SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Worldwide set-top box revenue will decline slightly in 2011, with Latin America and Middle East/Africa the only regions showing increases in shipments.

However, despite the general maturation of the market, IP set-top box shipments are forecast to increase by over 1 million units in 2011 according to research firm In-Stat.

“The most interesting development in the market is service provider solutions to distributing content throughout the home,” says Norm Bogen, VP Digital Entertainment. “Direct TV, for example, supplies a satellite STB as the ‘big box’ in the home’s media center while providing IP STBs, now referred to as ‘thin IP clients,’ for delivering content to different rooms in the home. This is certainly impacting the IP STB market in a positive way.”

Recent research findings include:

• North American IP set-top box revenue will increase by 22% in 2011.
• In 2011, 17% of all set-top boxes will include a DVR.
• In 2011, 72% of all satellite set-top boxes in Europe will be high definition.
• Nearly 670,000 cable set-top boxes will be shipped in Latin America in the September quarter.