IPTV subscriptions are poised to grow from over 30 million in 2010 to 68 million by the end of 2014, according to forecasts from analyst firm Strategy Analytics. Asia Pacific and Western Europe will lead in deployments, says the firm. The findings are announced as industry leaders prepare to attend the IPTV World Forum in London this week.

While IPTV’s future does look promising, providers still have substantial work to do.

“One constant theme we’ve seen in our multi-country survey work is a low perceived value-for-money among pay-tv subscribers,” noted David Mercer, Vice-President of the Strategy Analytics Digital Consumer Practice. “Service providers need to concentrate on coherently explaining IPTV’s value proposition—something that few have been able to successfully achieve so far.”

IPTV needs to go beyond simply competing at par with other pay-tv platforms, says Strategy Analytics.

“Telcos have a deeply-ingrained 'monopoly mindset,'” noted Ben Piper, Director of the Strategy Analytics Multiplay Market Dynamics service. “IPTV represents the first time they have ever been second to market, and building to well-established consumer expectations is no easy task. IPTV needs to do more than replicate what the cable companies are offering. To be successful, it needs to surpass it.”