‘Solid’ demand for cable STBS

Editor ©RapidTVNews | 20-12-2011



Despite a welter of analyst data predicting the imminent demise of cable TV, new research from NPD In-Stat has discovered that the cable set top box market is having a solid year in 2011.

As the title of the The Cable Set Top Box Market: Growth Opportunities Shift to Asia report suggests, it is robust demand for digital cable set top box products in the orient that is driving this growth. In North America by contrast, , cable set top box unit shipments are decreasing, largely due to the declining number of cable TV subscriber households, combined with cable TV operators tightening their capital expenditure budgets.
Overall, the survey found that global digital set top box unit shipments are on track to exceed 55 million, down just 1% from 2010 unit shipments. Total digital cable set top box revenues will likely reach $6.5 billion in 2011 with demand for HD cable STBs continuing to be strong with almost 11 million HD cable set top boxes set to ship by the end of 2011.
Motorola Mobility continues to be the leading cable set top box manufacturer, followed by Cisco Systems.
Commenting on the research, NPD In-Stat Research Director Mike Paxton said: “The long-term outlook for the cable set top box market is positive…Although we are projecting global unit shipments to decrease slightly in 2012 and 2013, the on-going shift from analogue cable services to digital cable services in the developing world will boost demand again in 2014.”