Cable TV provider Comcast have revealed that they have increased their cable TV bills in the city of Boston (USA) for a second time in the space of 12 months (with the changes (an average hike of 2.9%) set to be put into action in February), in a move that they are trying to assure customers will not have an impact on many of them.

Some users in the regions that the hike is set to hit have already expressed their outrage over the rising prices, and claim that Internet TV is now looking like a much more cost-effective and viable alternative to cable’s increasing rates.

Comcast spokesperson Doreen Vigue said of the changes, and explained why they are being made: “The vast majority of our customers won’t [be affected], because they currently receive services as part of a promotional offer. We continue making investments in next-generation technology to add value to our products and improve service, and in just the last year alone we’ve added several channels, and launched new interactive applications and multi-platform content that customers want and value.”

Vigue summarised with how the update will affect customers in the Boston area, stating: “While we’ve worked hard to hold down price adjustments, the average customer bill will increase by 2.9 percent in the Greater Boston Region beginning with the February 2012 billing cycle because of the impact of higher programming costs and increased operating expenses.”

While Boston residents using Comcast might begin to get disillusioned despite what the provider is saying, will there be any large-scale defection to online services in the near future?

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Anyplay brings live cable TV to iPad

The service which was first mentioned last September makes use of the house router, a Xfinity Internet service and a AnyPlay device. After setting up the service will turn the iPad into a mobile TV screen. The option will let 2 different channels play simultaneously, one channel can be watched on the main TV, whilst another can be watched on iPad via the Xfinity TV app.

The live streaming only works while your hooked upo to the home network, once you leave the confines of your home you can only view Comcast’s approx 8,000 hours of video-on-demand content.

Although currently only available to Xfinity Triple Play HD customers, other markets will be covered soon say Comcast said the AnyPlay system will be available on the Motorola Xoom as well.

Comcast have also said that the Xfinity on-demand app that was launched in 2010 for iPad and Android users, will soon be available on the Xbox 360 and Samsung smart TV sets.

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Whilst the HBO Go service does not allow live streaming of channels, the latest shows will be available same day and archived content will also be available on the service.

Speaking in a joint statement, the two companies said that viewers “will have free, unlimited access to the corresponding online services at any time, on any computer in the U.S. with a high-speed Internet connection, as well as a host of other devices, including the iPad.”

Time Warner have indicated that the HBO Go and MAX Go will begin within the next month. The MAX Go service offered by HBO’s sister channel, Cinemax, has around 400 titles on offer.

The HBO Go is a response to the threat and growth of streaming companies such as Netflix.The TV Everywhere service lets HBO subscribers stream over 1400 programs via the web using computers, smartphones and tablet computers. The app has been downloaded over 5 million times.

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Cox TV app comes to iPad

The Live TV app called TV connect is currently for iPad only and can be downloaded free from the app Store. Subscribers then need to go through a verification process, and can then stream around 35 channels from their tablet as well as an on-screen TV guide.

Cox customers will need to be subscribed to the Cox Preferred, Premium or Ultimate package and the High Speed Internet service,  and also have a DOCSIS modem to get the streaming. Cox said in a statement, “The TV Connect application will continue to evolve and expand, adding even more value to our services while adding convenience through convergence.”

Many cable companies allow similar streaming via a ‘second screen’ at the subscribers household, Comcast, Time Warner, Cablevision and DirectTV have all launched live TV streaming apps for the iPad.

Cox had previously launched a rather lame Mobile Connect app for iPad, iPhone and Android devices that let subscribers manage DVR recordings and telephone services. This one is obviously much better but still does’nt deliver what subscribers really want, streaming access anywhere and downloadable content. The app can be downloaded from the app store.

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HBO like streaming, but only for cable subscribers

HBO co-president Eric Kessler talking at the VideoshmoozeNYC event yesterday said, “there is no chance his company will make its original programs like True Blood or The Wire available to non-cable subscribers.”

Currently HBO subscribers can use the HBO Go service to stream programming around the house, but the company obviously do not want a streaming only option a’la Netflix or Hulu Plus, or even allow those companies to license content.

