Interactive services used least by elderly and vulnerable groups, government studies confirm
New Government research has raised fresh questions over digital television's suitability as a medium for eGovernment.
Studies released on 21 July show that poor design and usability of digital TV equipment and services exclude many elderly and vulnerable citizens, with interactivity being the least used feature.
The findings come from digital TV trials in the Welsh villages of Ferryside and Llansteffan, who in March 2005 became the first two areas in the UK to switch permanently from analogue to digital television.
The project, which began last year, was designed to provide lessons to help the Government prepare for a national digital switchover, planned to start from 2008, by studying how people would cope with the transition.
The research, conducted for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, found evidence that the complexity of modern digital TV equipment posed problems for many participants in the trials.
One in five households required third-party help to set up their digital equipment, rising to 35 per cent of those aged 65 and over, as well as 40 per cent of disabled participants.
"The level of confidence in attempting the installation fell rapidly with increased age", says the report, finding that half of people aged 75 and above were "not at all confident" about they could cope. Almost half of those judged 'vulnerable' did not even consider attempting installation themselves.
Older trial households also encountered significant problems with remote controls, instruction manuals, digital text and on-screen displays, with the report stressing the importance of providing guidance and reassurance for this group.
The least used feature of the digital package early on in the trials was the 'Red Button' for interactivity, used by just 58 per cent of respondents. Elderly and vulnerable people were found to be less likely than others to take advantage of this service.
The red button also had the lowest level of understanding of all the listed digital TV features. One in six users did not fully fully how to use it, increasing to some 44 per cent of those aged 75 and above.
The studies reported that over time, most respondents were still only using digital TV in a fairly limited way, namely to watch the same programmes, with few regularly using interactive services.
Publishing the reports on 21 July, the DCMS hailed the trials as a "success" and highlighted the more positive findings.
These were, for example, that the work was achieved on time, there were no major transmission issues (although there were "many complaints of reception difficulties"), and the overwhelming majority of participants – some 99.2 per cent – voted against reverting to analogue when the trial ended.
The Department said the studies showed that "new technology was embraced by all ages, with people over 90 years old using digital recording facilities".
It also underlined the "need for technical support and products that meet the needs of vulnerable consumers, along with clear information about digital television services."
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell also commented: "This report confirms what we suspected – digital television is a product people want.
"We want everyone to benefit from the improved choices and services that people in Ferryside and Llansteffan now enjoy. To do this we must switch off the analogue signal. That's why we've made a clear commitment to achieving digital switchover between 2008-2012."
Copies of the studies are available from the links below.
Related Links
Digital switchover technical trial at Ferryside and Llansteffan (PDF: 1.65MB)
Ferryside and Llansteffan Digital Switchover Technical Trial: Research on Vulnerable Households (PDF: 231KB)
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