Despite unit shipments remaining relatively flat over the last year, worldwide set top box revenues were actually up in 4Q10 over 4Q09. Total revenues for the quarter were $5.7 billion as compared to $5.3 billion in 4Q09, according to In-Stat.

"Even though overall growth in the market was not dramatic there were certainly regional nuances that are worth noting," says Norm Bogen, VP Digital Entertainment. "For instance, there was a significant migration from standard definition to high definition in the larger and more advanced markets like North America and Asia/Pacific. While in the developing regions like the Middle East/Africa and Latin America, there has been a surge in standard definition boxes with high definition just beginning to make an appearance."

Recent research findings include:

• In North America, satellite set top box unit shipments approached 18 million in 2010.
• European cable set top box revenues are forecast to be $212 million in 1Q11.
• Worldwide IPTV set top box unit shipments increased by 3.7 million in 2010.
• During 2010, in Latin America, 8 million more SD set top box units were shipped than HD boxes.

IPTV STB Vendor Rankings (Shipments):

Top 4Q10 IPTV STB Vendors Rankings (Shipments)

1. Cisco
2. Motorola
3. Samsung
4. Netgem

Recent In-Stat research, 4Q10 Set Top Box Database Update (#IN1104986STBD), covers the worldwide market for set top boxes. This research tracks:

• Set top box unit shipments, revenues, and average selling prices on a quarterly basis.
• Operator segmentation for cable, satellite, telco IPTV, and digital terrestrial TV.
• Regional segmentation for North America, Europe, Middle East/Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
• Functional segmentation for high-definition, standard definition, and digital video recording.