STB market declines 10% despite gateway gains

Pace DPX5000 set-top box

The global set-top box (STB) market declined 10% year-on-year in 2013, despite an increase in shipments of cable and satellite video gateways, according to Infonetics Research.

The firm’s fourth quarter and full-year 2013 set-top boxes and pay TV subscribers report found that the worldwide STB market – including IP, cable, satellite, DTT set-tops and OTT media servers – totalled US$18 billion (€13 billion) in 2013, a 10% dip compared to 2012.

Pace ended 2013 as the leader in terms of worldwide STB revenues and unit share. Cisco came in second place for set-top box revenue for the year, though Arris claimed the lead for revenue share in the fourth quarter.

“The overall set-top box market declined in 2013, but cable and satellite video gateways had a very strong year, with shipments growing 333% and 98%, respectively,” said Jeff Heynen principal analyst for broadband access and pay TV at Infonetics Research.

“Video gateways collapse the STB and broadband CPE into a single device, and it’s for this reason we expect to see a long-term shift to these devices, at least in North America, to reduce capex in multiple TV set homes.”

Infonetics said it expects global IP video gateway revenue to grow at 79% compound annual growth rate from 2013 to 2018.