As to the reason why they do not want to join the 21st century? Well, HBO believes that streaming only services such as Netflix and Hulu are in competition with HBO for the paying TV customers. So it seems that streaming as a complimentary service is ok, but streaming only is a big no-no.

Kessler dismissed cord cutting as a blip, saying it is a “temporary phenomenon” that will end when the economy improves.

A streaming only HBO could be a costly affair for the company if some of their 30 million plus subscribers decided to go for a cheaper streaming only option. Many already make use of the HBO Go app, and a cheaper streaming service could hit the turnover pretty badly.

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Released on Tuesday, the app is a follow-up to the network’s iPad version, although the release on Apple’s system did offer the ability to watch live content, which is the cause of most of the negative reviews.

The Android app is accessible to use by all Android owners who have a set-top box or DVR that features Time Warner Cable’s interactive programming guide ’Navigator’. If it is being directly compared to the iPad version of the app, though, then it will have a lot to live up to, with 100 live channels featured on the counterpart service.

 However, this option has caused some legal problems (which are ongoing) due to selected programmers (such as Viacom) claiming that this offering was not part of the two company’s pre-arranged content distribution deals. TWC, however, believe that as they are controlling secure content over their own network to tablet-using customers for home use (in addition to their regular TV service) only, there is no breach of agreement.

In other news, TWC have given their digital TV customers a selection of on-demand content fitting of the current time of year, with a selection of Christmas-themed movies and episodes headlined by an exclusive line-up of three ’3D scenes’ (‘Yule Log’, ‘Snowman’, and ‘Winter Green’) to download, suggested by TWC as a suitable replacement for users that are unable to experience the more traditional areas of Christmas first-hand.

An official release statement by Time Warner Cable read: “This crackling fire [Yule Log] is sure to add warmth this holiday season, even for those without a fireplace. Also [featured are] two other offerings: ‘Winter Green’ – snow falling on pine branches letting you enjoy the winter snowfall in the comfort of your own home, and ‘Snowman’, which will add fun and spirit to the holiday season without having to go outside!”

While their seasonal content might be enjoyed by their customers, will TWC be able to maintain festive cheer in the midst of their legal battle with Viacom and poor app reviews?

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Verizon Fios streaming app comes to Xbox360

box users will need to be Live Gold members and need to download the Verizon FiOS TV Xbox app to get the streaming entertainment. Back in October Microsoft announced partnerships for “the next generation of TV entertainment on Xbox LIVE.”

They are teaming up with almost 40 TV and entertainment providers in 20 countries around the world including Bravo, Comcast, HBO GO, Verizon FiOS and Syfy for the US, The BBC for the UK, Spanish network Telefónica, Televisa in Mexico, ZDF in Germany, MediaSet in Italy and Rogers On Demand in Canada.

The launch comes just as the Xbox 360 dashboard gets a redesign on December 6, including new features such as cloud storage, integrated voice and gesture controls and social network options.

If you’re an existing Verizon subscriber then you will need to ring Verizon who will add the streaming service, but you will need an Xbox Live Gold subscription plus a FiOS TV and Internet subscription to get the free streaming.

For new users, Verizon are offering a special deal until next January for Xbox 360 owners. For $89.99 monthly users can get a triple play package consisting of TV, phone and internet access plus a free 12 month subscription to Xbox Live Gold, and the game, Xbox Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

The range of channels available at launch in December will include 26 streaming channels including seventeen in HD that can be controlled using the kinect motion and voice system. It’s a good move by Verizon and Microsoft as game consoles are the number one device to watch streaming TV.

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Google TV could be the base of a new cable TV service

The news which comes from the Wall Street Journal, reports that Google may be offering a high speed internet based cable TV service to  viewers in Missouri and Kansas City. The service is said to include phone as well as tv services.

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The term ‘timeshifted’ refers to shows viewed not at their original scheduled time, with the viewer instead opting for personal video recorders, DVR options, or catch-up services made available through the TV provider (up to seven days following the original broadcast). This would also include some of the newer on-demand ‘selected programming’ services such as Sky Anytime.

