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BNS Introduces TV Shopping
August 2009

Broadband Networks Systems (BNS) announced a new solution, called the "BNS Touch," which lets IPTV Operators create TV shopping experiences for their subscribers.

BNS uses what it calls “invisible dot-code printing and recognition technology” to allow consumers to use print catalogs or magazines as a TV shopping system. Consumers simply use a pen-like device, called “The Wiz,” to click on items on the printed page. A small infrared camera and sensor reads the data on the page, and brings up the product on the TV screen.

Anke Gill, VP of Marketing at BNS, said that the solution was a “turning point for IPTV” because it enables Service Providers to turn their TV into a shopping mall to earn additional revenue.

Source: MRG, Inc., August 2009 IPTV Bulletin

MRG's New OTT Report: US$11 Billion by 2012
August 2009

MRG released a new report this month called “Global OTT Video Services & Forecast—2008-2012: Best Practice, ROI, & ISTB Analysis,” showing how Over-the-Top video services will offer new opportunities for IPTV & Cable Operators to expand their reach through TV-centric Internet services.

Revenues in 2012 should exceed US$11 billion, with Internet Set-top Box (ISTB) penetration (including game consoles) exceeding 57 million. Besides cost containment practices, the report identifies what kinds of OTT video content consumers want (and will pay for), based on a global consumer survey done specifically for this report.

“The real question isn’t whether Service Providers (SPs) should implement OTT, as most analysts already agree,” states MRG Analyst Mike Galli. “The real question is how and with what results, which is why we did a ROI analysis for Tier-1, 2 and 3 IPTV SPs explaining the best practices, cost-loading and break-even points for several different configurations of OTT service.”

The report also disputes the belief that “smart TVs” (TVs with Ethernet ports) will replace ISTBs (Internet STBs) and traditional STBs in the next five years, as predicted by some CE promoters. Many HD (High-Definition) TVs will rely on (external) ISTBs to provide the needed storage, hybrid-processing, progressive download, and EPG-processing capability at an affordable price to deliver HD content.

Global OTT Video Services & Forecast—2008-2012: Best Practice, ROI, & ISTB Analysis (August 2009) is 138 pages and is available for $2,995 USD, a PDF single-departmental license for $3,495 USD; and is available free as part of MRG’s IPTV Tracking Service. For more information visit www.mrgco.com/iptv/ott09.html.

Source: MRG, Inc., August 2009 IPTV Bulletin

Mid-2009 Financials: Recession Over For IPTV Industry
August 2009

Analyst Note: Of the 16 Operators sampled in this table (partial), subscriber growth ranges from 35% to 76% (annualized); revenue growth ranges from 2% to over 40%; reported expenses are down 6.6%; and profits (where reported) range from -9% to $1.1B (DT). While it is wise to advise continued vigilance about the economy, it is also reasonable to project continued and growing confidence in the strength of the global IPTV industry.

* The full table is available in MRG's 2009 August Bulletin. The above is only a partial view of the table.

Source: MRG, Inc., August 2009 IPTV Bulletin