Cloud-Based DVR Will Be Fastest-Growing Residential Service by 2019, Says Cisco

The number of cloud DVR subscribers in the U.S. will exceed 4.6 million by year-end and 24 million by 2018, said a Parks Associates report. Fifty-one percent of pay-TV subscribers are “very interested” in having unlimited space to store DVR recordings, said Parks, which it said indicates strong consumer demand for cloud-based DVR services. More than half of U.S. broadband homes either have a DVR that’s part of their pay-TV subscription or have bought one at retail, said Parks. “Operators are interested in cloud DVR because these services will reduce their long-term hardware costs while providing multiscreen capabilities, enhanced features, scalability, improved flexibility, and new revenue opportunities,” said Brett Sappington, research director, Parks Associates, which plans a free webcast, “Endless Flexibility and Experiences with Cloud DVR,” Thursday at 2 p.m. EDT. Yoav Schreiber, Cisco Systems product marketing manager-service provider video, will discuss time-delayed TV, which Cisco believes will be the fastest growing residential service by 2019. “To meet that growing demand, video operators are looking to transform their business by implementing cloud and virtualization,” and cloud-based DVR offers service providers new ways to grow subscriber revenue “while reducing costs and enhancing their business and infrastructure agility,” Schreiber said.