IPTV Providers Planning Significant Uptake of Set-Top Boxes With 802.11ac in 2015, Infonetics Survey Shows

CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its 2014 IP Set-Top Box Features and Vendor Leadership: Global Service Provider Survey, which analyzes the trends and assesses the needs of service providers deploying IP set-top boxes (STBs) to deliver video services.

ANALYST NOTE

“For set-top box (STB) vendors, the challenge is finding the right balance between adding new technologies and features while reducing costs to meet service providers’ demands and remain competitive. To do so, vendors need to build standard solutions instead of custom ones for each service provider,” advises Jeff Heynen, principal analyst for broadband access and pay TV at Infonetics Research.

“Adapting IP STB offerings for targeted markets is another factor,” continues Heynen. “In China and India, low-cost IP STBs with fewer features, lower functionality, and more localized content are enough to meet customers’ needs, but in North America and Western Europe, there’s a growing appetite for more advanced STBs, like video gateways, which require a higher bill-of-materials cost, and the addition of more advanced features.”

IP SET-TOP BOX SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

• 802.11n dual-mode and 2x2 MIMO are currently the most widely-used WiFi technologies on IP set-top boxes (STBs), though 802.11ac shows the biggest gains among survey participants, growing from 6% today to 67% next year
• Operator respondents rated TR-069 for remote device/service-level management and hard drive for integrated DVR support as the top IP STB features
• Remote programming via tablet or mobile device heads the list of IP STB applications, rated highly by 67% of respondents, up 6 percentage points from last year’s survey
• The top 3 IP STB suppliers currently installed by respondents are Arris/Motorola, Cisco, and Amino

ABOUT INFONETICS’ IP STB STUDY

For its 34-page set-top box operator survey, Infonetics interviewed purchase-decision makers at incumbent telco operators from North America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA that use IP STBs to deliver video services or will by May 2015. Featuring an IP STB vendor scorecard, the study explores operator requirements for IP STBs, including features, applications, services, video transcoding, home networking technologies, hard drive capacities, and opinions of vendors. Vendors examined include ADB, Amino, Arris/Motorola, Cisco, Entone, Huawei, Netgem, Pace, Sagemcom, Samsung, Skyworth, ZTE, and others. To buy the report, contact Infonetics: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp.

RELATED REPORT EXCERPTS

• Infonetics’ May Video and Pay TV research brief: http://bit.ly/1lIK5Rc
• Infonetics updates long-term pay-TV market forecast
• OTT and multiscreen TV drive spending on broadcast and streaming video equipment
• Video gateways a bright spot in slumping STB market
• Emerging markets driving growth in pay-TV market
• Pay-TV operators look to ‘second screen’ apps and enhanced DVR in tug-of-war for subs

RECENT AND UPCOMING MARKET FORECASTS

Download Infonetics’ 2014 market research brochure, publication calendar, events brochure, report highlights, tables of contents, and more at http://www.infonetics.com/login.

• Pay TV Subscriber Database by Provider (May 6)
• Broadcast and Streaming Video Equipment and Pay TV Subscribers (May 29)
• Set-Top Boxes and Pay TV Subscribers (June 9)

INFONETICS WEBINARS

Visit https://www.infonetics.com/infonetics-events to register for upcoming webinars, view recent webinars on demand, or learn about sponsoring a webinar.

• Diameter Signaling Control for LTE Networks (June 12: Attend)
• Extending Copper Access Networks with Vectoring and G.Fast (View on-demand)
• The Role of Service Delivery Platforms in M2M and IoT (May 20: Attend)
• Gigabit Broadband Primer for Telcos and Cable Operators (July 10: Sponsor)
• Virtualizing Video Processing to Distribute Multiscreen TV (Aug. 26: Sponsor)

TO BUY REPORTS, CONTACT:

N. America (West), Asia Pacific: Larry Howard, [e-mail], [phone]

N. America (East, Midwest), L. America: Scott Coyne, [e-mail], [phone]

EMEA, India, Singapore: George Stojsavljevic, [e-mail], [phone]

Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp

ABOUT INFONETICS

Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com) is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize, and compete effectively. View Infonetics’ About Us slides at http://bit.ly/QUrbrV.