Skip to main content

Three Stages to the Pay-TV STB Evolution

Consumer interest in advanced TV features will transform the set-top box into a complete service platform that integrates entertainment, information, communications, and commerce-related applications, according to Parks Associates. They believe that the worldwide evolution of the set-top box will include three stages.

At stage one, TV viewers will demand features and services that enhance their TV-watching experience, such as high-definition capability, TV recording, and enriched TV programming. At stage two, applications that help consumers better access information and easily bridge PC-based digital media into the living room will become popular. At stage three, communications, commerce, and personalized applications and services, such as caller ID on TV, recommendations, and TV shopping, will find wider acceptance among consumers, transforming the set-top box into a home service platform.

"Service providers and their set-top box partners can follow this roadmap in formulating service offerings and hardware strategies going forward," said Harry Wang, research analyst at Parks Associates. "Very soon the number of applications for the set-top box will increase dramatically, and providers must understand the dynamics of this market in order to offer the services that most appeal to their subscribers."

Although the three-tiered interest structure is consistent across the twelve countries surveyed in Parks Associates' Global Digital Living(TM) project, country- and platform-specific differences still exist.

For instance, 66 percent of the French satellite TV subscribers are very or extremely interested in viewing digital photos on the TV, compared with only 20 percent among the U.S. satellite TV viewers.

Fifty-two percent of the Taiwanese digital cable users are very or extremely interested in TV-based commerce applications, versus 12 percent among the Japanese digital cable subscribers.

"Players in the global pay-TV market must take heed of these similarities and differences in order to fine-tune the set-top features for complete user satisfaction," Wang said.

Popular posts from this blog

Open Banking Usage to Grow by 470 Percent

The Open Banking business model has been advantageous for Third-Party Providers (TPPs), helping them to extend their offerings into other areas of financial services with new capabilities. Open Banking is also advantageous for traditional banking institutions, despite the perceived loss of custodianship over their data, by providing greater accessibility to more bank services. Furthermore, Open Banking can help serve Mobile Internet providers that are able to leverage it to create tailored services according to customers’ preferences and/or economic limitations. Open Banking Market Development Since traditional banking services are made more convenient by TPPs via greater data access, customers can proactively manage their finances and shape the development of new financial offerings. This is particularly noticeable in the realm of Digital Payments, where retail merchants and customers transact through eCommerce, which has the greatest number of use cases for Open Banking. These includ

Global Digital Business and IT Consulting Outlook

Across the globe, CEOs and their leadership teams continue to seek information and guidance about planned Digital Transformation initiatives and the most effective enterprise organization change management practices. Worldwide IT and Business Services revenue will grow from $1.13 trillion in 2022 to $1.2 trillion in 2023 -- that's a 5.7 percent year-over-year growth, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). The mid-term to long-term outlook for the market has also increased -- the five-year CAGR is forecast at 5.2 percent, compared to the previous 4.9 percent. Digital Sevices & Consulting Market Development IDC has raised the growth projection despite a weak economic outlook, because of vendor performances across 2022, growth indicators from adjacent markets, increased government funding, and inflation impacts. The actual 2022 market growth was 6.7 percent (in constant currency), which was 87 basis points higher than forecast last year, alth

Mobile Device Market Still Awaiting Recovery

The mobile devices market has experienced three years of unpredictable demand. The global pandemic, geopolitical pressures, supply chain issues, and macroeconomic headwinds have hindered the sector's consistent growth potential. This extremely challenging environment has dramatically affected both demand and supply chains. It has led to subsequent inflationary pressures, leading to a worsening global cost of living crisis suppressing growth and confidence in the sector. In tandem, mobile device industry stakeholders have become more cautious triggering market uncertainties. Mobile Device Market Development Operating under such a backdrop, the development of mobile device ecosystems and vendor landscapes have been impacted severely. Many of these market pressures persisted throughout 2022 and now into 2023, borne chiefly by the smartphone market. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, worldwide smartphone shipments in 2022 declined 9.6 percent Year-over-Year