ABI Research says it expects the market for IP set-top boxes (IP-STBs) to grow at least four times faster than that for cable or satellite-based boxes. While the CAGR of worldwide cable and satellite STB shipments is forecast at a modest 13-14 percent over the next five years, IP-STBs will see growth more on the order of 60 percent in the same period, according to a recently released report from ABI.

Vamsi Sistla, ABI's director of residential entertainment technologies research, suggests that chipset and component vendors, both market leaders and new players, are looking at the IP-STB industry with renewed attention. He observes that, while companies such as Thomson, Samsung, and Pace Communications are heavily committed to this market, two of the largest cable STB makers have not produced any IP-STB products, despite the huge potential. “The reasons for this are unclear,” says Sistla, “but may relate to the limited revenue opportunities this market represents, compared to other parts of their business. On the other hand, cable industry alliances may prevent them from moving in this direction.”

The report, “The Future of Cable, DBS, IP and Terrestrial Set Top Boxes”, examines the global trends in shipments, revenue, and penetration of advanced features for various distribution networks, including: digital cable, DBS, Fiber, terrestrial, and DSL & IP-based networks.

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.