Sony color TV contract carriers to seek for one machine set-top boxes

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As a transitional digital set-top box product in the process of digital broadcast television has been fraught with controversy. Now in the United States with the largest color TV giants Sony and the six cable operators signed on to promote digital TV, "one machine" of the agreement, digital set-top box market has entered a downhill.

May 28, Sony cable and with the United States Telecom Association (NCTA), as well as Comcast, Time Warner Cable and other six major cable service providers have signed an agreement, the future will allow users to set-top box in the absence of circumstances, still be able to use the advanced two-way cable TV services, such as pay-per-movie-watching.

This reporter learned that, at present, including Samsung NC10 Battery, Lg F1 battery, Panasonic color TV enterprises are in the pipeline and the U.S. cable operator to sign similar agreements. This means that the United States to maintain the amount of hundred-million units set-top box facing the edge of elimination, but also means that the Chinese set-top box business with the United States each year nearly 10 million units of exports will be significantly affected.

Domestic set-top box market is also facing the danger of shrinking. June 3, the State Administration of Radio Science and Technology Department, said the people concerned, from 2009 onwards, in the digital conversion process will encourage the manufacture of integrated digital TV broadcasting companies and operators around the joint promotion, set-top box companies to avoid blind investment .

The U.S. set-top box market shrinking

According to report, and Sony VGP-BPS9 battery signed a two-way through the one machine to promote cable television service agreement six largest cable operators, respectively, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Cablevision Systems and Bright House networks. This six cable operators account for 82% of U.S. cable customers.

The United States since 2003 to broadcast digital television conversion. According to the U.S. FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations, March 1, 2007, all work on the market for 13-inch and larger TV sets have to be with the ATSC (U.S. digital TV National Standards) digital tuner, but by 2009 -year in February before the closure of the analog signal completely, in order to watch TV programs must use a Motorola, Cisco and other enterprises to provide a split-type set-top boxes.

Data show that the U.S. will be completely closed in February 2009 analog TV signal, its set-top box unit shipments in 2007 reached a record 30 million units, which the middle of more than 1 / 2 from China with the continent, Tembec and other set-top box business.

Now it seems that the U.S. set-top box market in 2007 the number of some of the performance of the final taste of the madness. Sony VGP-BPS8 battery and NCTA, as well as six major cable operators signed the agreement means that in the future digital set-top box market, the United States will gradually shrink.

According to market research company Strategy Analytics forecasts, the global digital set-top box shipments in 2008 will reach 128 million units, but the Asia-Pacific will replace North America, the largest set-top box market, while the U.S. market, shipments began to shrink.

Market research firm Display search Shenzhen Representative Office, said Zhang Bing, director of marketing, "This is the United States NCTA and the six largest cable operators in order to ensure high value-added digital TV, pay TV and VOD can receive on demand the cost of the measures taken by CA in the set-top box to take them through an encrypted way to put an end to the entry of other competitors. "

In fact, as early as more than 10 years ago, the cable industry, the U.S. Congress was asked to open their markets to allow electronics manufacturers to join the set-top boxes to compete outside. To this end the cable industry developed the cable card (cable card), can be plugged into the TV with processing power and additional equipment. However, user feedback situation, the cable card to become the main target of consumer complaints.

Apparently allowed Sony, Samsung and other external color TV manufacturers to enter the general trend. In such circumstances, Sony VGP-BPS9 and the NCTA negotiations began in 2006, the two sides on how to provide video on demand, digital video recording and interactive procedures to reach a consensus, Sony and the NCTA finally signed a cooperation agreement.

The reporter learned from Samsung Electronics China companies have found that, at present, including Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sharp, including many color TV manufacturers are in similar negotiations with the NCTA, I believe a large-scale integrated digital TV into the U.S. market in 2008 within this year.

Export Restricted set-top boxes

Zhang Bing said, "If Sony, Samsung and other major color TV manufacturers in North America this year signed an agreement with the NCTA, then the rate of set-top boxes will soon be phased out within three years the number one machine to retain the amount of ownership is expected to exceed the amount of set-top box."

In other words, with the entry of outside vendors, Motorola, Cisco and other split set-top box business and set-top boxes for its OEM Chinese enterprises will face the decline of the U.S. market.

The set-top box businesses in China, which is obviously is a major bad. According to data provided by Glen Research, 2007, Chinese enterprises with more than 300 set-top boxes shipped 64 million units Sony VGP-BPS8, of which domestic shipments only 15.37 million units, the rest of the nearly 50 million units are used for export, North America, Europe, China firm's major export markets.

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