Abstract:

More than seventy-three million European households receive satellite TV, two million in digital. However development is not consistent and there are marked variations by country. Digital broadcasting is adding an additional complexity to television markets already undergoing rapid change, a phenomenon which market research institutes are obliged to address. This paper discusses two related issues: first, the current configuration of television reception modes in Europe and how these are likely to change over the next decade; and secondly, Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES) ASTRA's research experience in twenty-two countries, methodologies employed and the challenges technology poses for the future.