The Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) released a report today that says 29% of cable TV customers own an HDTV set, compared with 15% a year ago. “HD sets are flying off the shelves and digital cable consumers are getting an HDTV programming package to gain the full benefits of their new sets,” says CTAM CEO Char Beatles.
The issue for video service providers, particularly IPTV via DSL carriers, is not how to deliver HDTV, rather how do you deliver multiple HDTV feeds. Many are hoping that MPEG4 is the answer. But even with MPEG4, many a IPTV carrier will be challenged to meet this multiple HDTV feed demand, and thus competitively disadvantaged.