How much are the trendy digital tuners?

If you want to see terrestrial digital broadcasting on TV for analogue broadcasting, you need a “digital tuner.” You can’t combine high definition quality with digital broadcasting without buying new a TV. This time, we would like to explore the trend of digital tuners by using “BCN Ranking.”

The top seller of this August was “DTC10” by YAGI ANTENNA with 32.7% market share. The price on September 25th was ￥19,400. The “DTC10” is a simple tuner that is only for receiving digital broadcasting wave. This model does not have an EPG function and has no data broadcasting.

When we watch digital broadcasting programs using analogue broadcasting TVs, there is a black frame surrounding the picture. This is due to the difference of aspect ratio. Analogue broadcasting TVs have a 4:3 aspect ratio, but digital broadcasting TVs have a 16:9 aspect ratio. However, the “DTC10” has a “4:3 pan scan” function that can adjust the picture ratio and erase the frame.

MASPRO DENKOH’s “DT400” was in the second place with 19.6% share and a price of ￥37,700. This model can receive BS and CS digital broadcasting, and also includes EPG or data broadcasting function. The “DT400” can also erase the black frame by using the “full size screen” function.

In third place was the “HVT-ST200” by I-O DATA DEVICE. Market share was 12.2% and the price was ¥22,800. Both terrestrial digital and CS broadcasting are available on this model. It also contains an EPG function, subtitle function and “fit function” that can erase the black frame.

In fourth place was the “YDIT-10” by CENTRADE M.E.. The price was ¥22,200, and has the ability to see terrestrial digital broadcasting and CATV. The “DT330” by MASPRO DENKOH was in fifth place with a price of ¥31,700.

　The price range of digital tuners was in the mid-to-high ¥10,000 to ¥30,000. The tuners only for terrestrial digital broadcasting were much cheaper than that range. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said that before stopping the analogue broadcasting wave, it is necessary to launch a tuner in the ¥5,000 range. From this point of view, market status quo is not enough. The digital tuner market is still small and has little product variety with inconsistent prices. With analogue broadcasting ending in four years, we expect the digital tuner market to make progress in both lineup and price.