Advanced Television

18m DVB-T2 STBs in 2015

April 25, 2013

The anticipated analogue switch-off in territories beyond North America and Western Europe is expected to increase the demand for DVB-T2 set-top-boxes in 2015, the next milestone year established by the ITU for switching to digital, according to ABI Research.

The firm notes that a number of countries in Eastern Europe and Middle-East Africa are hoping to satisfy this goal. With a later start to digital services, a number of countries in these regions are starting with DVB-T2, avoiding the conundrum facing established DVB-T markets looking to migrate to the newer technology.

“If remaining analogue shut-off time-lines go largely as planned, we expect over 18 million DVB-T2 STBs will ship in 2015,” comments senior analyst Michael Inouye. “Other potential factors, like spectrum reallocation for mobile broadband in Western Europe, might increase the demand for DVB-T2 boxes, but this likely won’t be a significant factor until the latter half, if not past the 2018 forecasting window.”

While most countries have settled on a DTT technology, the path to digital is less consistent in other regions where multiple DTT technologies are present and future analogue shut-offs span a wide time-frame (2015 to 2020s). Aiding the digital transition, Pay Terrestrial DTT operators subsidise the price of free-to-air set-top boxes in order to gain subscribers. For instance, in Sub-Saharan Africa both StarTimes and GoTV (a service of Naspers, parent of MultiChoice) have launched Pay DTT platforms using a subsidised set-top box selling for about $35 while free-to-air boxes sell for approximately $60.

Practice director Sam Rosen added: “Integrated televisions will certainly play a role in digitisation, but set-top boxes, by necessity, are still the driver used to fully satisfy most ASO goals. Proactive work from government agencies in the form of subsidies and consumer education remain vital components to a successful ASO, best suiting the lower cost STB as the digitisation vehicle of choice. After 2015, we do expect demand for DTT set-top boxes to decline, but circumstances beyond ASOs could shift the outlook higher.”

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