There will be more than 1 billion digital TV households across 138 countries by end-2014, up by 130 million on 2013 and by 461 million from the 590 million recorded in 2010, according to a new report from Digital TV Research. The Digital TV World Household Databook estimates that digital cable TV has become the most popular platform, with 374 million subscribers expected by end-2014. Digital cable overtook analog cable in 2013 and analog terrestrial in 2014. The number of homes paying for IPTV will more than triple between 2010 and 2014.

New research results from Irdeto announced at BroadcastAsia 2014  explores consumer consumption patterns of video content confirmed top two reasons why people turn to piracy: lack of content availability and concerns over price. Two in three consumers in Australia, India and Singapore indicated that they are either ‘neutral’, ‘unlikely’ or ‘extremely unlikely’ to watch pirated video content, the survey also showed that concerns over security issues and poor quality pirated videos are major impediments to piracy.

NSR’s newly released Global Direct-to-Home (DTH) Markets, 7th Edition finds that by 2023, nearly 300 Ultra HD TV channels will be broadcast globally by Direct to Home (DTH) operators, with Ultra HD present in every region worldwide within the next decade. This exceptional growth will occur following the introduction of the first Ultra HD channels into DTH subscriber homes by late 2015, where consumers will be able to get their hands – and eyes – onto this ground-breaking content for the first time.

Pay TV Operators are at the top of the set-top box food chain, with hardware OEMs and semiconductor vendors both functioning in a supporting role. The largest operators are responsible for the functional definition and direction, and have significant ownership over at least the logical layers of the implementation. Multi-source supply agreements, in which operators purchase functionally equivalent units from multiple vendors, are the norm today. Therefore, operators have multiple bids whenever they need to purchase new units.

According to new research from The Diffusion Group (TDG), despite the widening availability of ‘TV Everywhere’ services, tablet owners are significantly more likely to use OTT service apps such as Netflix than those offered by both TV networks and operators. Almost half (48%) of adult tablet owners report using OTT video apps on occasion, compared with 37% that use broadcast network apps, 31% that use cable network apps, and 23% that use TV operator apps.

European pay TV revenues will reach US$ 40.35 billion in 2014, up from US$ 36.87 billion  in 2010, according to a new report from Digital TV Research. The European Digital TV Databook (covering 39 countries) reveals that the 2014 total will only  increase by 0.6% on 2013 as ARPUs are hit by competition and the transition of  subscribers to double-play and triple-play bundles (which result in higher overall ARPUs for operators but lower TV ARPUs). 

New research from Parks Associates reports that usage of Google Chromecasts appears to be decliningwhile adoption of streaming media players has increased to nearly 20% of U.S. broadband households, up from 14% in 2012.

New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) finds that 49% of all US households have at least one television set connected to the Internet via a video game system, Blu-ray player, smart TV set, and/or stand-alone device (like Roku, Apple TV, or Google Chromecast) -- up from 38% in 2012, and 24% in 2010. Overall, 24% of adults watch video from the Internet via a connected TV at least weekly, compared to 13% two years ago, and 5% four years ago.

Despite the fact that US incumbent pay-TV operators enjoyed a small net subscriber gain in Q1 2014 — a reversal of recent quarterly trends — the reality is that today’s pay-TV subscribers are just as inclined to cancel their service today as they have been since 2011. Today, 15% of adult broadband users that subscribe to a legacy cable, satellite, or telco pay-TV service are to varying degrees likely to cancel their service in the next six months.

Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its latest Broadcast and Streaming Video Equipment and Pay TV Subscribers report, which tracks pay-TV subscribers and video equipment sold to telco IPTV, cable, and satellite TV providers.