Looking at the 10 highest-rated TV channels in the UK, BARB discovered that drama (with 20%) is the genre of programming that viewers ‘timeshift’ the most. while soaps (16%), documentaries (15%) and entertainment shows (13%) also recorded above-average timeshift scores, thought in part to be due to the number of adverts in such programmes, and the lessened ‘need’ to watch it live, compared to genres such as sport and news.

Viewers with an enhanced recording service (such as Sky+ or Freeview+) made even greater use of their services, with drama shows on these platforms at a 32% timeshifted rate, while soaps, documentaries and entertainment all experienced similar levels of increases from non-’PVR’ figures.

Other statistics from BARB revealed the not-too surprising fact that young adults timeshift the most , as the 25-34 demographic registered a 16% of shows being watched on TV away from its schedule.

However, the urge to record a show might just be down to being busy at the time, or watching something else, as BARB claim that 48% of timeshifted viewing occurs on the same day as the show’s original airing, a method known by the researchers as VOSDAL (Viewing On The Same Day As Live). These figures, and the reasoning for it, shows that most on-demand viewing is used for catching up where a viewer couldn’t see a show earlier, suggesting that previous rumours of linear schedules dying out might not be as correct as it was thought before.

Meanwhile, TV viewers in Northern Ireland will need to start preparing for a digital switchover, as they become the final part of the UK’s process of updating analogue TV signals. The Northern Irish switchover will occur on 24 October 2012, and the announcement was marked by a ceremony in Belfast which saw the Albert Clock landmark reveal a digital display of the switchover date.

With the long-standing analogue era almost over, how will viewers react to the completion of the digital switchover, and will the service fare better now that there will be no focus on analogue?

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Roku LT $49 and purple

The latest Roku 2 range was launched in August and came in three versions, starting at $60 for the Roku 2 HD, $80 for the Roku 2 XD, and $100 for the Roku 2 XS. The new Roku LT costs a lower price at $49 and is pretty similar to the Roku HD, but with a couple of omissions.

The LT streams at 720p resolution instead of 1080p, has no bluetooth or micro SD slot, oh.. And it’s purple.

The Roku range are already very cheap in a world where $100-200 is the standard price, but do we really need a $10 cheaper version?

The Roku range gives the viewer accees to over 300 streaming channels that include Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon amongst others.

The new streaming HBO GO service is in essence exactly the same product as the mobile app, which streams the latest TV shows and movies, so long as your a subscriber.

Pricing and availability for non-subscribers is yet to be announced. HBO GO will be appear on all Roku players in late October, and will be available on the Roku LT when the box ships early November.

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Viewers love online streaming at the expense of cable

According to the 1500 respondents of the study, in the last six months viewing video on their computer grew by 26%, watching on a mobile device grew by 19% and watching video on game consoles grew 18%. The growth in web watching had to come from somewhere, and the loss is being felt by cable companies as the study showed that watching cable TV fell by 9% in the period

The migration online is not confined to the younger generation either, average age for web viewers is 33 and both male/female, and most are college educated. The time that most viewers watch is during the 8-11 PM primetime slot, second popular time was 6-8 PM.

Speaking about the study, Dina Kaplan, co-founder of Blip.tv said, “It’s clear from the research that web series fans are beginning to watch less television, while at the same time increasing the amount of content consumed on the web. It’s also significant that our viewers are more accepting of advertisements on web series, perhaps because fans are grateful to the advertiser for making the show possible.”

The study also looked at viewers’ attitudes toward online advertising and showed that Advertising is accepted more for for original oweb content than for television streaming. 43% of Blip.tv’s audiences reacted positively to pre-roll ads on original online series, compared to 30% who reacted positively to pre-roll advertising on television content online.

Blip.tv had a recent overhaulof their website to try and turn it into an online destination for original web TV shows, aggregated content and independent web only shows, series and webisodes.

