14 DAY TRIAL // Set-top boxes are electronic devices that receive TV signals from broadcast companies and decode them according to whatever contract owners sign. Some of them have web support too, though, and it’s just come out that it's likely that those types will become a lot more popular.
Connected set-top boxes are STBs with Internet connections. All types of pay-TV operators (cable, satellite and IPTV providers) have at least one on sale.
They allow TVs to behave like Smart TVs, of sort, and even browse the web as a PC would. An Ethernet port or Wi-Fi allows for this.
The adoption of multimedia home gateways (MHGs) has been encouraging their sales too.
That is why, analyst firm IHS believes, the percentage of connected STBs will grow by a factor of roughly 2 by 2017.
Which is to say, 45% of all STBs shipped in 2017 will be connectable, versus the 26% of 2012.