Global Smart STB and Dongle Market will Grow at a CAGR of 25% through 2018

Dublin, Ireland, May 12, 2014--The Global Smart STB and Dongle market will grow at a CAGR of 24.99 percent over the period 2013-2018. One of the latest trends being witnessed in the market is the integration of smart STBs with smart TVs and media players. Instead of purchasing a separate smart STB or dongle, users can buy a smart TV that is integrated with a smart STB, which allows them to directly connect to the internet, stream media, and access subscribed content.

This could be a threat to companies that only produce smart STBs for the retail market. To overcome this threat, companies can tie up with smart TV manufacturers and supply them with smart STBs.. According to the report, the growth of the Global Smart STB and Dongle market is driven by several factors, a major one being the development of technologically advanced devices. Vendors in this market are constantly creating innovative and updated devices by reducing the form factor and increasing capability.  

STB are devices that are connected to a TV at the user's premises. These devices enable the user to receive unencrypted subscribed channels through an addressable system for viewing encrypted channels. They connect a TV to an external signal source and transform the transmitted signal into video content, which is then displayed on the screen. A smart STB is the one which brings internet to TV. It helps in connecting to internet and streaming online content. They have some or all the following features; streaming media from other connected devices to TV, the capability of recording the content from TV, Pause, Rewind, and Fast-forward Live TV WIFI function, support for multi-screen interaction and the use of embedded cable modem broadband coverage. Many of these devices come in a portable dongle format. The latest one is the Google's Chromecast.

Further, the report states that one of the key challenges in this market is the high cost of STBs and dongles. The vendors price these devices high as they make heavy investments in the R&D of such products.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/f2k22b/global_smart_stb