Freeview gives access to almost 50 digital TV and radio channels

The Continental Research group says that 2.1 million households are using the free-to-air service less than a year after its launch.

Freeview gives access to almost 50 digital TV and radio channels such as BBC Four and Sky News.

BSkyB is also continuing to grow, and is expected to reach eight million homes by 2005, the report says.

Freeview viewers make a one-off outlay of about �99 for a set-top box rather than paying a monthly subscription.

According to a twice-yearly report by Continental Research on digital TV take-up, less than half of Freeview users are new to digital TV. About 900,000 also have a subscription to BSkyB or cable TV - and use Freeview for second and third TV sets.

Freeview is attracting older customers who previously have rejected multi-channel TV, according to the survey, based on nearly 2,000 TV viewers around the UK.

Dave Chilvers, director at Continental Research, said: "The launch of Freeview has attracted new interest to the multi-channel market and helped push the number of digital TV homes past 10 million homes for the first time."

The report also says that one in three digital subscribers listen to digital radio on their TV, although accessing the internet through digital TV is still low.