[Satellite Today 01-28-09] Set-top box shipments will see almost 10 percent growth in 2009 compared to 2008, according to a report from IMS Research, “Set-Top Box Deployments and Ecosystem,” released Jan. 26.
 “Television remains one of the most economic forms of entertainment available and is traditionally one of the last expenses to be cut in tough times, making set-top boxes one of the few growth areas to be found in consumer electronics at the moment,” said Stephen Froehlich, an IMS analyst in the company’s consumer electronics research group.
    IMS Research expects the growth of digital TV households to continue as digital services become available to new markets. Digital TV services, including high definition, also are providing consumers the option of staying home to watch movies and sporting events rather than paying for tickets and concessions at the theater or sports field. IMS Research is forecasting that worldwide digital TV households will still see 20 percent growth over 2008.