Streaming Media Player Unit Shipments to Reach 3.6 Million in 2011

The growth of “Over-the-Top” (OTT) video services is generating a great deal of attention for consumer electronics products that can efficiently support streaming media services. One of these products, the streaming media player, which is sometimes called an OTT set top box or a digital media adapter, has enjoyed significant growth over the past two years. Worldwide streaming media player unit shipments are projected to increase in 2011, finishing the year at just over 3.6 million, says In-Stat.

Despite the recent growth, however, the road ahead for streaming media player products will likely be bumpy. “There are some significant challenges facing the market for streaming media players,” according to Mike Paxton, Research Director. “Foremost among them is how to competitively position streaming media players against other products, such as connected Blu-ray players and video game consoles, that are more common in both consumer households and in retail electronics stores.”

The report also notes that the ability to stream IP video is rapidly becoming a common consumer electronics product “feature” rather than the central function of a device. This is driving some of the leading streaming media player vendors to de-emphasize their stand-alone products and focus future product development efforts on their streaming media software platform.

New research findings include:
• North America is the largest market for streaming media player products, accounting for 82% of all worldwide product unit shipments in 2010.
• Apple TV remains the leading streaming media player product on the market.
• The increasing availability of Internet-connected TV sets and hybrid set top boxes will also impact the long-term viability of the streaming media player market.
• Even with the challenges surrounding the market segment, In-Stat is forecasting that the worldwide installed base of streaming media players will surpass 15 million by 2015.

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