The popularity of set-top boxes is high, and the market has great potential — for example, ABI Research (News – Alert) recently forecasted that set-top shipments would reach 57 million by 2017. However, the key to achieving this potential is the integration of new and exciting technologies, namely mobile and cloud technology.

Active Video Networks has embraced this and will demonstrate at the Independent Show on July 22-25 in Orlando, Florida, just how its set-top boxes harness the cloud to deliver a superior product. The company’s CloudTV platform utilizes an advanced HTML5 application engine that runs entirely in remote servers in order to provide streaming content, on-demand search, navigation and Web applications to the user.

"It’s extremely difficult for operators serving smaller markets to amortize the capital and operational costs of replacing existing set-tops and infrastructure, as well as the cost of authoring new applications," said Jeff Miller, president and CEO of ActiveVideo Networks, in a press release. "CloudTV transforms the equation: It enables content creation by typical Web developers using standard Web tools, streams the entire content experience from the cloud and allows operators to quickly deliver the most diverse, competitive mix of programming and applications, without the expense of new STBs or truck rolls."

The scalable CloudTV H5 platform uses highly optimized HTML5 browser technology in order to provide its entire user experience. Content is streamed to users in MPEG-2 or H.264 format for high definition quality that is relatively low bandwidth.

MobiTV (News – Alert) also offers a similar technology with its MobiTV nDVR standalone, licensable solution. While this DVR device does not utilize HTML5 to deliver its content, it does employ cloud technology to provide users with complete DVR functionality. Because storage is cloud based, users have no limit to the amount of content they can store, while the device’s "master copy" feature allows for access to any channel’s content at any time without needing to record it directly.

Want to learn more about HTML5? Then be sure to attend DevCon5, in New York City, July 23-24, 2012. HTML5 has the potential to revolutionize user interfaces, challenge the status quo and change the future of both desktop and mobile web experiences. Join fellow web developers, designers, and architects, as well as technology leaders and business strategists who will gather in New York to learn strategies and tactics to implement and execute HTML5. For more information on registering for DevCon5 click here.