Apple's HTTP Live Streaming tops list of preferred OTT video streaming services

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013
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Infonetics: Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming, HTML5 are Top Picks Among Operators Delivering OTT Video

CAMPBELL, Calif. — Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its ‘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.

“In our talks with carriers, we’re also seeing growing interest in MPEG-DASH, a new standard for video codecs. Backed by companies like Microsoft, Netflix and Adobe, it’s gaining traction in North America and Europe, and we expect it to get more support from vendors in coming years.”

ANALYST NOTE

“Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming tops the list of video streaming services that operators think are important for delivering over-the-top video, followed by HTML5,” says Jeff Heynen, principal analyst for broadband access and pay TV at Infonetics Research. “We expect HTML5 adoption to grow, especially if the W3C adds new security features (a top concern among content owners), as it can scale quickly across multiple platforms and has already gained the support of Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Netflix, Amazon, Facebook and LinkedIn.”

HTTP Live, HTML5, Microsoft, Adobe Flash

Heynen adds: “In our talks with carriers, we’re also seeing growing interest in MPEG-DASH, a new standard for video codecs. Backed by companies like Microsoft, Netflix and Adobe, it’s gaining traction in North America and Europe, and we expect it to get more support from vendors in coming years.”

SET-TOP BOX SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • 802.11g is the leading IP STB WiFi technology among carrier respondents today, but by 2014 technologies that enable wireless streaming of high-definition content, such as 802.11n dual-mode and 802.11n MIMO, are the most required
  • Study participants rated video on demand (VOD), OTT/broadband video, remote programming via tablet/mobile device, and whole-home DVR as the top IP STB apps
  • Most operators do not plan to add video transcoding to their IP STB offerings by 2014
  • Only about a quarter of survey respondents currently require QAM or over-the-air (OTA) tuners on their IP STBs

ABOUT THE SURVEY

For its 31-page set-top box operator survey, Infonetics interviewed purchase-decision makers at incumbent and competitive carriers from North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific about their requirements for IP-based set-top boxes. The study covers IP STB deployment drivers, technologies, features, services and applications, and includes an IP STB vendor scorecard. IP STB vendors examined include Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB), Amino, ARRIS/Motorola, Cisco Systems, Entone, Huawei, Netgem, Pace plc, Sagemcom, Samsung, Skyworth, Technicolor, ZTE and others.