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With this 23rd series set to feature the comedy’s 500th episode milestone, discussions on where to fit the show’s mass archive have already begun, with the most popular suggestion from executives seeming to be granting the Matt Groening-created format a cable network of its own, featuring 100% content from the yellow town of Springfield back-to-back.

While it is unknown if such an idea could be sustainable in the 24/7 format mooted in recent days (even with 500 episodes, all the content would have been screened once each within 10 days), there are several ways that the network proposal could become viable, such as featuring related shows (such as Matt Groening’s other sitcom Futurama), or what many channels do to fill out their schedule, teleshopping (paid programming).

News Corp’s COO Chase Carey first made a public suggestion of a Simpsons Channel last week, and later elaborated on his initial speech, stating: “The point I was making, which I will reemphasize, is that this is a unique franchise…and it provides us a unique opportunity to do some interesting things with it. The Simpsons has been on the air for 23 seasons, yielding a library of programming few series could ever amass. I wouldn’t say we’re drawing up plans to have a Simpsons channel, but, you know, there are a lot of Simpsons fans out there. That said, syndication agreements already in place would prevent anything like that from happening for the next 12 months at least.”

Since premiering as a prime-time animated sitcom in 1989 (a move that was unheard of in the era), The Simpsons has been a worldwide cultural phenomenon in the 22 years it has been on-air, and while many critics will claim that its best years are behind it, the series manages to maintain a decent level of ratings, and has lasted long enough to be listed as the 5th-longest (scripted) TV series of all-time, and not including two shows run by wrestling entertainment series WWE, the 3rd-longest production show (behind Gunslinger (633 episodes) and Lassie (588 episodes)).

While News Corp’s predictions put this new type of idea (a channel dedicated to one show) on hold for between one and five years (due to syndication rights), it is certainly one that has thrust The Simpsons back into the public spotlight just as new episodes are airing. If Fox follow through on their plans, how will viewers react to a yellow-only network?

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Anyplay service picture courtesy Macrumors

The app which will not be a rebranded Xfinity TV app, but will run alongside it is said to be under construction. The story was broken by macrumors who  the service will let Comcast subscribers watch live cable TV from their iPad with the proviso that the iPad uses a Motorola wifi router supplied by Comcast. The service will not work using alternative Wi-Fi or wireless connections.

Comcast do have an existing iPad and Android Xfinity TV app available which allows users access to On-Demand content, browse TV listings and control the DVR and TV set.

AnyPlay will differ as content does not need to be recorded or watched catch-up style. But can instead be watched live with the cable broadcast. AnyPlay will also be able to show some programming included in a user’s current Xfinity service.

It is said that the Comcast AnyPlay service will allow viewers to register up to 10 tablets (who has 10 iPads??), but only a single device can watch live TV at one time. Launch date is not known, but expect Comcast to make it a limited availability at first.

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Time Warner on the aquisition trail

The $3 billion deal will help TW gain new customers in the Midwest US and cut costs on staff and infrastructure. The deal would add 700,000 TV subscribers and 540,000 data subscribers. Insight who are based in New York, are the ninth biggest US cable operator, with 679,700 basic video customers in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

Although Cable TV remains the biggest earner for Time Warner accounting for 56% of the company’s $4.9 billion revenue in the second quarter, high-speed broadband takeup is rising whilst TV subscribers are falling.

Speaking for TW, CEO Glenn Britt said,”Clearly the relative importance of the video business has declined over time,” he continued, “I think broadband clearly is becoming the anchor service.”

In the last quarter, Time Warner Cable lost 124,000 subscribers. The loss of subscribers is being officially blamed by cable companies on the weak economy, but the growth of internet streaming from companies such as Hulu and Netflix are secretly worrying the industry.

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Talking to investors about Disney’s 3rd quarter results, CEO Bob Iger said “the studio is in discussions with Netflix and other SVOD players about licensing largely library catalog compared to new-release movies or current season TV programming”.

“Our overall approach of late has been to make deals that increase revenue while at the same time protect and respect the multi-channel or channel distribution value that we see today,” Iger added.

