"set top" articles

Research released by Parks Associates this week shows that 86% of Roku owners compared to 77% of Apple TV owners use a subscription OTT service of any kind. Additionally, 75% percent of Roku owners use Netflix, while 63% of Apple TV owners use it. This research will be a key aspect in Parks Associates' participation in the 2014 NAB Show, where the research firm is hosting two Disruptive Media Conference Sessions. Brett Sappington, Director of Research for Parks Associates,...

News from the Wall Street Journal that Amazon is making content inquiries about licensing of linear channels for a streaming pay-TV service shouldn’t be a big surprise. After all, what player in the connected CE and online video space hasn’t looked into that possibility recently? (Content providers must be absolutely giddy about everyone coming out of the woodwork to ask about content licensing.) While Intel and others have tested the waters recently (with Intel finding them...

The FCC has granted TiVo the right to sell more digital-only devices. TiVo was granted a waiver of the FCC's analog tuner requirement after TiVo argued that requiring an analog tuner in set-tops increased power consumption and price to little net consumer effect.  TiVo also argued the waiver would help further the FCC's policy of promoting device compatibility since its DVRs are compatible with digital cable service. There is already a TV set analog tuner mandate in...

By Ruby-Ren Dennis Almost every TV provider, both cable and satellite, have some kind of companion app. Some of them are just a convenient way to pay bills and stay in touch. However, along with the bill-pay apps, are mobile TV, DVR, and remote control apps. In several countries, the universal remote control app features prominently. Both KT (Korea) and Telstra (Australia) have demonstrational videos featuring attractive young women sitting on their couches explaining how...

An unlikely group might be the next to cut the cord to cable television- parents with children.  In the past, those who abandon cable television for Internet video services have mostly been the young, single adult.  After sports, children's programming is one of the most decisive factor in a viewer's choice of provider, and online video providers such as Netflix and Amazon are out to capture that market.  In an agreement with DreamWorks, Netflix will bring 300...

By Brett Sappington  U.S. cable operator Suddenlink announced that it would offer the TiVo Mini to its subscribers in several locations in advance of the product's retail release later this spring. The Mini is a small, IP-based set-top box that provides a variety of features for second and third TVs in the home, including whole home DVR and the ability to pause in one room and play in another. Importantly, the Mini can only be used in homes that have a TiVo Premiere...