After a record-setting year in 2008, worldwide digital cable set top box (STB) demand is falling in 2009, reports In-Stat. The slowdown in unit shipments and revenue has generally been concentrated in the comparatively advanced cable markets in North America and Western Europe where the economic recession has driven reductions in operator capital expenditure budgets.

Meanwhile, unit shipments to China are projected to set another record in 2009, approaching 20 million units and lift the overall Asia Pacific market. In addition, increasing digital cable TV service demand is pushing digital cable STBs into new markets in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
 
“Significant technology transitions, including the transition to MPEG-4 and the move toward a hybrid QAM + IP cable set top box, are creating opportunities for set top box vendors,” said Mike Paxton, In-Stat analyst.

The In-Stat research "The Cable Set Top Box Market: After a Record Year in 2008, Slightly Lower Demand in 2009" found:

  • Global digital cable STB unit shipments are projected to reach 47 million in 2009, a decrease of 6 percent over 2008.
  • Low-cost, digital terminal adapter (DTA) product unit shipments are beginning to have an impact on the North American cable STB market.
  • While Motorola and Cisco Systems remain the top two cable STB manufacturers, six of the remaining eight manufacturers are from China.
  • Among the leading cable STB manufacturers are ADB, ChangHong, Cisco Systems, Coship, DVN Holdings, HUMAX, Jiuzhou, Motorola, Pace Micro Technology, Panasonic, Samsung, Skyworth and Thomson.

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