Satellite Still Dominant Platform for STB Market

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In 2009, more than 100 million satellite set top box (STB) units were sold, which represents more than 50% of the total STB market for that year. Cable and DTT STB shipments each represented slightly over 20% of the market, with IPTV capturing the remaining 7%.

• The most significant growth occurred in the sale of high-definition (HD) satellite STB units, with a 68% increase from 2008.
• Not surprisingly, the sale of standard-definition DTT units declined the most, year-over-year, by more than 15%.
• The total number of STB units with DVR increased by 14% in 2009, with the most significant growth coming from the Latin America region.

Asia is the dominant region in terms of unit shipments with nearly half of the worldwide total units shipped in 4Q09. In terms of revenue, North America continues to be the most dominant region, with over $8 billion in STB sales for 2009.

In-Stat forecasts several surprises for 2010, including significant drops in DTT STB shipments in North America, and continued growth in Latin America across the major platforms.

Recent In-Stat research, 4Q09 Set Top Box Database Update (#IN1004701STBD), covers the worldwide market for set top boxes. This research tracks set top box (STB) unit shipments, revenues and average selling prices (ASPs) on a quarterly basis. Operator segmentation includes Cable, Satellite, Telco IPTV, and Digital Terrestrial TV. Regional segmentation includes North America, Europe, Middle East/Africa, Latin America and Asia.