Consumers Finding STB Appealing

One-third of U.S. broadband households interested in connected set-top

Connected set-top boxes are growing in popularity, with 33% of all U.S. broadband households interested in this platform, according to Parks Associates. The international research firm notes this news is good for service providers, which have this device at the core of their current service strategies.

Parks Associates is hosting a special lunch session, Engaging the Consumer: Opportunities and Challenges in the Evolution of Television, sponsored by Macrovision, on Thursday, April 2, at the Cable Show in Washington, DC.

Session Speakers:

• Bob Benya, SVP, Video Product Strategy, Time Warner Cable
• Jeff Bonin, VP & GM, Alticast
• Richard Bullwinkle, Chief Evangelist, Macrovision
• David Grubb, VP Consumer Strategies, Motorola
• Steve Necessary, VP Video Strategy, Cox Communications

Panelists will address challenges in building ARPU and best strategies in developing innovative television services that will interest consumers and lower churn.

“The cable providers have a unique challenge – continuing to innovate at the pace that consumers are adopting new forms of entertainment technologies that may not currently be available through their provider,” said Richard Bullwinkle, chief evangelist for Macrovision. “Many of the new technologies out in the market now have generated great interest, but for these emerging technologies to be a viable solution for the end consumer, they need to be deployed to the mass market – cable can provide this.”

“Up to 7% of broadband households are willing to pay $3-$6 more per month for a connected STB,” said Jayant Dasari, analyst with Parks Associates and session moderator. “They want to stream music, view photos, and watch Web video through their television, and carriers can capture that consumer interest by leveraging the set-top to deploy these services.”

About Parks Associates
Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market reports, primary studies, consumer research, custom research, workshops, executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions.

The company’s expertise includes new media, digital entertainment and gaming, home networks, Internet and television services, digital health, mobile applications and services, consumer electronics, and home control systems and security.