Skip to main content

Asia-Pac Leads Satellite Set-Top Box Growth

Due to remarkable shipment growth in the Asia-Pacific region -- and particularly India -- the worldwide satellite set top box (STB) market grew in 2008, according to the latest market study from In-Stat.

However, outside of Asia-Pacific and Latin America, regional markets remain sluggish or even negative. Another important trend is the rise of High Definition (HD) Digital Video Recorders (DVRs).

"In-Stat expects HD DVRs to overtake shipments of Standard Definition (SD) DVR boxes in 2009, with some providers no longer offering SD DVR boxes," says Michelle Abraham, In-Stat analyst.

More providers will stop offering them in the future, with some going so far as to eliminate all SD boxes from their product lineup in a few years.

In-Stat's market study found the following:

- The worldwide satellite set top box market grew by 6 percent in 2008, bolstered by triple-digit growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

- Thomson was the largest provider of satellite set top boxes in 2008. Other STB providers include Coship, EchoStar, Homecast, Humax, KAONMedia, Pace, Samsung, TechniSat, and Altech UEC.

- The semiconductor Bill of Materials (BOM) for Satellite STBs ranges dramatically from under $25 to well over $100 depending on advanced features, hard drive size and the number of supported video streams.

- Key semiconductor suppliers include ALi, Broadcom, NEC, NXP, STMicroelectronics and Zoran.

- Network connections are becoming increasingly important to support whole-home DVR services, over the top (OTT) video to the TV, place-shifting, and remote DVR scheduling.

Popular posts from this blog

Telecom and Cable Strategic Growth Trends

Telecom and pay TV providers are entering a period where traditional connectivity revenue is growing at well under 2 percent a year worldwide, even as traffic volumes, quality expectations, and competitive pressures continue to rise. This widening gap between flat service revenues and escalating investment needs is the central strategic challenge now confronting network operators, tech vendors, and investors across the communications value chain. This transitional environment forces service providers to pivot from "grow by adding lines" to "grow by monetizing experiences, insights, and ecosystems." Enterprise digital transformation, 5G, fiber, and cloud computing are all necessary enablers, but none of them automatically translate into higher ARPU or margin; they need to be coupled with new value propositions and operating models. Telecom and Cable Market Development According to the latest IDC market study, worldwide spending on telecom and pay TV services is expec...