100m hybrid STBs in 2015
January 24, 2012
Hybrid STBs are a fast-growing segment of the worldwide STB market says NPD In-Stat. The boxes include a TV tuner and an Internet connection. Hybrid STBs are appearing in all service categories and new usage models and applications have provided momentum. As television services begin employing applications that are Internet-connected, hybrid STBs are emerging as a key growth driver for the global STB industry. In-Stat research forecasts that 100 million hybrid STBs will ship in 2015.
“As the STB industry continues its forward march, the next logical iteration is for the set top box to enhance and expand traditional TV-related services by permitting access to content from the Internet, or from Internet-like web services that provide a ‘walled garden’ of authorized content,” says Gerry Kaufhold, Research Director. “By combining traditional TV services with ‘enhancements’ that come in via broadband, content owners and service providers think they can successfully compete with all the emerging over-the-top approaches.”
Research findings include:
– Over 23 million hybrid STBs will ship in North America in 2012.
– The Asia Pacific annual revenue will approach $1.5 billion in 2015.
– Satellite hybrid STBs will represent 58 per cent of the hybrid STB market in 2013.