Microsoft"s introduction of Windows Vista for consumers this year is expected to help drive the PC-TV tuner market, a research firm said Monday.
Among the Microsoft initiatives positioning the OS for TV programming is the software maker"s push to get PC-TV tuner vendors to centralize their drivers through the Windows Update program, according to the report from market analyst firm In-Stat.
"The most common PC-TV tuner will enable digital terrestrial television reception and be integrated with the PC as part of a Microsoft Vista bundle," In-Stat analyst Chris Kissel said in a statement. Tuners that won"t be part of the Vista bundle, but will still have a portion of the market, include hybrid USB TV tuners, PC-TV tuners for free-to-air satellite TV services, and pay-TV capable tuners.
By 2011, 50.8 million PC-TV tuners will be sold worldwide, generating $3.1 billion in revenue, In-Stat predicts. Nearly 37% of all PC-TV tuner revenue will come from end users in Europe, and 32% from those in Asia.