In today’s fast-paced world of streaming video, Android TV set-top boxes (STBs) have rapidly become a foundation of home entertainment. STBs provide users with seamless access to a wide range of content – from Live TV, to Video-on-Demand (VOD) and video games, across a plethora of streaming apps.
With the integration of Android TV STBs and advanced video analytics solutions, such as the NPAW Suite, video streaming providers are able to deliver personalized, high-quality Linear TV and Video-on-Demand (VoD) in virtually every country in the world.
According to the latest report from tech site Business Wire, the Global Android set top box market size is set to reach USD $10 billion in 2024 and skyrocket to USD $25.5 billion by 2028.
This surge in popularity of set-top boxes can be attributed to the “Global Internet Lifestyle” – worldwide demand for more interactive TV/Internet Media experience. And streaming providers are rapidly shifting to the Android TV STBs to meet this demand.
For OTTs, Broadcasters and Telcos, NPAW delivers performance KPIs across all streaming devices, including STBs, Smart TVs and smartphones. NPAW’s Video Intelligence Suite is an all-in-one Service Quality Management solution for streaming services.
The NPAW Suite monitors video Quality of Experience (QoE) and Quality of Service (QoS), and gives actionable insights for troubleshooting and service enhancements. For companies using STBs and other smart devices, NPAW Video Analytics tracks key metrics of the STB such as player start-up time, buffer ratio, start-up errors and in-stream errors, all in real-time.
How to access Comprehensive Content with Android TV
The standout feature of the Android TV set-top box is its expansive access to content. The Android TV STB is a versatile entertainment hub, allowing users to access a wide range of streaming apps like Netflix, Max, Disney+, Youtube, Twitch and Amazon Prime Video. High-end STBs such as the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, combine an STB with console-grade gaming. The Android platform makes it easy for users to switch between live TV, VoD content, and using third-party apps, all within a single, intuitive interface. NPAW’s App Analytics, for example, can track the performance of all of these apps.
Nvidia Shield TV Pro
Use of AI-Powered App Performance Monitoring
With STBs, know what your subscribers are watching, and for how long. With NPAW App Analytics, providers can spot anomalies affecting the STBs – app crashes, device errors, login/sign-up errors – and immediately repair issues on a per-user basis. App Analytics can track the behaviour of ANY app on the end-user’s device using an extensive list of metrics and dimensions – track by user IP, device ID, app version, user session and more.
NPAW App Analytics
App Analytics visualizes each user journey via a session timeline, detailing when and where crashes, pauses, and content switches occur. For customer support and issue resolution, this is a very powerful tool.
NaLa, NPAW’s Natural Language AI, is fully integrated with the NPAW Suite. NaLa learns and troubleshoots the client’s infrastructure, as well as its integration with the NPAW Suite and Video Plugin. As subscribers utilize the streaming service, NaLa performs the following tasks:
- Monitors anomalies and errors that occur throughout the NPAW Suite
- Automatically creates alerts when errors are found
- Analyzes performance of the streaming architecture
- Generates reports on-demand, with great detail
- Observes the performance of each end-user device
Improved QoE/QoS for STBs with the NPAW Suite
Android TV STBs now account for over 80% of the global Set-top-box market – far and away the main player in this space. This is according to Market Research Future. They offer powerful performance and affordability, supported by robust hardware that ensures quick load times and smooth navigation.
However, as a Telco operator, OTT or broadcaster, you cannot manage what you cannot measure. Video QoE/QoS monitoring solutions play a pivotal role in service delivery, infrastructure management, content monetization, and user engagement.
Using NPAW’s Video Analytics, streaming providers gain real-time, AI-driven insights into their perceived Quality of Experience of the Video Player. Analyze metrics such as buffer ratio, join times, video playback quality, and viewer engagement. These tools ensure that the content delivered through STBs is smooth, reliable, and tailored to meet user expectations.
This is a huge departure from traditional TV, where a broadcaster doesn’t have granular visibility or control over the end-user experience.
Personalized Content Recommendations
Combining Android TV with advanced analytics allows service providers to deliver highly personalized content recommendations. This can be done using platforms like Product Analytics – NPAW’s solution for User Acquisition & Retention, Content Management and UI/UX Personalization. These features improve the viewing experience and increase user satisfaction and loyalty.
By analyzing user viewing habits and preferences, Product Analytics can suggest relevant shows, movies, and even advertisements, making content discovery more engaging and tailored to individual tastes.
NPAW Product Analytics
Next-Gen TV
So the world of broadcast media has completely changed in the past 10 years. Streaming providers, smartphones, Smart TVs and set-top boxes offer users a seamless, feature-rich platform that enhances content consumption. By the turn of the decade, video streaming services will surpass terrestrial TV and Cable TV viewership globally. This is quickly proving that the demand for the Global Internet Lifestyle is reshaping our expectations of media and entertainment. And using the NPAW suite will help you navigate this new generation guiding your decision making and your customers UX.