“There is clearly a thirst for filmed entertainment, particularly branded high-quality entertainment, and what we’re seeing, I think stimulated in part by not only higher connectivity speeds but significant development in tablet computers, we’re looking at platforms that are creating all types of new business opportunities,” Iger continued.

The CEO said that moving forward the studio would move away from long term licensing agreements due to the rapidly evolving distribution channels and technology.

“We will make access to newer programming more difficult or later, except if a customer is authenticated as a cable or satellite TV subscriber,” he said. “I think you’ll see over the next few years a lot of deals done that enable this. We now have to hope that not only is the technology improved that enables authentication but that the whole user experience gets better.”

“It is our intention to take a very careful look at what films cost and if we can’t get them to a level that we are comfortable with, we think that we are better off actually reducing the size of our slate than making films that are bigger and increasingly more risky,” he said.

Iger also said the aim of the studio was on production costs of movies versus internal structuring within the studio operations.

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Those of you with Android based set top boxes can experience IPTV for themselves with NetUP’s NetUP.tv, that allows users to enjoy all the IPTV features without buying different solutions.

Bringing together all of our favorite Android features with IPTV features, including on Demand, pause and rewind and program guides, the NetUP.tv application provides a fast GUI, Android Web browsing, social networking & gaming.

Current NetUP middleware users do not need to purchase new middleware or software, and it is compatible with Android based set top boxes 1.7 and later.

Connected TV users are keeping pretty close to the line with mainstream entertainment services like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Pandora and iPlayer making up the lion’s share of the apps used.

As our TV sets end up becoming giant computers that have access to streaming content, it makes you wonder if online video viewing will overtake cable subscriptions altogether.

According to a study movie and TV show video viewing rose from 16% to 32% of adult Internet users and that was in 2010. As online content becomes more widely available, the need for cable boxes and a subscription are becoming more and more obsolete.

The Associated Press reported that “analysts view this trend as bad for not only the cable companies, but the subscribers as well”. They feel it will lead to “more restrictions and more expensive packages for online video viewing and broadband access as the need for more bandwidth increases”.

Analysts feel that the economy, along with escalating fees are the reason for all the subscriber losses. 13% of US households that don’t subscribe to some form of pay TV service, about 60% have broadband.

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The data comes from the market research company IHS who have suggested that in 2015 the main forms of non linear TV programming, like VOD and DVR, would only account for 15.8% of TV viewing in the USA. This would reflect an increase from 9.9% in 2010, the usual linear programming would account for the rest of it.

The report also shows that the usage of on demand services is trailing behind DVRs. At the close of 2015, DVRs will reach almost half of all American households. The use of on demand services, currently, is going to be hampered by content fragmentation and restrictions across different portals and services.

“Linear TV has not stood still as non-linear distribution mechanisms have developed,” Richard Broughton, senior analyst of TV at IHS said. “Alongside the evolution of Internet video and DVR technology, broadcasters have introduced HD channels, now received by more than 40% of US households.”

“In contrast, the Internet in many markets still struggles to cope with HD content and the high bandwidths required for its delivery. Streaming HD remains relatively rare, and downloading takes time, diminishing the appeal for consumers,” Richard Broughton concluded.

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A key proponent of this increase in income is thought to be the deal made by Comcast half a year ago to purchase production company NBC Universal, giving themselves a further platform on which to operate. Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts recently said of that deal: “our timing was just right.”

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The service first premiered in the begining of 2010, and currently offers a selection of HBO’s movies and all past episodes of HBO’s original series to subscribers through web browsers, as well as iOS and Android apps.

But GigaOm reports that Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes confirmed in a company earnings call that the service would soon be expanding to consoles and connected TVs

The HBO Go service is currently only available to cable subscribers with an active HBO subscription, which must be confirmed online through the cable service provider.

The current HBO app has been a great success, with over 3 million downloads in under 2 months.

Details on which consoles would be getting access to the service have not yet been disclosed.

