Digitisation  in Germany - 2015 DLM Report

The Directors Conference of the Media Authorities (DLM) has recently published its 2015 report on Digitisation, measuring the digitisation of the German broadcasting market and comparing it also to the international one.

The results presented in the 2015 report on digitisation underline that broadcasting continues to enjoy major relevance in the lives of consumers and is therefore present everywhere. At the same time, the different generations are moving forward towards different directions in the digital worlds, in particular concerning the use of the media available.

The television set is still the most important device for consuming moving images, but the young generation already considers the smartphone to be the most important end device in their lives.

The status of digitisation of the various broadcasting infrastructures is detailed in an extensive chapter providing facts and figures. The data collected on the receiver situation in German households offer a look at the final stage of the digitisation process for television. In the light of the (analogue) switchoff of cable which is drawing nearer, analogue cable households are specifically taken into focus.

Another important issue presented are the technical developments which are inevitably accompanied by new business models and which present new challenges with a view to securing plurality. The first article of the report on digitisation thus looks at the consequences of the growing shift from the transport model to the marketing model for HD.

Also, alternatives to the linear transmission of broadcasting have gained increasing coverage in the media in recent months. This is linked not least to the entry of Netflix, the US provider of video-on-demand content into the German market. The marketing scenario Netflix found in Germany and the business models developed by the competition are described in the article dealing with video platforms.

Last but not least, Internet and the spread of digital end devices overcome every border. Consumers vary their use of end devices depending on the local situation — from small mobile snacks on the smartphone to the full menu of a film watched on the large screen in the sitting room. An international comparison is therefore also included.

• 2015 DLM Report on Digitisation (EN)
• DLM Digitalisierungsbericht 2015 (DE)

Source: DLM Website