Observing the OTT/TV market in February, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed to make the set-top box (STB) market more open, allowing consumer electronics players to improve their competitiveness, while Korea-based TV brand vendors are shifting their focuses away from the 3D TV market.
FCC tried to open the STB market previously with CableCard, but do not achieve solid results. This time, the FCC is demanding cable service providers open up their channel information to allow consumer electronic players to develop TVs or STBs that can display channel listings from different service providers.
With the move, consumer electronics players will be able to enhance their competitiveness with a better user interface or added functions, and give consumers cheaper and better product choices. However, Digitimes Research expects cable service providers to boycott the proposal using technical methods.
At the same time, Korea-based LCD brand vendors reportedly are moving their focuses away from the 3D TV market in 2016. Digitimes Research believes Samsung will continue to keep 3D technology in its LCD TVs, but will no longer provide expensive 3D glasses to consumers since Samsung's Shutter Glass 3D technology only added a little cost.
LG Technology uses Pattern Retarder technology for 3D effects and the larger the panel, the higher the cost. Adding 3D into its high-end models could put related models at a disadvantage against competitors, but for small-size models, the technology may benefit the Korea-based vendor, Digitimes Research noted.
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