Advanced Television

DTT STB shipments 45m in 2015

June 13, 2011

Despite a challenging 2010 for the worldwide digital set-top box market, In-Stat predicts that better news is on the horizon.

According to the research firm, total unit shipments decreased by 7 per cent in 2010, with 2011 also likely to be a challenging year. Looking ahead, fuelled primarily by the analogue-to-digital transition as well as upgrades of older boxes to newer HDTV versions, replacement of older boxes with HD and PVR versions, and STBs with PVR capability and a broadband connection, digital terrestrial set-top box unit shipments will approach 45 million units by 2015.

“Digital set-top boxes continue to be key pieces of equipment for pay-TV service providers. For many service providers, the digital set-top box functions as their gateway into the home,” says Mike Paxton, Research Director. “In addition to their important position in the digital TV/pay-TV ecosystem, digital set top boxes continue to offer an attractive market opportunity for set-top box manufacturers and semiconductor suppliers, alike. In 2010, digital set top box revenues were greater than the combined revenues of video game consoles and Blu-ray players.”

Other In-Stat findings suggest:

– Europe is expected to account for over 50 per cent of worldwide unit shipments of DTT STBs through 2011.There are some 30 DTT STB manufacturers with significant market shares.

– In 2010, revenue from semiconductor components inside digital set-top boxes was $4.8 billion.

– Latin America remains a relatively immature market for STB products, accounting for only 11 million unit shipments last year, although annual unit shipment growth topped 50 per cent.

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