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More than two hundred thousand new TVs sold in one week, more than double the usual: Gfk data illustrates an ongoing shutdown process which also causes some controversy
As predicted and reported in recent days, the transition from the Mpeg-2 to Mpeg-4 codec for the first 15 RAI and Mediaset channels caused a real rush in the purchase of new TVs, fully compatible with DVB-T2 (and therefore also from Mpeg-4). This is confirmed by a market analysis carried out by Gfk: in the week between October 11-17, 2021, there was a real buying boom.
These numbers are very high compared to the same week in 2020, but also remain high compared to the previous week (October 4-10, 2020). But the increase was not only in numbers, but also in value: Italians spent more (compared to the same week in 2020) because of the literally crazy market, between over-demand (caused by an impending shutdown), and shortages (caused by low stocks and logistical difficulties due to COVID) and sellers who raised prices not always justified. However, all this means that we are dealing with a persistent and long-lasting trend that has resulted in the replacement of hundreds of thousands of old TV sets in recent weeks.
How many TV sets were sold for the shutdown
Gfk data shows 217,000 TV sets sold in the 41st week of 2021, an increase of 120% compared to the 41st week of 2020. Therefore, last week, more than twice as many TV sets were sold than is normally sold in a week. But even a week earlier, sales were high: the difference between the weeks of October 4-10 and October 11-17 was 16%, resulting in approximately 183,000 new Smart TVs sold between October 4-10.
Prices rose and while the number of televisions sold increased by 120%, the value (ie how much Italians spent on televisions) increased by 152%. Gfk data also tells us that compared to 2020, new TV sets will cost 26% more this year.
This data includes sales of major stores (and chain stores), both online and physical, in Italy.
New TV to turn off: useless purchase?
These days, after a hangover to buy new DVB-T2 compatible TVs, we are witnessing a growing controversy: most of the more than 300,000 new TV sets purchased in the last two weeks will be useless as most TV sets in Italian homes were already compatible with Mpeg-4.
This controversy does not make much sense, because it is literally impossible to find out what TVs our fellow citizens had in their homes before buying new ones. Certainly in some cases the televisions they already had were compatible, just as they certainly were not in other cases.
The question is wrongly posed: the transition to DVB-T2 will be gradual and involves two technical stages: the first, currently being implemented, will replace the Mpeg-2 codec with the Mpeg-4 codec, and the second, which will start in January 2023. is to change from Mpeg-4 to HEVC-Main10.
Also, many scrap TVs these days may be compatible with the Mpeg-4, so it is not at all certain that they will also be compatible with the HEVC-Main10. It is certain, however, that the Smart TV purchased today will be compatible with both codecs and that it will have at least HD-Ready resolution.
As a result, it won’t be a problem either when all channels switch to Mpeg-4, or when all channels switch to HD (and here we explain more about it), or when they switch to HEVC Main-10 which – we remind you – is the real, ultimate codec of the new, second generation DVB-T2 digital terrestrial television standard.
