• by Wayne Friedman , November 11, 2013

So-called “home media gateway” boxes -- high-end set-top boxes such as Dish Network’s Hopper and units from Cisco and Motorola that can be wireless (and wired) connections to other devices -- will climb to 10 million units worldwide, according to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based MRG, an SNL Kagan company. This is an increase from the 7.7 million shipped in 2012.

The boxes will account for just 4% of total set-top box unit shipments. Prices for these products costs $300 and up -- generally targeting higher-income homes, according to the research. Virtually all of these high-end set-top box shipments will be to North America and Europe.

MRG says revenue from its unit will climb to $3 billion in 2013, up from $2.3 billion a year ago. Other features of home media gateway devices include the ability to stream video to multiple screens, as well as multi-room DVR functions.

Analysts say cable, satellite and telco multichannel TV operators are being pressured to compete with the perceived threat from “over-the-top” video services.

Some of those providers looking to distribute these devices include Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Liberty Global, Shaw Communications, and DirecTV.