Advanced Television

STB

Cisco’s Chambers: ‘STBs not real profitable’

John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco, has suggested that the company’s set-top box business has adversely affected its profitability and that transitioning customers to cloud-based technology will address the problem. In an earnings call to discuss Cisco’s Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2013 Financial Results, Chambers said that the problem in its service provider […]

August 16, 2013By Colin Mann

Analyst: STB revenue growth despite DTH subs loss

In the wake of US DTH satellite pay-TV operators DirecTV and Dish reporting subscriber numbers for the second quarter of 2013, analysis from SNL Kagan unit Multimedia Research Group suggests that subscriber declines are not necessarily hurting set-top box suppliers. According to Michelle Abraham, Senior Research Analyst at SNL Kagan,

August 16, 2013By Colin Mann

Imported STBs cost India millions

A year ago, a typical DTH set-top box might have cost 800 Rupees (about $20 at the time). Now they cost nearer 1600 Rupees (worth $26 a today’s exchange rate). The difference entirely caused by the dramatic decline of the Rupee against most other major currencies. But the price rise means that millions of Indians […]

August 13, 2013By Chris Forrester

Horizon for Ireland

Liberty Global has launched its Horizon set-top for UPC Ireland. Mark Coan, vice-president sales and marketing of UPC Ireland, said that with the introduction of Horizon it was “taking television to the next level.” The service is designed to offer TV, broadband and phone services in one box, with 100Mb broadband as standard as part […]

August 13, 2013

AirTies is ready for HEVC/H.265

Wireless set-top box suppliers AirTies says it will showcase its “innovative” wireless networking receiver at the upcoming IBC technology show in Amsterdam, as well as its solution for H.265/HEVC set-top box. Turkish-based AirTies says it will demo a 4 x 4 video ‘bridge’ to handle the 802.11ac wireless standard The Air 4820 enables almost triple […]

August 7, 2013By Chris Forrester

PeerTV STB complete field trials

PeerTV’s set top box has now completed successful field trials with a major telecoms provider in Europe. The PeerTV set top box is a small unit, around the size of a calculator, enabling broadcast content distributed via the internet to be downloaded directly onto a normal TV screen. The service also makes websites such as […]

August 6, 2013

YouGov: Hardware, content players best placed in OD market

According to research firm YouGov, sector players controlling hardware and content will be in the strongest position to benefit from changing trends in media consumption. The current fragmented market will also be consolidated, suggests the company, with major players set to shake-up the market. The future of content on demand is likely to see increased […]

July 31, 2013By Colin Mann

Pace trebles profits

British STB maker Pace has reported that profits in the first half more than tripled, driven by continuing demand for its media-server products in North America. Pace, which supplies STBs to broadcasters, said pretax profits rose to $68.6 million (€51.7m) from $21.4 million a year before. Pace said it expected full year profit for the […]

July 30, 2013

YouView seeks multi-device expansion

Open IPTV platform YouView – backed by a consortium of the UK’s broadcasters and telco providers – is looking to develop the service beyond its set-top box-based launch, reports the FT. Sources suggest that some shareholders are keen to extend service across a range of devices, including connected TV sets, smartphones and tablets. Any such […]

July 29, 2013By Colin Mann

Global demand for cable STBs staying healthy

Worldwide digital cable set-top box unit shipments increased by 10 per cent in 2012 and are expected to continue to increase modestly in 2013, according to MRG research. This market continued to be led by Motorola (now part of Arris) who shipped more than 11 million units in 2012. Satellite STBs continue to show strength […]

July 25, 2013