Cable video gateways, devices that integrate the functions of a
broadband router with set-top box functions, will grow from less than 700
thousand units in 2010 to over 10 million in 2016.

Cable operators in North America and Europe are looking at gateway
products from vendors including Pace, Samsung, and Technicolor to deliver
services and content to every device in the home, including TVs, media tablets,
and smartphones.

Operators in Asia are looking at the gateway as a low-cost way to get
triple play to new audiences.

“Cable gateway boxes can be more cost-effective, especially in homes
with three or more TV screens, compared to traditional set-top box
architectures,” said Jason Blackwell, practice director, digital home. ABI Research.

Cable gateways, used in conjunction with IP-only thin-client set-top
boxes, give operators the ability to centralize costly cable tuners, hard
drives used to offer DVR functions, and network processors at one location in
the home. These centralized architectures help to provide operators with a
migration strategy from traditional QAM broadcasting to IP video.

“The feature-rich devices that many manufacturers are showcasing today
account for only 30 percent of the total market with low-cost devices used to
deliver triple play services in an integrated fashion in Asia accounting for a
larger component of the video gateway forecast,” said Sam Rosen, senior
analyst.

The set-top box market is showing increasing polarization between
high-end models with 3D user interfaces and low-cost boxes used to bring
millions of customers pay-TV services for the first time in their lives.

By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com