Microsoft vs Linux in STB race

[netsat]

According to a new Strategy Analytics report, more set-top box manufacturers might consider Microsoft's CE.Net platform if a competitive licensing scheme were available. However the giant must move quickly since Linux momentum is building steadily. Linux is a leading contender to become the standard operating system in advanced set-top boxes, such as Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and IPTVs.

Linux already serves as the operating system in devices such as TiVo and Echostar's DVR. It also features in many of the IPTV set-top boxes used by telephone companies to deliver television and video-on-demand over telephone wires. Linux is both sophisticated enough to support advanced functions, such as video recording and IP delivery, and economical since it does not require licensing fees.

Strategy Analytics forecasts that nearly 40 million advanced set-top boxes will be installed worldwide by 2008. The majority will be in the US, where demand for Linux-based DVRs is likely to be strongest.