IMS Research estimates that during 2005, about 20.6 million HDTV displays will be shipped worldwide. The double-digit growth expected in this market over the next five years will result in a forecast of nearly 60 million HDTV displays shipped in 2010.

Based on a recent study from IMS Research entitled The Future of HDTV, HDTV sets that are able to receive and decode HD programs without a set-top box will begin to account for the majority share of the global market in 2007. Still, HD monitors that require a set-top box are likely to account for significant shipments through 2010. "Based on the existing digital TV landscape in Europe, demand for HD monitors will flourish," stated Anna Hunt, report author and research director at IMS Research. "Suppliers in this region currently have little incentive to integrate a digital tuner into HD monitors since no HD DTT programming is available, and HD programs via FTA satellite are limited. Over the next five years, HD via DTT will continue to be limited in many countries until analog switch-offs begin to free up spectrum."

Other drivers affecting the HDTV set market in Europe and worldwide include the following:

1. Government initiatives, such as the FCC’s Digital Tuner mandate in the US and the HDTV broadcasting quotas in Australia and South Korea, are often key drivers for the growth in HDTV sets that have integrated tuning capability.
   
   
2. Growth in HD monitors will continue in markets where pay-TV operators sell or rent the HD set-top box or HD DVR as part of the HDTV service package. Often, HDTV sets would not be enabled for pay-TV platforms, but are capable of receiving only free-to-air programs. (Of course, exceptions will exist such as for US and South Korean cable platforms that are standardizing on CableLabs’ Digital Cable Ready standard.) To view the study, visit www.imsresearch.com.