Apple TV took the third place position in 2015, based on revenue in the overall global set-top market, according to the recent research by IHS. That’s up from ninth place in 2014.

The research finds that more than 10 million Apple TVs were shipped in 2015 — the fifth largest volume in the world — following Arris, Technicolor, and Skyworth and ZTE.

According to Daniel Simmons, director of connected home for IHS Technology, “Apple TV’s particular success is a result of translating consumption habits from across Apple’s wider device ecosystem onto the TV screen.”

In 2015, global set-top box shipments grew 4.8 percent, year over year, to reach 353 million units, according to IHS

This growth was driven by internet-protocol television (IPTV) in China, where telecommunications companies are pushing IPTV services to generate returns on their investments in fiber to the home (FTTH), which connects buildings with high-speed internet access.

Revenue increased by 3.4 percent to reach $5.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2015, compared to the previous quarter, partially driven by next generation device launches of Apple, Amazon, and Roku. Revenue for 2015 fell 5.4 percent to $22.2 billion, due to reduced demand for high value STBs in North America, primarily caused by poor pay-TV performance in the region.

Simmons said that the new positioning of Apple at the top of the set-top box market reflects several trends:

1. Pay-TV specific set-top boxes are becoming less important for consumers to access premium content, because Netflix, HBO Go and other OTT video platforms now offer top-tier content to retail OTT STBs.
2. As retail STBs have grown in the market, traditional pay-TV set-top vendors have been forced to re-position themselves, with significant consolidation at the top of the market, diversification toward software and services in the middle, and low-end vendors moving toward broader volume.

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9to5Mac’s Senior Editor, Mark Gurman is riding a high tide now, as most of his predictions regarding the Apple Watch and the new ultra-thin MacBook were proven right. In an interview given to CNBC, Gurman shares his views on where Apple TV is going and the possibility of an Apple television set.

Along with other Apple stuff, the CNBC reporter asked Gurman about his thoughts on the $30 price cut for Apple TV 3 and the 3 month exclusivity of HBO NOW for Apple TV. This is what he had to say:

I think this $69 price point ($30 price drop) is a big deal because it indicates that they try to make room for something. They are trying to sell a lot of these Apple TVs. They are trying to use it as a marketing tool to really allow for customer discovery of these living room solutions. So I think it is a big deal in getting the Apple TV out there.[..]

Even bigger is the HBO exclusivity deal because it represents that the Apple TV with the cable networks and show providers have the technology to do a subscription service without the cable box. And I think HBO is just the first of many.

And I think the overall solution Apple has in the works is just a bunch of different programs and apps, that are not on a pay-per-view subscription but like perhaps a weekly, monthly or yearly plans.

Gurman was also asked about the possibility of a standalone Apple TV set:

I don’t think [Apple TV set] is currently in the works or is currently the plan. I think the plan is to make a groundbreaking new set-top box that really changes the model path of how people get TV. I think more services-backed model is where they are headed instead of screen-based hardware.

I think the next version of Apple TV, in terms of appearance, will look really a lot like the current one. It probably will be thinner, have a larger more tactile remote control. But in terms of a screen-based set, I don’t think that is happening in the near future.

You can catch the whole 5 minute interview here.

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Its been a long time since Amazon started cooking its next big thing in video entertainment and after months of rumors and hiccups, they will finally shed the curtain of their very own set-top box.

Amazon has sent out media invitations for a New York event on April 2nd, to witness an update to their video business. And based on the cover photo (shown below) depicting a couch and spilled popcorns, it is safe to guess that we’re looking at Amazon’s move in the living room tech battle.

Obviously, the set-top box will be a streaming device which can be connected to your HDTV to view video content from Amazon Prime Instant Video and will be in direct competition with Apple TV, Roku and Google Chromecast.

It is speculated to be Android-based and to come with support for games and other apps too, controlled by a hardware remote or a mobile app. And guessing from one of their previous trademark filings, the device will be named Amazon FireTube matching their fire tablet lineup.

On the other hand, Apple is rumored to be making some significant changes to the Apple TV in the next update with a brand new interface, support for apps, games and controllers. The set-top box industry is surely heating up quickly and only time will tell who’ll crack the code first.

Read more about Apple TV 4.

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According to the former Apple executive who anonymously spoke to DailyTech, Apple plans to bundle Apple TV and iTunes inside physical television sets. The source claims that Apple is teaming up with a major supplier (Samsung?) to provide the physical televisions, which will be rebranded as Apple television sets. The source believed a fall launch was in order, but the product could launch as late as next year.

According to the former Apple executive, the company plans to “blow Netflix and all those other guys away”. “You’ll go into an Apple retail store and be able to walk out with a TV,” the source said.

Shortly before Apple has released the second generation Apple TV in September last year, Jobs participated in the D8 conference, where he said that the Cupertino firm had no idea on how to succeed in the television market. Although the Apple TV 2 has sold very well (probably over 2 million units so far), it’s hard to call Steve’s “hobby” device a revolutionary product.

Apple has been rumored to be working on its own TV set numerous times in the past. According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster’s note Apple will release an HDTV “in the next two to four years.”

In February, Apple has posted a new job position looking for people to work on next-generation power supply technology that will power – among others – the TVs.

In addition, according to the other job listing, Apple has been researching OLED technologies and is looking to implement this technology into future products.

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