Government Mandates Driving Growth of Inbuilt Set-Tops in China, India, Report Says

The global market for inbuilt set-top boxes will grow at a 2 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), passing 179 million units by 2020, said a Technavio report Friday. Driving the moderate growth are government mandates in countries such as China and India where digitization of TV networks will fuel demand for set-tops that offer more channels, improved picture quality and DVR technology, it said. Hybrid versions combining satellite, cable and IPTV set-tops and offering over-the-top and pay-on-demand service are expected to grow at a 13 percent CAGR to 53.5 million units by 2020, said Technavio. To tap the growing set-top market, vendors are introducing services such as on-demand, push-VOD and specialized Internet services to increase average revenue per unit, said analyst Soumya Mutsuddi. Services include free-to-air and pay TV on the digital video broadcasting side and value-added services on the IP side, Mutsuddi said. The market is led by Asia Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa countries. In the Americas, the market for satellite set-tops is “declining rapidly” as consumers switch to smart TVs and hybrid set-tops, said the researcher, while the market for Ultra HD set-tops will grow "substantially" during the period.