IMS Research says in a report that over-the-top video offerings provided by TV service providers are becoming more common, with operator-deployed hybrid set-top boxes accounting for almost 13 percent of global IP STB shipments in 2008. OTT-to-the-TV may not be ubiquitous for another five years or so, the firm says, but Western European carriers in particular are moving quickly. About 87 percent of the 1.6 million of the hybrid STBs deployed in 2008 were used in households in Western European markets.

In related news, Amino Technologies actually claimed--though did not name--a large operator customer for hybrid STBs this week.

For more:
- Here's the IMS Research press release

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TV audience measurement company Rentrak has extended the reach of its set-top box data analysis service to about 15 million TV subscribers in 210 TV markets via a new partnership with satellite TV provider Dish Network. The deal is a major boost to the upstart ratings service. Rentrak's most significant service provider partnership up to this point had been with AT&T, which gave Rentral visibility into about 2 million TV households in about three dozen markets.

For more:
- MediaWeek has this story

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Rentrak teamed with AT&T in late 2008
Rentrak developed a "Stickiness Index" last year