[Satellite TODAY 08-23-10] The pay-TV hybrid set-top box market may see 90 million units by 2015, according to an IMS Research study released Aug 20.
    The report, “The World Market for Hybrid Set-top Boxes – 2010 Edition,” forecasts that that hybrid set-top boxes will make up the majority of set-top box shipments around the globe by 2015.
    The report also shows that in 2009, the Americas led the market with more than 65 percent of global hybrid set-top box shipments, driven by heavy demand for satellite and cable HD DVRs. However, IMS Research expects Asia and Europe to surpass the Americas in the next few years. In Asia, IMS said growth would be heavily driven by hybrid deployments in China late in the period, with European growth coming mostly from France, Germany, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and others with sizeable pay-TV markets.
    “As major pay-TV operators worldwide become more competitive with content offerings and advanced services, hybrid set-top boxes become increasingly attractive as a way to utilize means other than an operator’s traditional infrastructure to deliver the most competitive experience possible. Additionally, virtually all advanced set-top boxes shipping worldwide are expected to be hybrid by default within a few years,” IMS Research Senior Analyst Paul Erickson said in a statement.