[Satellite TODAY 05-24-10] World shipments of hybrid set-top boxes increased 27 percent in 2009 over 2008 due to an increase in pay-TV hybrid satellite deployments, according to an IMS Research report, released May 20.
     Statistics from IMS’ “Online Digital Set-top Box & iDTV Database Report,” show hybrid set-top box shipments set to grow steadily over the next five years due to the increasing number of alliances between satellite and broadband operators.
IMS also showed non-hybrid set-top box shipments increasing by 18 percent in 2009 over 2008, due in large part to analog switch-off in large terrestrial markets.
     “On a global basis, digital TV households grew by 30 percent during 2009 with the IPTV and FTA DTT platforms experiencing the strongest growth, both near 60 percent,” IMS researchers wrote in the report.
Despite the projected growth in hybrid sales, IMS expects a slight decline in total set-top box shipments in 2010 and 2011.