CEA Reports More Than 1.2 Million Over-The-Air DTV Tuners Sold To Date

[Gregg Lengling]

2004 Tuners Sales Projects To Be Announced on March 29 at CEA's HDTV Summit

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Arlington, Virginia 2/23/2004

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today announced that more than 1.2 million over-the-air digital television (DTV) tuners have been sold factory-to-dealer since product came to market at the close of 1998. DTV tuners are devices capable of receiving DTV broadcast signals (ATSC) and may be purchased as stand-alone set-top boxes or embedded within a DTV set.
"We have reached another important milestone in the analog to digital television transition, but the best is yet to come now that the cable plug-and-play agreement is a tangible marketplace reality," said CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. "Just three years ago, we celebrated the one-millionth DTV product sold. Since then we've experienced a boom in overall product sales, including receiving devices. Today more than 9 million U.S. households own a DTV product.

"With more integrated DTV sets on the market than ever before, for broadcast and cable reception, we will see millions more tuning into HDTV in 2004. Digital cable ready (DCR) HDTV sets are making their way to retail shelves and present yet another option for American consumers who have an increasingly strong desire for integrated products based on a wider availability of compelling HDTV programming. CEA expects to see the choice for receiving devices continue to expand. Our first glimpse of the years ahead will be at CEA's Ninth Annual HDTV Summit on March 29 when CEA will reveal for the first time sales projections for DTV tuners."

CEA Director of Industry Analysis Sean Wargo will present market research data produced by CEA Market Research and Digital Tech Consulting during a morning session of the HDTV Summit. Additional conference programming includes panel sessions on consumer education, DTV policymaking and industry leadership and features the 2003 Academy of Digital Television Pioneers Awards luncheon.

Registration for CEA's Ninth Annual HDTV Summit: Partnership, Policy & Profits is available online at //www.ce.org/hdtvsummit. The HDTV Summit will be held at the Washington DC Convention Center on Monday, March 29. About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 1,500 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $90 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at //www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.
CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.