest. Networks providing movie programming in HD include Cinemax HDTV, Encore HD, HBO HDTV, HDNet Movies, INHD, INHD2, Showtime HD, STARZ! HD, and The Movie Channel HD; sports programming in HD can be found on Comcast SportsNet INHD, ESPN HD and MSG Networks in HD; and general interest content is available on Bravo HD+, Discovery HD Theater and HDNet. In addition, TNT-HD has announced that it will launch in May of 2004.
“The full-scale deployment of HD service and programming has been the most rapid rollout of any product launched by the cable industry. Cable companies are now offering packages that include a full mix of broadcast, basic and premium networks featuring HD content,” said Robert Sachs, President & CEO, NCTA.
High-definition television is the highest resolution digital television format, delivering theater-quality pictures and CD-quality sound. HDTV has been described as the most dramatic change for viewers since the introduction of color television.
Since 1996, the cable industry has invested $85 billion to upgrade its infrastructure and launch advanced broadband services such as HDTV, video-on-demand, high-speed Internet service, and local telephone service.
NCTA is the principal trade association of the cable television industry in the United States . NCTA represents cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks, as well as equipment suppliers and providers of other services to