Abstract
PC-TV tuning has been a possibility for PCs since the mid-1980' s. In 2006,
In-Stat estimated 15.8 million PC-TV tuners were employed by consumers to add
to their multimedia PC experience.
By 2011, In-Stat anticipates 50.8 million PC-TV tuners will be sold. There are
several factors that are stimulating the growth of PC-TV tuners. Microsoft has
done a yeoman' s job by encouraging PC-TV tuner vendors to centralize their
drivers through the Windows Update program. Microsoft Vista is a robust
platform that extends the consumer' s multimedia experience, and In-Stat
anticipates that PC-TV tuning will be an important service enabled by Vista.
The increased use of PC-TV tuners is not just the convergence of software and
hardware packages. The increase in the popularity of PC-TV tuners is also the
result of the increasing savvy of PC consumers with PC products and the rise
of social networks.
The report, PC-TV Tuners, Coming to a PC Near You, explains what factors are
promoting PC-TV tuners' usage and what factors could discourage PC-TV tuner
use. Forecasts for unit shipments and revenues are provided through 2011.
HIGHLIGHTS
- By 2011, In-Stat anticipates that 50.8 million PC-TV tuners will be sold.
In 2011, PC-TV tuners will represent $3.2 billion in revenues.
- Microsoft Vista encourages the use of PC-TV tuners.
- By 2011, roughly 66% of all PC-TV tuners will be hybrid PC-TV tuners that
are sold as a package with Microsoft Vista as a POS for PCs.
Whose needs does this report address?
- Major vendors included in this report are Microsoft, Intel, and AMD and
the report explains what these major companies are doing in PC-TV. AverMedia,
Pinnacle Systems, Micronas, CyberLink, and ATI are covered for what their
products do to facilitate PC-TV tuning.
- The report details the factors that could help PC-TV tuners to
proliferate. It also takes the devil' s advocate position of factors that could
limit the growth of PC-TV tuners.
- Government regulations are discussed in terms of how PC-TV tuners are
received in the market.
- PC-TV tuners are discussed as a centering application for greater social
networking and as an extension of the personal multimedia experience offered
in Microsoft Vista-enabled PCs.
What questions does this report answer?
- PC-TV tuners will be in, or added to, 15.8 million PCs in 2006. In 2011,
that number climbs to 50.8 million units.
- PC-TV tuners will create a US$3.3 billion for PC-TV tuner vendors by 2010.
However, this represents a cresting of PC-TV tuner revenues as the cost of
PC-TV tuners starts to decrease and unit volumes level off.
- Leading form factors of PC-TV tuners include internal PC-TV tuners, hybrid
USB tuners, pay-TV capable PC-TV tuners, and free-to-air satellite PC-TV
tuners.
- The success of PC-TV tuners varies from region to region. Regional impacts
on the market include the availability of infrastructure and specific
behaviors of consumers in those regions.