Video game consoles have become a popular method for watching on demand internet video in recent years, with half of all Netflix subscribers reportedly using a console to view the service’s streaming content, according to a recent Nielsen survey.

Subscribers to the Hulu Plus service can also stream TV shows and movies using the Xbox 360 and PS3 systems, though the service seems to have seen less use from console owners than Netflix does.

Game console owners are already well catered for online TV, Microsoft and Sony also have TV shows and movies to download for a fee through their online marketplaces.

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Apple TV have revealed a new software update to their streaming system, with a new feature adding the option for users to view already-purchased (from iTunes store) content online and immediately ready for watching on-demand without loading times not only on Apple TV but on any other iOS devices, such as iPhone and iPad.

Apple TV get iTune streams from cloud

The Apple TV Internet-connected box, currently valued at $99, is also able to purchase Apple and external content (including TV shows) straight from the comfort of the box itself, with all transactions and on-demand screenings being made direct through Apple’s official servers.

Apple’s allowance of purchasable videos is thought to be a bold move, with the company able to show a greater selection of content than the previous (and limited) rental-only system they had in place before. The move to host purchased content on Apple servers (not a great expense for such a wealthy company) could also free up plenty of space on Apple customers’ iOS devices, where the videos were previously stored.

A further update brings online video company Vimeo into the mix in a similar manner to the YouTube and Flickr ‘apps’ on the service. Rumours are also suggesting that the services will soon not be exclusive to Apple TV, with similar updates to the iPhone and iPad also in the works through the Apple-server developments, given the title of ‘iCloud’.

ABI Reaserch’s digital-home analyst Michael Inouye reported on the developments: “To some this might sound like a small change, but this step further enhances the cloud strategy — namely iCloud, in this case — and more tightly integrates the iTunes/Apple experience across devices,” he said. “It sounds as if this update is limited to TV shows for the time being, but movie purchases might not be too far down the road.”

Sounds like a good move, especially if purchased content sitting on the cloud can be played on the new Apple connected TV due in 2012.

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Shaw competing with Netflix?

The movie streaming service, called Movie Club costs existing subscribers $12 monthly for unlimited movie and TV show streaming on PC or TV. If users want to watch movies in HD then the price is $17.99 monthly.

But the clincher for some is that movies streamed will not count against a subscriber’s monthly Internet data caps. Netflix users do not have such a luxury included in their $7.99 monthly streaming charge.

Speaking for Shaw Communications, president Peter Bissonnette told the Calgary Herald, “There should be some advantage to you being a customer.”

He also said, “The Shaw Movie Club is the result of listening to our customers and delivering products that fit their needs and the way they use technology.”

More on this story:-

Shaw launches Netflix rival – Montreal Gazette

Shaw said that movies streamed using its own service will not count against a subscribers monthly Internet data caps unlike movies streamed from competing outlets like Netflix. …

Shaw Movie Club versus Netflix: A comparison – Vancouver Sun (blog)

Its a market Netflix introduced to Canada but Shaw has fired a devastating salvo at Netflix in its fight for movie subscribers. Netflix livestreams over the Internet which uses up bandwidth. Shaw has bandwidth caps but Shaw Movie Club subscribers …

Shaw roll outs out unlimited movie service to compete with Netflix – CanadianBusiness.com

B) has launched an all-you-can eat movie club to combat the popularity of online competitor Netflix an effort keep its cable subscribers from considering cutting the cord. The multimedia company announced Friday that its new Shaw Movie Club will …

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As part of Virgin Media’s deal to have their services powered byAmerican DVR giant TiVo, the digital TV platform is releasing an official Harry Potter ‘app’ in its ‘Virgin Media TiVo Apps and Games’ section to celebrate the release of Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Producers of the the app, which is being made with content provided by Warner Bros Pictures, claims to be celebrating “the epic journey Harry and his friends have taken since they arrived at Hogwarts.”

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With services such as Freeview, Sky, and Virgin Media all included in the defenition of ‘Digital TV’ the latest instalment of the media regulator’s Digital Progress Report, 83.3% of all UK TV sets are now on the digital bandwagon as the ‘digital switchover’ continues across the British Isles.

