Digital TV adopters and non-adopters in the context of the analogue terrestrial TV switchover in Portugal

Abstract

In this paper, we will present a selection of the main results of the research project ADOPT-DTV"Barriers to the adoption of digital television in the transition from analogue to digital television", which had as main goal to understand the most significant factors for adopting and rejecting digital TV by the Portuguese population. The focus of this research project was on the people who do not have the intention to adopt digital TV or who are doubtful about it. More precisely, our major goal was to understand and identify the main factors that explain these intentions, as well as their demographic and socioeconomic profile. The secondary goal was to propose recommendations that could be applied by the key stakeholders in Portugal, aiming to contribute effectively towards a more inclusive digital TV. The determination of four profiles of adopters in accordance to their intention of using digital TV will be further detailed in this paper. Also here presented in detail are the tests of project's main hypothesis and secondary hypotheses, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. In summary, the main and secondary hypothesis are confirmed: in the context of the transition from analogue terrestrial TV to digital TV in Portugal, the adoption of digital TV is considerably conditioned by factors such as performance expectation, effort expectation and social influence, with strong probability of significant rejection by older segments of the population, with lower education levels and special needs.