[Satellite Today 11-20-08] Growth in set-top box shipments will peak in 2012, followed by a slow decline, according to a study by ABI Research.
     Set-top box unit volumes for all platforms — digital terrestrial television, IPTV, direct broadcast satellite and cable — will begin a gradual decline, according to “Global Set-Top Box (STB) Markets,” which provides an overview of the global set-top box market.
     The decline in shipments after 2012 is due in part to the expected completion, in most developed countries, of the transition to all-digital television broadcasting. Pay-TV platforms in particular are affected by the threat of displacement by over-the-top video, and the substitution potential of residential gateways, media hubs and gaming boxes. Set-top box components will increasingly be integrated into TVs themselves.