This means that for the 6.9% of homes (and 16.7% of sets) that are yet to convert from the traditional analogue, a move will have to be made soon to avoid being frozen out by regular TV channels, as analogue becomes phased out as part of the official switchover.

While the difference between full houses and single sets not recieving analogue is probably due to many older models being kept as spares or in storage and not being prioritised for upgrading, there is gradual improvement in the world of ‘non-main’ sets, as Ofcom also report that 75.7% of all the UK’s listed ’secondary TV’s’ have been upgraded to digital signals (as of the study end-date in March), a rise of 5.2% from the preceding year’s figures on the same period in 2010.

Amongst a selection of more detailed statistics, Ofcom discovered that digital terrestrial television users (mainly from Freeview in the form of set-top boxes and ‘integrated digital TV sets’) now number 10.1m homes listed as a primary service (accounting for nearly 40% of all households), with many more purchased as secondary sets.

Other figures put Freesat on over 2m, while, pay-TV satellite broadcasting rival Sky added over 377,000 new subscribers their service, bringing their total to 10.1m similar to Freeview. Virgin Media’s cable TV service rounded out the big-name providers on 3.8m total customers.

Ofcom have been producing the Digital Progress Report for over 8 years now, and in that time considerable progress has been seen on the digital conversion front. But with the digital switchover soon to be forcing analogue users to change their traditional  will later figures show an even steeper increase?

Incoming TV searches:

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Digital TV useage to double by 2016

This equates 1,189 million homes, or double the number in 2010. The report, Digital TV World Household Forecasts, was based across 73 countries and said that by 2016, 33 countries will be completely digital. At the end of 2010, Finland was the only completely digital country.

Digital cable will account for over a third of growth thanks to bundling says the report.  By 2016, 83% of subscribers will buy into broadband, phone and TV triple-play services, 10% will go for dual-play and just 7% will just be TV content subscribers.

Author of the report, Simon Murray said, “Of the 613 million digital TV homes to be added between 2010 and 2016, 256 million will come from digital cable. Primary FTA DTT [homes taking DTT but not subscribing to cable, DTH or IPTV] will bring in a further 154 million, with pay DTT adding 5 million. Pay IPTV will increase by 121 million, with pay DTH up 56 million and FTA DTH 22 million.”

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Cord cutting not to be feared just yet.

The study by J.D. Power and Associates did come out with some interesting trends in the TV market. Titled – 2011 U.S. Residential Pay-to-View Study, the study was based on questions answered by 6,815 US homes in April 2011.

Consumers rated Pay TV satisfaction across six factors, including variety of content, ease of use, customer service, billing, price and promotions. Overall pay-TV satisfaction averaged 743 on a 1,000-point scale. Netflix and Redbox also scored very high among pay-TV subscribers.

that evaluated usage of video providers including Amazon, Apple TV, Blockbuster/Blockbuster Express, Google TV, Hulu and Hulu Plus, local video stores, Netflix and Redbox. The study was fielded in April 2011.

Cord cutting is more prevalent in younger people and diminishes as the age range grows. 6% of consumers aged 17-24 have dropped pay TV, 4% of  age 35-46, 2% of age 47-65 and just 1% of age 66 to 86 the study showed.

Said J.D. Powers director of telecommunications research, Frank Perazzini:- “The predictions of the demise of television subscription service as we know it are clearly premature,”

He said that although alternative viewing methods are growing in popularity, traditional TV is here for a few years at least. He said, “The popularity of services such as Netflix and Redbox is a clear indication that consumers are enjoying the availability of alternative viewing options. However, with 52% of television customers reporting that they still watch regularly scheduled programming as it is broadcast, the current model will remain viable for the next two to three years, at a minimum.”

The study also showed that mobile TV is an increasingly popular way of watching TV and video. 27% of respondents said they watch videos on a mobile handheld mobile device, such as a tablet or smartphone.

The mobile phone was most popular device for this task with 15% followed by tablets with 12% and music players 12%.

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