German DVB-S market accelerates as analogue switch off approaches

The end of an era is approaching in Germany as on April 30, all analogue satellite TV broadcasts on the Astra satellite will terminate, broadbandtvnews.com reports.

According to GfK research, the digital switchover that has taken place in the last 12 months has had a positive impact on the sales of DVB-S set top boxes, which have increased by 24 percent. In January alone, sales started to accelerate and increased by 60 percent, year on year.

Flat Panel TVs, with built-in DVB-S tuners, experienced similar growth in January, with a rise of nearly 60 percent compared to the same period of 2011. During this time, three out of every five models were equipped with a digital satellite reception.

Hybrid models are not a major trend at the moment, but are set to grow in popularity following the digital switch off. These internet-connected devices accounted for around 4 percent of all units sold in January.

On April 30, all German analogue broadcasts will cease. The private and public broadcasters have agreed to simultaneously switch off their analogue signals, making room for more digital HD channels.