TNS recruited for first digital terrestrial HDTV trial

by Joanne Oatts, Brand Republic 09-Jun-06, 11:00

LONDON - Market research company TNS has been selected by four major broadcasters to trial the latest high-definition television technology.

TNS will recruit 450 households for ITV, BBC, Channel 4 and Five to test HDTV received through a standard aerial over a six-month period.

The trial is being conducted under an Ofcom licence, which limits the number of receivers and forbids reception of the trial stream by general members of the public.

The panel chosen will already have existing HD-ready TV sets and live in London, because the HDTV streams will be transmitted from Crystal Palace.

HDTV transmits pictures with up to five times as much digital information as an ordinary TV picture.

The first UK service began in December 2005 when Telewest distributed HDTV programmess to 400 customers in the south London area.

Jennie Beck, group director of TNS Media, said: "The information TNS provides will be crucial in offering the broadcasters an insight as to how to get the best out of HDTV."

By the end of last year, more than 700,000 HD-ready TV sets had been sold, and it is predicted that will rise to 2.6m in the next 12 months.

Demand for Sky's £299 set-top boxes outstripped supply earlier this year, with 40,000 customers having signed up by the beginning of May.

The BBC's first live HD programme will be on June 9 with the opening World Cup match between Germany and Costa Rica. ITV's HD World Cup coverage will only be available to Telewest HD customers.

The TNS trial aims to test all the technical aspects of delivering the service through a standard aerial and will help to see if the service could be broadcast on Freeview.

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