MUMBAI: The number of homes receiving DTT signals is forecast to more than double in the next five years, reaching 553 million, according to Digital TV Research.

According to the Digital Terrestrial TV Forecasts report, the number of primary DTT homes - those not subscribing to cable, IPTV or satellite TV and using DTT on their main set - will also double between 2013 and 2018, reaching 280 million.

This would mean that 173 million homes - which is 31 per cent of the DTT total - will only watch DTT signals on secondary sets by 2018. This is up from the 64 million at the end of 2012.

By 2018, more than one-third of the world's TV households will receive DTT signals; this figure was only 15 per cent at the end of 2012. Of this total, nearly one-quarter will be primary DTT homes by 2018, up from the one-tenth in 2012.

Western Europe accounted for more than 40 per cent of the global total at the end of last year. The region, however, is poised to lose market share, contributing 19 per cent of the total by 2018. This is despite its total DTT household figure increasing by 20 per cent, to 105 million. Western Europe will be primarily losing its market share to the Asia Pacific, which is set to increase from 28 per cent of the global total in 2012 to 43 per cent by 2018.

Even though the US has low DTT penetration, it still claimed the top spot in 2012 as the largest country by DTT households. These rankings are set to shift quite a bit over the next five years, though. China is expected to add 132 million DTT homes by 2018, becoming the largest DTT country by a wide margin. Brazil will add 30 million, taking second place, with number three Russia adding 19 million. India will have 15 million DTT homes by 2018, and it had none at end-2012.