Digital Lifescapes

Broadband service providers are moving toward networking their set-top boxes together, and they're looking for existing-wire networking solutions (alternatives to Ethernet) for WAN access and in-home LAN nodes, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. Approximately 90 percent of all U.S. homes have at least one coax cable outlet, while almost 99 percent have one or more telephone wall jack, and 37 percent have at least one Ethernet cable outlet, the high-tech market research firm says. As a result, the number of North American households with in-home provider network nodes over coax or phone wiring will climb dramatically from 2007 through 2009. "The cost of deployment is the primary driver behind the use of existing residential wiring," says Joyce Putscher, In-Stat analyst. "Although, providers realize that the condition of, age of, and the way coax and phone wiring has been installed in some residences may still necessitate installation of some wiring runs....

According to ABI Research, in coming years home network connections will no longer be an optional feature for many consumer electronics products, as digital content, social networking and IP services delivered through embedded network connections will be demanded by consumers in the devices they buy. The leading device categories for embedded networking in consumer electronics will shift from the early market leaders -- game consoles -- to TVs and DVD players. ABI Research forecasts the number for networked TV shipments alone to grow to 65 million total units shipped by 2012, from just 3.6 million in 2008. "While many TV manufacturers have been evaluating the integration of networking features into devices for some time, only recently have manufacturers such as LG, Sony and HP begun to ship products en masse with embedded networking," says research director Mike Wolf. "While Japan has had networked TVs for some time, other regions are beginning to receive such merchandis...

Integrators are cautiously optimistic about the prospects for 2008 sales of home systems and controls technologies despite the current slowdown in new home construction, according to Parks Associates and EH Publishing. The two firms presented a summary of their latest research, analysis, and forecasts at EHX Spring 2008 in Orlando, FL, March 14. "Despite the severe contraction in new home construction, home systems integrators are hopeful for continued sales gains in 2008," said Daryl Delano, director of research, EH Publishing. They have benefited from the fact that approximately 50 percent of their business comes from installation work within existing homes. "Powerline and wireless technologies have developed to the state where they are stable, reliable, and offer the performance demanded in the custom installation channel," said Bill Ablondi, director of home systems, Parks Associates. Many dealers have adopted these technologies to expand their retrofit bus...

Adoption of networking technologies will make installed home theaters and multi-room audio systems more affordable, opening up this market to more consumers at low-to-medium income levels, according to the latest study by Parks Associates. Total U.S. revenues for installed home theaters and multiroom audio systems will grow from $6 billion in 2007 to more than $11 billion by 2012, and analysts forecast the number of new installations to grow 67 percent over the same period, from 166,000 per year in 2007 to 277,000 by 2012. The high-end A/V market is in a major stage of transition. Digital media content is approaching the performance and quality of analog media, with the added flexibility only digital content offers. Reduced costs coupled with advancements in wireless and powerline networking technologies are also growing the retrofit portion of the market, at a time when mid-market construction is slowing down. Soon, according to the Parks' assessment, PC-based systems from compani...

Broadband over Powerline (BPL) has been emerging steadily over the past several years for in-home networking, access or utility company applications, and the technology is continuing strong growth, according to In-Stat. With no new cabling needed, broadband powerline networking is emerging as a winner in the race for multimedia home networking worldwide, the high-tech market research firm says. Management and conservation of energy has become the overriding driver for smart grid, utility applications, where both broadband and low-speed powerline communications will play a roll. "As a result, we expect solutions using HomePlug Command and Control solutions to emerge in a big way, although we envision many combination solutions evolving including powerline and low-speed wireless technologies" says Joyce Putscher, In-Stat analyst. In-Stat's market study found the following: - Surpassing the inflection point in 2006, worldwide broadband powerline equipment based on HomePlug, ...

U.S. revenues generated through the consumer electronics (CE) custom integration or installation channel are projected to grow 8 to 9 percent from 2007 to 2008 based on research conducted jointly by Parks Associates and EH Publishing. Total channel revenues will reach $9.8 billion in 2007 and grow to more than $11 billion in 2008, driven by technology advancements allowing for more retrofit projects and by the growth in sales of existing dealers. "Overall the home building industry has softened this year, but the market served by custom installers remains solid," said Bill Ablondi, Parks Associates' director of home systems research. "Manufacturers see the opportunity for retrofit jobs through powerline and wirelessly-enabled nodes, increasing the number of solutions aimed at this segment of the market in 2007." Historically, dealers have split their business between new construction (50 percent) and remodeling or retrofit (50 percent). This division of work for...

Reuters reports that satellite television provider DirecTV Group may test delivering high-speed Internet service through power lines in a major U.S. city within the next year, its chief executive said. DirecTV and others are talking to companies that specialize in providing broadband through the electrical grid, Chief Executive Chase Carey said at the Reuters "Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit" in New York. "We're not the only ones talking to them," Carey said, in response to a question on whether DirecTV would consider a test in a major city. "I think you'll see some meaningful tests in this arena." DirecTV would like to test delivering Internet access on power lines in a "top 50 city where you're covering at least half the city." While DirecTV and fellow satellite TV operator EchoStar Communications Corp. have managed to keep increasing their subscriber base in the face of stiff competition from cable operators, Wal...

The number of U.S. households subscribing to broadband over power line (BPL) services will increase from 400,000 in 2007 to 2.5 million by 2011, according to a market study entitled "FTTx and BPL: Analysis and Outlook." This new report from Parks Associates concludes that consumer and competitive demands will lead to a strong growth rate in residential subscribers for BPL, outpacing other access methods such as DSL and cable over the next five years. "Both consumer demand and business factors will drive this growth," said Chris Roden, research analyst at Parks Associates. "On the consumer side, many rural residents don't have access to DSL or cable, but every house in the U.S. has access to power lines. This technology is often the only option for these residents to receive broadband service. On the business side, utility companies will also drive BPL's growth. BPL gives utilities more information to better manage power demand and troubleshoot line issu...