Americans are getting their HDTVs ready — even if there's nothing on yet. At the end of 2006, the US had 27.7 million HDTV homes, giving it a 58% global share, followed by Japan, with a 20% share, according to a new report from Informa Telecoms & Media.





Yet most of the content on these screens is not high definition.

Of the 48.2 million HD households at the end of 2006, only a third had the necessary set-top box (or integrated HDTV set) to enable HD content to be viewed. By 2011, Informa expects HD programming to be far more available, and that 70% of HDTV set homes in 2011 will be receiving HD content — or 105 million homes.

Informa seems to believe that high-definition programming must be brought to the masses by decree, if necessary.

"There is some evidence that in the US, Japan and Australia the case for HDTV has been strengthened by regulation," said Simon Dyson, a senior media Analyst at Informa and the report's co-author. "Broadcasters have, for example, been setting targets for delivering a quota of programming in HD. If the scarcity of content in other markets continues for much longer, that option must be seriously considered elsewhere."