According to MRG, the shift from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 encoding and headend purchases is expected to begin in volume in the 2007 to 2008, meaning prolonged life for MPEG2 in IP TV systems. Moreover, the rise of IPTV content subscribers will drive an equally rapid installed based of IPTV video headends. Broadband service providers in the U.S., Asia, and Europe have announced or plan to announce deployments of IPTV-based content services, opening up opportunities for all video headend suppliers. One key forecast is that IPTV subscriber revenue will grow from about $400 million in 2004 to over $6 billion in 2008, meaning a substantial investment in content and infrastructure is fast approaching. Whether for SBC, Verizon, or BellSouth in the U.S., China Telecom in Asia, or France Telecom or Telefonica in Europe, IPTV video headend suppliers must help service providers compete in increasingly competitive markets. "IPTV vendors, in addition to offering unique and innovative services, have to use new technologies to achieve competitive advantages,' stated Gary Schultz, MRG principal analyst. "Yet the end-to-end value chain needs to remain price-sensitive to new adopters."
Embodied AI is shifting industrial robotics from precise to perceptive — from rigid automation to adaptive execution in messy, variable production environments. For manufacturers and logistics providers, this isn't just a technology upgrade; it's a structural change in how work gets organized and business value gets created. Industrial robots have long excelled in static workflows: automotive assembly, fixed production lines, repetitive tasks. Where variability or human interaction arose, they stalled or required prohibitive engineering. Embodied AI Market Development Embodied AI changes this by closing the "sim-to-real" gap. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, AI-augmented robots have reached genuine adaptive automation with tangible ROI for early adopters. The shift rests on robust algorithms — particularly Dynamic Policy Adjustment and robotics foundation models — that learn and adapt in real time rather than following hard-coded rules. ...