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COVER STORY
access and digital rights management, inhome network and distribution, video decode and play-out to screen, lastly - high quality of service across all connected devices. Roku: Games consoles provide a streaming option for those who have them and want to stream in addition to playing games. People don’t purchase game consoles for the sole purpose of streaming. Instead they buy streaming players and Smart TVs. We will continue to see streaming hours grow on streaming players and Smart TVs and eventually exceed game consoles. Rovi: The average computing capacity of game consoles and Smart TVs far exceeds that of the average set top box (STB). There are two key advantages that STBs have though: (1) conditional access which is tied to the pay-TV operators’ transmission rights, and (2) DVR capability. STBs have a key midterm advantage in providing highest Broadcast HD quality to the discerning viewer, a comprehensive Video On Demand catalogue, and a multi-room DVR experience that is unmatched. S3 Group: The media delivery architecture within the home will continue to evolve towards a gateway-client architecture with the gateway taking the central role in delivering media securely into the home. The client devices served by these gateways will continue to expand in diversity and capability and will certainly include both games consoles and smart TVs but also dedicated function thin client IP-STBs. SoftAtHome: Smart TVs and games consoles have some of the assets needed to replace the traditional STB. However, the STB will remain a key device for Operators because of its allround capabilities (e.g., rights management, billing, service breadth). Operators must, though, continue investing in the STB to stay ahead and deliver a unique and superior user experience, as well as to bring new services to end-users (super PVT, VoD/catch-up, appstore, VoIP, smart home). smartclip:When focusing on STBs provided by telcos and cable providers, we can state that STBs and Smart TVs are almost becoming mirror images of one another, as the latter begins to permeate the market with greater significance. Telcos and cable providers are
much shorter life cycles, to bring new features to the homes. In that sense they will stay one of the main devices of the home and keep competing with Smart TVs and Games Consoles to be the centre of the connected consumer’s home. Humax: We believe that the STB’s role as the centre of the consumer’s home is likely to once again enter the spotlight in the future. Games consoles are targeted at specific households with avid games fans and, as a result, are not typically perceived as a product for every home. Of course, the Smart TV will eventually become the norm as most TVs will carry a Smart TV service in the future. Inview: The STB is, and will remain, a key route to the connected consumer. The STB is usually the most cost effective option, certainly in non-gaming households. A key advantage of the STB is that it is established as a trusted route to the TV experience. The STB is TV centric – it is completely focused on the TV experience. Another advantage for the STB is its flexibility. It can be easily updated, changed or replaced. A Smart TV on the other hand can be an inflexible option for the consumer.
Irdeto: The debate around Smart TVs and STBs has been around for a while, and next generation games consoles add a new dimension to it. We expect that Smart TVs will replace set-top boxes as the centre of the connected consumer’s household in some segments of the market (particularly free-to-air viewers). However, we expect we will still see set-top boxes for the coming few years. KIT digital: Set-top boxes must evolve into media gateways so that they provide additional network based services to the connected home. They must be able to power multiple TVs in the home rather than being connected to the main TV in the house. MoCA: STBs can become the centre of the connected home, linking smart TVs, consoles and any other devices that need and want network access. These devices will serve as a hub throughout the home and will need to continue to embrace standards and provision for quality of service, among many other things. Pace: Let’s look at the question a different way – what do we need to do to bring TV, Internet access, voice, and other services into consumer’s homes, ensuring every service is accessible in every room? The solution, in broad terms, is one that combines a number of key components – access networks, conditional
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