Set-top boxes are set to reach Asian consumers at an ever-increasing rate, according to ABI Research.

Overall STB shipments in the region, including those for cable, DBS (direct broadcast satellite), IPTV, and DTT (digital terrestrial television) services, will approach 111 million in 2014, the culmination of a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in excess of 12 per cent over the 2009-2014 period.

“As in so many other things, China is the powerhouse that is driving STB shipment and revenue numbers in the Asia-Pacific region,” says industry analyst Michael Inouye. “Within China, one of the main sources of STB segment growth is its target of completing the transition to digital cable and terrestrial TV in 2015. While expectations remained mixed about the feasibility of that aim, China appears to be focused on 2015 as an achievable target. That translates to a lot of cable boxes.”

While much of the Chinese market demand will be met by domestic vendors, some foreign companies want part of the action. Late last year, for example, Cisco acquired the cable STB unit of Chinese vendor DVN.

In addition the satellite market in India continues to show strong growth potential and while HD services launched in 2009, HD is expected to spread at a relatively slower pace. In contrast, while most STBs have similarly been basic boxes in China, support for HD terrestrial broadcasts was higher than expected suggesting a potentially significant shift to HD boxes in the future for DTT and potentially other platforms as well.