Only just more than a quarter of TV operators worldwide, as defined by a recent IMS Research study, “Making Digital TV Pay” are offering HDTV (High-Definition Television services) to subscribers. These are the latest numbers released by IMS Research, an Austin, TX-based research company. According to IMS, HDTV is much more of a reality in the Americas where 16 out of 23 operators, or 70 percent are already providing HDTV to parts of their subscriber base.

While the number of TV operators offering HD services may appear low, IMS is convinced that the situation is likely to improve quickly. Jack Mayo, market analyst at IMS Research, commented, “Many of the barriers to HDTV adoption are now being eliminated. As HD content increases in availability, equipment costs drop and compression standards improve, we are likely to see more operators implement HDTV.”