Set-top box market posted ‘best ever’ revenues in 2013

The global set-top box market made its highest ever annual in 2013, with continued growth now expected through 2015, according to IHS Technology research. 

The STB Market Monitor report claims that worldwide digital STB shipment revenues last year totalled US$20.3 billion, up 3% from US$19.6 billion in 2012.

IHS said it now expects STB revenues to set “new highs” in the next two years, peaking at US$22.8 billion in 2015 having remained at around the US$19.5 billion mark between 2010 and 2012.

“Set-top boxes proved to be critical to the strategies of pay TV operators in 2013. Far from being pushed out of the living room by internet-enabled consumer electronics, STBs are being repositioned as the hub of the connected home,” said Daniel Simmons, director for connected home research at IHS.

“STBs increasingly are being transformed into multimedia home gateways, which combine support for pay-TV services with internet access, residential gateway services, WiFi and other advanced features.”

IHS said that set-top growth in 2013 was mainly driven by media gateways

reaching large scale in North America.

“UK STB manufacturer Pace leads this vital market segment with a share of more than 48 percent in 2013,” said IHS. Pace shipped the most units last year, but Cisco continued to lead the global pay-TV STB market in revenue terms, according to the research.